Will We or Won't We?

As any of you who have been regular readers of my blog will know, when it comes to leaving the UK and of course, coming back, the stress levels do have a tendency to rise.  Today has been no exception although before I indicate the current stressometer reading, I'll update you on what we did before heading to the airport in Foz Do Iguacu.  Our first flight was not scheduled to leave until 1557 local time so we headed to the Parques das Aves where we saw a different kind of flight, that of our winged and feathered friends.

This bird park contains more than a thousand inhabitants from 150 species, mostly from Brazil and is spread over 16 hectares of lush Amazon type rainforest.  We had woken to the most stunning of days with crystal clear blue skies but also with a noticeable nip in the air and so it was pretty cold under the canopy of the forest.  That said, it proved to be a fascinating two hours which enabled us to get close up to some very beautiful birds, a number of which you can see in the photos below.  If you ever are in this part of the world to see the falls, then put Parques das Aves on your list.

And so back to stressometers which didn't even register a reading for our first flight as at check in, we were told that there were many seats available and we were given boarding passes straight away.  This staff travel thing really is a breeze!  A great flight across to Rio as well although with approximately a hundred miles to run, the cloudless skies disappeared and we arrived into a city where the end of the world looked nigh!!

So here we sit in Rio looking at the vast lines of people checking in for Flight BA 248 to London Heathrow!  So long, that at the moment, we have decided to sit back for an hour to let the crowds dissolve before we make our way to the desk.  Stressometer reading nowhere near peak yet but I have started to plan for a potential night in a Rio airport hotel!!  Sometimes you take the rough with the smooth and I am always hopeful that my undying optimism will come through once more.

I do intend to write one more post when we get home to round up my thoughts on Rio, Iguacu and Brazil in general and if you do by any chance read this post tonight, please cross your fingers.  Every little bit helps.

    Linda and a New Friend.  It's a Macaw.

    Phew.  She's Gone!

    Toucan Play at That

    A Stately Old Bird

    Pretty Polly?

    A Humming Bird Resting

Brazil or Argentina? Argentina or Brazil?

It's an argument that's been debated for years.  Is the best view of the Iguazu Falls from Brazil or Argentina?  I will reveal my own preference at the end of today's dispatch but it isn't one that everybody would agree with!

We are staying on the Brazilian side of the falls in a lovely resort hotel about 10 minutes from the National Park entrance.  The location is perfect and as you will have seen from yesterday's post, this side of the falls provides some incredible photographic opportunities and the chance to get extremely wet in the Devil's Throat!

It's slightly more complicated to get to the Argentinian side but in my opinion - that isn't giving anything away just yet - if visiting Iguazu, you must build in time to visit both sides because of the differing perspectives experienced.

Taxi booked for 10am and the first job was to visit a local Cambio (currency exchange) to acquire some Argentinian  pesos.  Cash only is accepted if you wish to visit over the  border but we had to factor in coffees - what's new? - lunch and fridge magnets together with contingencies.  Money safely acquired at a very advantageous rate to the Cambio, we headed for the border.  We left everything to our taxi driver who dealt with all bureaucracy to get us into the country.  By 1045, we were heading for the Devil's Throat on a miniature railway!

The Argentinian side covers a far greater area than we had seen in Brazil yesterday and requires a considerable amount of footwork and time.  The train saves a bit of shoe leather but only delivers you to a point approximately one mile from the falls.  The rest of the effort is yours and it can be frustrating as you are disgorged from the train at the same time as lots of elderly Japanese and other nationality tourists who move at snail's pace along the narrow walkways.  It's unnatural for me to walk anywhere slowly and this type of experience is shear purgatory.  That said, the end  result is so worth it as you witness a maelstrom of epic proportions crash over a cliff to the valley below.  It truly has to be seen in 3D and any amount of photographs simply cannot do justice to what you witness and experience at Iguazu.  I would class it as mind blowingly epic.

The difference between Argentina and Brazil is that you are almost inside the falls and your senses are fiercely assaulted with both the power and the noise of the water.  What did strike me most strongly was that if we were seeing it at its slowest flow rate as we were, then it must be bloody scary when the river is in flood!

