Heading South from Rio

I left Rio and went to Ilha Grande - Big Island. Not big at all: 6 thousand inhabitants living mainly form tourism. Island is GORGEOUS!!! Beautiful beaches, boat trips to lagoons - blue lagoon, green lagoon, some isolated beaches. On the first day I took a trek together with one Brazilian girl I met in a hostel. It was 10 km one day, last hour was pretty difficult as the path run through rich vegetation and we were not sure whether we are on a right way but it was worth an effort. Just see the pisc. I was amazed. Next day a boat trip to lagoons and tried snorkeling - beautiful! There´s nothing but restaurants and pousadas - guest houses, but what an architecture! everything covered in green and flowers! - life on island is completely relaxed and it´s easy to know people. Everybody is so friendly. They all say what´s a beautiful life, what else can you ask for. I know some of you would love it!
I felt like enjoying every second of my staying there. Like no past no future.

Now I´m in Paraty - it´s famous bcs of charming well preserved historic centre but not much apart so taking bus to another island. Although a bit nervous as it is a holiday in Brazil and I don´t have accommodation booked.

The most beautiful thing

Today I did tandem hang-gliding. It was THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I'VE EVER DONE AND ONE OF THE MOST - or maybe THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENT OF MY LIFE!
Kochani rodzice, to napisze specjalnie dla Was po polsku zebym byla pewna ze zrozumieliscie: dzis skoczylam na lotni (razem z instruktorem w tandemie oczywiscie!)i byl to jeden z najpiekniejszych z moze NAJPIEKNIEKSZY MOMENT MOJEGO ZYCIA. Nie da sie tego opisac jak to jest leciec w powietrzu zupelnie wolnym!!!
I CAN'T FIND WORDS TO EXPRESS THE FEELING AND THE SILLY FREE LIKE A BIRD IS THE ONLY that comes to my mind.
You will see in my album. First we drove with the instructor by very stapy road to the top. Unfortunatelly it was raining just b4 I arrived to the place and the was fog on the high so everybody was waiting till the fog goes away. You try with your instructor a short run together bcs you need to run very fast to gain speed and that's very important. I even wasn't scarry. I just new now is no way back and the only thing I can do is to trust my instructor. Then he was excellent - brilliant guy. He new how to gain my trust and make my jump. Is was like throwing yourself into en empty space. First I was out of breath. Just few seconds and then you relexed and I couldn't stop laughing as you can see - I was SO happy, flying complatelly free. When we were approaching land I didn't want to land. I wanted to stay there! Can you imagine the best orgazm you ever had in your life to last for I think 15 minutes? that's how it feels. All the stress of last times and all the tensions I had left, dissapeared. I felt so light and so relaxed.
I gonna do it again. I know in Lima (Peru) they do handgliding and I definitavelly gonna jump there even if this pleasure is bit pricy - $100 for a jump I wouldn't hesitate to pay it again.
Actually somewhere in the future I will go for a course.

few more notes on life in Rio

Just few comments and notes on life in Rio. It's hot in here. There are fruit bars on literally each corner. They make beautiful juices from fresh fruit. Funny the most of it even don't have translation so I'm experimenting and chosing one I don't know. But the most jummy thing is acai: something extra fruity, extra frozen, extra thick and extra yammy! smth between smoothie and frappucino. Then I have to say that staying in the country is the only way to learn the language. Im so glad I learned smoe Spanish. At lest I can guess what people say and they underestand Spanish more or less so Im getting by. After these few days I already remember few words and expressions. I bet once in spanish speaking country I will learn it quickly.
Ather interesting thing - normal in sth america - is that when you use the toilet you dont put used paper in the toilet but... in the bin next to the toilet. the plumbing systems are very poor in here.
Today we going to see plaine show. Wil try to get a pics.

Kiniu wszystkiego najlepszego z okazji urodzin, oczywiscie sie spozniam ale caluje mocno z tej okazji! cmok cmok.
Iza dla ciebie tez happy birthday! 100 lat
Diane happy birthday for you!

born to travel

I feel as if I was born to be a traveler! Guys I can't explain the feeling. Last night we all went to a samba club - but no for tourists or no! that was real club. I have to say: Brazilian women are gorgeous but men... just leave it. We all came back sort of 5am don't know exactly and in the morning everybody was suffering from a hangover (Irish group) and so on. I'm dead tired. Oh yes traveling makes you exhausted...
So i've got an idea what the life as a backpacker is like. The hostel, since it's hot, has a lot of open space, bar, the standart is not high but in this sunny weather it's ok. You get used 2 quickly. It doesn't feel like European hostels. Then believe it or not but me single since I don't know when - ages for sure - got a boyfriend. His carioca, very nice guy, don't ask how old is he pls!But I realized already one thing: this is gonna be an intensive course in detachment. Mainly detachment from people. Yes, Nick, that's what you were saying. I know i gonna meet many people I get liking to and... have to go in 2 days...
I hope u got an idea on favelas. I still cannot get over it.
thanks for emails and im glad you like the pics. of course later im not gonna take another 100 pics of sea and views but as far as now im just so exhilarated and excited that i need to use my new toy.
I could say many things Im seeing. brazilian life is so specific.
Copacabana by night is beautiful!
Viva Rio!

