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Traffic on Pan-Americana Highway after huge explosion, I wrote before, was restored and I decided not to go through the head hunters (head shrinkers) territory. They probably have never seen a folding bicyclist and may have a temptation to shrink my head as a souvenir. Instead I started long bus ride to Lima, Peru. However, before I will continue let me finish with Ecuador.

Travel to South America (part II)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-22 14:07:41

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readers I am in Rio De Janeiro, the final point of my trip. My return ticket is on Jan 20 2003

As I wrote before, from Santa Cruz, Bolivia I took 24 hours train to the border of Brazil and went into another jungle tour in Southern Pantanal, Brazil. It was disappointing, Bolivian tour was much better and also cheaper.

Than, I took another 22 hours bus ride to Iguasu fall. This waterfall is smaller than Niagara Falls but designed much better. There are three town at this multi border joint Brazilian, Foz Do Iguasu; Argentinian, Puerte Iguazu and Paragyaian Giuded del Este. I visited all three. Brazilian and Argentinian are for tourists.

Paragyaian, which has some sort of free trade status, is for business people. Town is full of crazy people who carry back and forth boxes filled with consumer electronics and HiFi stuff, which is very cheap here. To my surprise it was no single Russian there. I also change one dollar for 7,000 units of local currency and bought bunch of staff on it. I cannot spent all of it and exchange what is left for coins. But I did not buy electronics. I bought some snacks, drinks, fruits. I am not interested in this HiFi and Hi Tech stuff.

From Iguasu I took my longest bus ride (24 hours) to Rio De Janeiro. Buses in Brasil are comfortable and cheap. However they have their own problem (zakidoni). I take good dosage of my sleeping pills (bottle of vermouth) in anticipation of long night ride and fell asleep. Soon, I was waken up and told to leave bus for cleaning. Bus was clean, however. I exited bus and enter a shopping center. They gave me small piece of paper which I angerly thrown away. They invented this cleaning just to encourage people to go to this shopping center, I guess. Then I wanted to exit, they asked for that piece of paper. Merchants supposed to write there what I bought. It take a long time to proof that I bought nothing.

PS. Poxod.com published my trip reports at: ...