The verdict.  Impossible to decide due to the many variables at play.  Indecisive moi?  Yes, I know it's a cop out but if push came to shove and you only had one day available, then head for Brazil.  Whatever the cost borne to visit Iguazu, all I can say is that it has been worth every pound, Brazilian Real and Peso.

Tomorrow, the stress levels start to accelerate again as we head for not one but two standby flights!  The plan is that we are home on Sunday although looking at the six inches of snow that fell in Eldwick yesterday, perhaps we should hope that no seats are available on either flight!  

Hopefully an update from Brazil as we await boarding our flight home from Rio.

    The First Waterfall

    It's Behind You! 

    Now That's a Waterfall!

    And That!

    Looking Away From the Devil's Throat

    A Quieter Part of Iguazu

    A Beautiful Vista

    Hard To Believe What You See

    Water at Every Turn

    A Hamlet Moment!

Alistair, You Plonker!

We have enjoyed two fantastic days in Rio, memorable in every way thanks in the main to Breno Novaes, our amazing guide and today was to be moving day to Foz  do Iguazu to view the incredible waterfalls.

I had planned to leave the hotel at 8am but after counselling from the concierge regarding traffic issues in Rio, our departure time was amended to 6.30am!  Good move because as suggested, the traffic was horrendous and it took nearly 90 minutes to make the relatively short journey.

Traffic jams are legendary here and you have to have the patience of not one but at least three Saints and also possess the all round vision and spacial awareness of a Barn Owl!  Traffic comes at you from all directions. In fact the worse thing is the constant beeping of motorcyclists who weave through the lines of cars at a ridiculous rate of knots missing your car by millimetres.  In São Paulo, many of them don't miss and current statistics show a motorcyclist being killed every hour, every day of the year.  He's bloody well fed up of it now but never seems to learn!  It is a serious problem though.

I observed Breno's driving very closely over the two days with him and he demonstrated more of a sixth sense on the roads, in fact almost mystical awareness of everything around him.  His anticipation was incredible and it's a pity that more of us can't demonstrate this trait.  Perhaps we all need to live in Rio for 36 years!!

We made it to the airport but that's when disaster struck!!  I couldn't find my IPhone and through the wonders of modern technology, my iPad gave up the news that it was still at our hotel in the city centre!!  No chance of retrieving it before getting our intended flight but we needed to speak to the hotel to track it down.  Standby flights are a very stressful situation but add the loss of your mobile and it creates the potential for melt down on a grand scale.  In my case it was a huge line of expletives whilst in Linda's, it was an inability to remember her own mobile number in order that the hotel could call us back!!  I won't bore you with further details other than to say it was discovered, will be repatriated by Sarah's friend Ellie back to the UK overnight and be back in my sweaty palms on Sunday.  Phew!

So all that remained to repair this dreadful start to the day was to get on the TAM flight to Iguazu.  Success.  There were a couple of seats to accommodate us and so here I now sit in the Wish Golf Resort and Hotel updating my latest Blog and with a big smile on my face after our first viewing of the Cataratas do Iguazu - the Iguazu falls in English.

I have used the word wow a few times in the first three postings but quite frankly, its use to describe what we witnessed today would provide a terrible understatement of this wonder of nature.  They are mind blowing and this despite April being the month of lowest water flow - just half of what it is in October.  I could post a hundred pictures but none would do true justice to the spectacle.

The falls are located where the Iguazu river tumbles over the Parana Plateau.  Depending on flow rate, there can be anything from 150-300 waterfalls ranging in height between 60 and 82 metres and at least 50% of the water is funnelled through the Devil's Throat, the dividing line between Brazil and Argentina.  There is a walkway that takes you right to the edge overlooking the Devil's Throat.  It's very scary as you look into the abyss below.  A visit to this point also means you won't be returning home with dry clothes.

We have visited Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls and now Iguazu and on first visit, I feel that the latter takes the gold medal by a whisker.

Tomorrow, Argentina beckons and with no mention of Las Malvinas from me!  I want to get home to see my family and my IPhone! 

    Arrival in Iguacu Without IPhone!

    A Busy Airport

    First View of the Falls

    Just Before Getting Wet!

    Quite a Lot of Water

    Even More Water!

    Walkway to the Devil's Throat

    The First Waterfall

    Not Much Water There Then!