Rio is great!!!

So I'm still alive. Nobody mugged me yet or killed. There's plenty of police at copacabana and it looks that you need to use a common sense as everywhere else.
There's so much going on and to say I don't know where to start! Rio is great!!! Already love it!

So the first thing after arrival I talked to a Czech guy in a hostel and he gave me some advices what to see appart the obvious things. Then I went to see an icon of Rio: Cristo Redentor. See the pics. Then famous Compacabana. To be honest there beach is not hing special and you cannot take swim bcs of polution. i thing that's a promenade along the sea and the night life that is so special.

But the best thing that happend to me was that I booked this hostel - it's small and bcs now it's autumn and low season in Brasil there is no many people. So after 2 days I knew almost everybody! It's amazing! I heard it's normal and easy to meet people in hostels but I didn't expected is SO easy! Or Im just such a friendly and easy going person... I really dounbted in London but fuck! I am! And staff is briliant. They are so friendly! They really help us to organise time be safe and have fun.
So in the evening we all having drinks together. Yesterday we went to a brazilian bar with live music. I was dancing to the rythm of samba with carioca - a guy sort of working in our hostel and I couldn't believe it. It's so BEAUTIFUL!
I met 2 Irish girs for 3 years away. A canadin guy for 3 months in Brazil. Braszilian guys from Manau - Amazonian region. It's gr8 I can speak to Brazilians and locals here - I can find out about life in brazil.

I booked Rio for 3 night as it was suppose to be so dangerous and not worthy to stay. From one day to the other I was saying one more day. I know I gonna stay here a week.
Today we went to famous favelas - slamsy po polsku. Like in the city of God for these who seen the film. I didn't expected what we really saw. See the pics. I would need more time to explain you this experience. Just that to go to favelas of course you not going on yr own. you need a guide who knows people. We were accompanied by another guy from favela. Kids were saying 'hi' to us and at the end we gave them sweets. And we had a beer over there...

Now we going to a brazilian - but local - club with music again.

So just try to imagine the feeling when you don't have to go anywhere and you stay as long as you want in the place. yes yes yes!!!

Airport

Actually my trip started well already in the airport. The officer at check in looked through my ticket: "so round the world?" and he asked me twice is it all you checking in? he couldn't believe. "well, you packing light...". that was a good thing bcs most of all I was afraid Im not gonna pack.
Then on the plane I sat next to a Brazilian man and as long as his English allowed he gave me few advices. First of all he crossed out on my map where it's not safe to go and where it is safe.
Kasiu i Paulina, dzieki za odprowadzenie na lotnisko. To naprawde przemilo byc odprowadzanym. Z~a to nie uwierzycie, ze zostalam zaproszona do zeskanowania sie...

- So where you going?
- Everywhere. Round the World
- Wow, around the world in 80 days?
- No, in 365 days! :-)
- Wow, with whom you going?
- On my own
-??? well... And what are you going to do when you're back? where you coming back to? London? Poland?
-??? I don't know. I haven't left yet and I've got 365 days to enjoy and take most of it. Maybe I'll fell in love with one place and I'll stay there... Not sure if coming back


Kochani, mam nadzieje, ze zrozumiecie, ze pisanie caly czas w dwoch jezykach byloby czasochlonne i uciazliwe i poradzicie sobie z angielskim... Zreszta nie bedzie to literatura piekna - ma to byc prosta i zwiezla relacja z podrozy,zadnych faktow historycznych czy geograficznych - te znajdziecie sami na necie jesli bedziecie chcieli. Pisze dla Was zebyscie wiedzieli, ze zyje ;-) i ze o Was pamietam i czekam na maile od Was!

First I wanted to say THANK YOU for all the farewell drinks, nice words and making me feel so special. Thank you to all who helped me with moving out. Thank you my friends for your support. Your finger crossed and guards - Ula I will carry them with me, Nick i cut them out as you told me - will make my trip safe and wonderful.
This blog is meant to be a sort of collective email to keep you posted. I'm not going to give you history or overview of the countries I will visit - these you can find on the Internet or whenever I you're interested in. Just to let you know I'm alive and waiting for emails from you!