Catching up

I haven't been in the mood to bloh lately. Itsy that I have had simply too many experiences yo sort through. I don't know where to start! A good place would be where I left off I guess...Rio.

Rio is a beautiful place - a postcard city. I really enjoyed my time there. Its a city for the adventure seeker, not so much the gallery goer. I got to see the Cristo up close, swim on Ipanema beach, explore the atmospheric streets of Santa Theresa, listen to live samba in Lapa and shop a little. I met some awesome people and had some great laughs. I felt like a superstar the whole time, having stayed in the fancy shmancy Ipanema neighborhood and all. Some people I know went on tours of the infamous 'favellas' but I stayed clear - not because of the safety factor really, but what's the fun in  going to sightsee how people less fortunate than I am live? I just didn't see any sense in it. Anyway, the others enjoyed it in their own way i'm sure. All in all, Rio was really fun and I hope I can go back there one day when i'm wealthy and powerful and swim on the 'rich-people' part of the beach - yes, the beaches are segregaded, so to speak.

Sadly, Sao Paolo didn't really live up to my expectations. It just seemed like a giant sprawl of buildings, totally intimidating and not very friendly. Maybe I was just approaching it from the wrong angle, who knows. I destroyed my feet doing it, that's for sure. My last day there I walked nearly 30 km in flip flops...not a smart move for someone that has prescribed orthodics in her backpack. Anyway, I have but a few lasting impressions of Sao Paolo. If I ever have to go back, I would only do so with a car. The city is just too big to enjoy on a 'stroll'.

Having left Sao Paolo, I landed in the lovely Montevideo. I have to say, the people of Uruguay are the best sort. In two days, I had numerous people help me - a complete stranger with broken Spanish, to find her way around the city. On Sunday, I went to a local market to find some souvenirs. I stopped at a used books kiosk to browse through some vintage piano sheet music. Having purchased my scores, I asked the lady at the counter for directions to the nearest bus stop (i had to leave for Punta del Este that afternoon). While this lady was trying to explain to me how to get there, another woman overheard our conversation and volunteered to take me there.  At first I thought that she is only going to show me were it is, but no, she took me to a local bus stop, paid my fare, brought me to the bus station,helped me buy my ticket, and like a mother, took me to the door of the bus to hug me and say goodbye. Her name was Carmen and I will never forget her. What's probably most surprising about this story is that it is one of many (the rest I am simply too lazy to type out on my amdroid). In my two days on Uruguay and I have met many different people who offered their help to me for one reason or another. I felt so completely welcome in their country. So much so that I began to shamelessly speak Spanish. That's right! As I look back at my stay in Uruguay, I get a huge smile on my face. What a great place!

Tonight, I write to you from Buenos Aires - the Paris of Latin America, if I may say so. The 'vibe' here is completely different from that Montevideo or any other place ove been to so far on this trip. The people here are proud, strong, and extremely good looking. Extremely. They carry themselves with elegance and style. I've only had a few hours to explore the city but already, I love it here. It has the sophistocation of Europe but the friendliness and warmth of the South Ametican culture - the best of both worlds. I can't wait for tomorrow when I get to take a tour around and visit the infamous Teatro Colon.

I will try to post again before I.leave for WSCM9!