    Perched Over the Devil's Throat

    An Incredible Sight.

Rio Day Two - The Surprises Keep Coming

Our second and last day in Rio proved to be one full of surprises including an experience that will stay engrained in our hearts and minds forever.

For any of you who read the second episode of this Blog, you will have gathered that Breno, our guide for these two days, had made a massive initial impression on all of us and we did wonder if the all round excellence of Day one could be continued into Day two.  The simple answer is an unhesitating yes and looking back now, we can't understand why we doubted Breno's ability to transfix us once again like he had done yesterday!

He arrived on time at our hotel, only on this occasion, to be met by four rather than six passengers.  Happily, we were joined by Stuart and his wife Frances, Stuart being the Captain who flew us out to Rio on Monday.  Like yesterday with our four BA compatriots, they proved to be wonderful company for the day and it was great to share this experience with them.

Having completed what I thought were all the tourist "must dos" yesterday, we started off with the "secret beach" and ended the day with the Taunay waterfall right in the middle of the city of Rio.  In between seeing those attractions, the one thing that made an indelible impression on all of us was a visit to a favela.

For those of you who might not know, a favela is a Brazilian slum built in an urban area.  The first ones appeared in the late 19th century and were built by soldiers who had nowhere to live.  Over the years, the numbers of favelas have continued to grow and at the last count, Rio had 600 of them, the largest housing some 350,000 people!!

The drive into and up through the Vidigal Favela was mesmerising and it would take a week to describe the full experience.  This isn't the sort of thing that Linda and I would normally do.  We have visited South Africa six times and not once have we visited a township feeling that we didn't want to be  entertained by other people's misfortune.  And yet this felt very different with us gaining an impression of a very happy place to live with lots of smiling faces on view and people working hard to make a living.

Vidigal is one that encourages tourism and if does have the knock on effect of bringing much needed money into the community, some of ours which was spent on beer and food in a restaurant at the very top of the hill.  The view looking down over Ipanema was sensational and I could have rested here for hours putting more cash into the community via the consumption of very cold beer.

I will return to favelas before the end of our trip but meanwhile will let some photos tell the story of today.

It has been tremendous in every way and we can't thank Breno enough for the enjoyment and experiences he has provided over the two days.  His knowledge of the city is amazing and not once have I been able to ask him a question that he couldn't answer.  I tried so hard! 

Tomorrow, we have an early start in the hope of getting a flight to Foz do Iguacu to witness some of the most stunning waterfalls in the world.

    The Secret Beach

    Breno and Linda at the Hang Gliding Site

    Another View of Ipanema

    Can You See the Monkey Face?

    Art in the Favela

    Is There an Electrician in the House?

    The Stunning View from the Top of the Favela

    Our Travelling Companions Stuart and Frances

    Taunay Waterfall

Rio In a Day? Call Breno!

Breno Novaes.  Remember that name if you are coming to Rio!  More of Breno shortly.

We arrived safely in Rio at 2000 local time on Monday evening after a great flight over looked after by the usual lovely and very professional BA crew.  Special mention to Senior First Officer, Ellie Williams, who trained with Sarah all those years ago and who we would happily adopt if we ever got the chance. 

Unfortunately, arriving in the dark doesn't give you any feel for this city at all, even during a 30 minute ride with the crew and the "Klingons" to the Sheraton Hotel in Barra da Tijuca.  "Klingons" incidentally is the somewhat appropriate title given to family members travelling with crew!

Tuesday was to begin our familiarisation with the city - we only have two days here - and to assist in this process, I had, on recommendation, contracted the services of a young man called Breno Novaes, a native of Rio.  How lucky were we?

I had told the crew on the way to the hotel that seats were available the following day if anybody wanted to join us and so it was that six of us awaited Breno's arrival in his black Land Rover Discovery.  

What came through the hotel entrance was a tall, dark, handsome 36 year old with a smile to brighten anybody's day.  Instant big tick in the box.  First impressions are important and his was one of the best.  Nothing during our full day with him did anything other than enhance those impressions and indeed his reputation which he has clearly worked hard to establish.

And so off we ventured with this cariocas ( a resident of Rio ) to the places we have read about and seen in so many photos over the years.  Ipanema, Christ the Redeemer, Lapa Steps, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Copacabana beach and all to be visited under blue skies and in temperatures North of 30 degrees.

Tall and tan and young and lovely the girl from Ipanema goes walking ..... 1962.  Frank Sinatra sang a famous version.  Google it.  A beautiful beach for the beautiful people - yes, Breno spends time there and why not if you have those looks.  I apparently wouldn't quite fit the mould to frequent it!

Christ the Redeemer.  Wow!  30 metres tall with a wingspan of 28 metres and standing atop Corcovado mountain.  Breathtaking and bewitching, it was created by a Franco Polish sculptor called Paul Landowski and built through Brazilian and French corroboration.  Great entente cordiale although I prefer lemon cordiale, particularly in this heat! 

Lapa Steps.  I had never heard of Lapa Steps but what a revelation.  Created by Jorge Selaron.  An absolute must visit place with an amazing story.  A great location as well, to rest for a while with a cold beer and a delicious chicken pasty - Brazilian style that is.

Sugarloaf Mountain - another icon of the city and indeed Brazil.  A massive outcrop of granite and quartz that when you have ridden the two cable cars to the top provides the most amazing views of the city and its environs.  Yet another wow!

And finally on Day one, Copacabana.  "Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl, with yellow feathers in her hair and her dress cut down to there..."  Barry Manilow 1978.  He is credited massively with increasing the popularity of this Rio beach which is possibly now, one of the most famous in the world. It's 4km long and on New Year's Eve, upto 2 million people hit this beach to watch the firework display!  

Wow, wow, wow!  Monday was just an incredible day of wows at every turn and I have to report that this is without doubt the most spectacular city we have ever visited.  It should be on everyone's "bucket list".

The day we had yesterday was fantastic in every way, enhanced by members of the BA family who joined us but topped off by the gem called Breno whose energy, enthusiasm, knowledge and huge passion for his native city made it a day we will remember for a long time.

As a footnote, perhaps Breno was already on a high before collecting us because on Monday, he found out that he was to become a dad for the first time.  Congratulations Breno.

    My New Friend Breno

    Ipanema 

    Christ the Redeemer

    Looking Towards Sugarloaf From Corcovado 

    On Top of the World

    Close Up!

    Wow!

    With New Friends on the Lapa Steps

    Sugarloaf Mountain

    Early Evening on Copacabana

Crossing One Off The Bucket List!

I can hear the collective cry now - "not another trip!"  But yes, I'm afraid it is and now, as has become the norm, I have to write a Blog about our adventures, which in this case, I am happy to reveal will be short and sweet because we are only away until next Sunday.

What?  Rio for 6 days?  Crazy eh but we have to take advantage of the travel arrangements available to us while we can.

The seeds of this trip were sown very, very recently and were compounded by attendance at a number of funerals which really did make us both think pretty deeply about our ages and exactly what is waiting around the corner?  Life is full of uncertainties for all of us although I am a fatalist, believing life is already mapped.

And so we discussed what exactly is at the top of our "bucket list"  A trip to the moon and winning the Augusta Masters for my part were overtaken by a visit to Rio, home of Pele, Carnival, Samba and this year's Olympics and so here we are on Monday 25th April awaiting our lunchtime departure to South America.  The flight is a mere 11.5 hours but with no massive time difference, we should arrive local time of 8pm ready to hit the city tomorrow morning.

We had originally planned to fly down to Heathrow this morning but Sarah thought that might not be a good idea with only 90 minutes between arriving and departing.  This left no time for a delay of any sort on our Leeds Bradford flight and with a hotel already booked in Rio, it would prove very costly.

So we flew down last night but as usual with us, the trip wasn't without incident!  Sitting on the aircraft awaiting scheduled departure of 1925, I looked out of the window to see three fire tenders and accompanying crew, park right alongside our Airbus 320!  Time to evacuate?  No, it was merely the whole of the airport fire crew familiarising themselves with this particular aircraft in case of future incidents.  Phew!

So here we are safely checked in for our flight with seats allocated and looking forward to 35 degrees of sunshine and warmth in the morning.  Quite a contrast we hope to the cold, grey day, we are leaving in London.

Bon voyage I hear you all cry ... not!

    The Leeds Bradford Airport Disaster Team!

    Most of the Fire Crew Were Underneath