Channeling TLC

After a combined total of nine months in Argentina and Brazil, I finally made it to Iguazu Falls, the lil´(and by lil´I mean overwhelming) natural wonder that straddles the two countries. In the most expensive visa renewal that ever was, my ma and I flew from Rio to spend one day in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil and one in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina. While most people describe their Falls trips as ´sweltering,´´sunny,´and ´full of butterflies,´mine was none of the three, reaching a high of 54 and loaded instead with weird-ass coatimundis. Still, the clouds made it more dramatic, and I´m definitely glad I went (also because I stocked up on Frutigran and gulped down some Malbec and ice cream. My mom asked whether I was more excited for the waterfalls or the Argentine snacks. Not wanting to lie, I said nothing.)

Tomorrow, onto Salvador! Right now, pix (and vid!):

Brazil

Brazil

Surprise haircut! Surprise weird skin tone here!

Argentina.

Argentina.

GARGANTA DEL DIABLO, the climax, Argentina.

Going hard before I go home

SO I've fallen off the blog wagon a bit (yeah I know that expression doesn't work because being 'on' the wagon is successfully quitting alcohol and this is the inverse and nothing to do with alcohol, but just let me use a tired cliche OKAY). Not much has been happening: I've been teaching oil execs the difference between past simple and present perfect, eating rocket pizza without tomato sauce, and feeling DISsatisfied with the LOST finale and the ensuing big gaping hole in my life. A hole that has just been filled with three bags of puppy chow and a visit from my mom!

Now starts the post-work travel binge, where I spend every dime of what I made teaching in South America (what are savings?). I'll break it down for you now, and hopefully not suck at actually blogging about it when it happens.

Nearest future:

Tomorrow morning, my ma and I leave for Iguazu Falls for two days of frantic waterfall photo ops and a border-crossing into Argentina that will save me $100 in visa renewal fees. Then on to Salvador (where all the food is spicy -- I'm screwed) and Chapada Diamantina nat'l park for my first real underground cave! Then back to Rio for more mom-time (read: eating in nice restaurants, actually going to Sugarloaf) until June 10.

What is even going ON in this photo? It is MAGICAL

Near future:

Literally the day my mom peaces, my good friend Nate arrives . From Rio, Nate and I'll head across Brazil to see the Pantanal for hopefully less of this and more of this. From there, we're Death Train-ing it into La Paz to chill in Nate's dope apartment, live dangerously, and try not to throw up from altitude sickness.

Remember that time we turned the champagne reception into a contest?

To quote Nate: 'I hope we're mocking our own large smiles here.'

Post-Bolivia, I'll island-hop over Lake Titicaca (lol. every time) with my friend Fresco (Matt --> Matteo --> Matteo Fresco. Props to Candida, queen of the nicknames) before continuing on the Gringo Trail up to Machu Picchu (because you gotta, right? summer of world wonders FTW). I'll ditch Fresco for Ecuador to do some solo travel including WHALE WATCHING and, like, climbing in cloud forests maybe. This part is still a bit sketchy. But whales!

July is humpback mating season!

In mid-July one of my fave SCIC compatriots, John Sears, is meeting me in Quito to head to Colombia. Imma be honest, I'm maybe most excited about this country than any of the others; every Colombian I've ever met is extremely awesome, and Colombia is on every travel org ever's top 10 places to be. A week in Cartagena will give me a little bit of a tan, too, before I ...

RETURN TO THE USA on July 23!

I'll be on the East Coast first before flying into Minnesota, so if you're in NYC or Philly or Minnesota (or Kentucky or Nashville or Baltimore or Houston or N/SC) I'd better see you. MMKAY?

Not so near (but near enough to be slightly terrifying) future:

I've been flirting for months with the idea of teaching in South Korea next year. I'm turned off for a number of reasons (teaching in SA has left me lukewarm and weary, another year without donuts) but I'm turned on (lol again) for others ($$$$$$$$! jk also enriching lives and getting to see Asia). I finally started the apparently grueling application process, so we'll see how that goes. This URL definitely will not be applicable if I'm in Seoul.

Well this is the longest post ever, I'ma go pack. xo y'all

This is Why You're Fat (, Brazil)

How do you make sold-on-the-street popcorn even unhealthier? If it's salty, add chunks of bacon among the kernels. If it's carmelized, top it off with about a twelve-second outpouring of sweetened condensed milk, then add a healthy dose of shaved coconut.

Guess what I'm eating right now?

(This is just a teaser for a longer post on street food that very well may be my blog masterpiece. I'm currently [and devotedly] sampling types and collecting photos. It's gonna be as big as I've gotten in the past two months.)

Most adorable translation of the day award:

In Portuguese, poxa means gosh

"poxa bem, eu querida..." --> oh gosh, i'd love to!

CUTE.

I do kinda feel like the 'K' should be backwards*

Okay, so more than once in my life I've been waiting for a taxi, watched one pass with one or two people in the backseat, and thought 'why can't we just SHARE if we're going in the same direction? It'd be more cost-efficient for everyone!' Brazil read my mind.

One of the most idiosyncratic (and the most fun) ways to get around Rio is the kombi, named after the model of Volkswagen van whose form it takes. Kombis, like busses, drive specific routes around the city; unlike busses the vans do not have obligatory stops. Instead, you can hail a kombi – much as you would a cab! it's PERFECT – as it passes and disembark at precisely your desired location. The kombi costs R$2 per person, regardless of the length of your journey, making it the city’s cheapest form of public transportation. (The bus is R$2.35, requiring perhaps the most inconvenient amount of extra change possible, and the metro is an eye-gouging R$2.80.)

At first the ride can be daunting: basically, it involves climbing into a huge van and cramming shoulder-to-shoulder with Brazilian strangers as the driver careens down a cobblestone hill (at times with only one hand on the wheel while the other texts [I say 'at times' because it's happened to me multiple times]). It is not a gentle ride, but it is always an interesting one.

What makes the kombi such an ideal form of transportation is the feeling of community unique to the big white vans. Almost always, someone in the van will start a conversation – the motorista (driver; pronounced motoreeeeeeeeshta usually in the whiniest voice possible) or cobrador (money collector - this guy takes the cash so the driver can focus on driving/texting) if the kombi is empty, another passenger if it’s full. As passengers climb in, they may ask you to hold on to their groceries or small children or offer you a handful of the chips they’re munching. If an important futbol game is occurring, the entire van reacts to the radio’s play-by-play. And if you don't know where you're going, eight individuals will crane their necks seeking the proper street number as the van slows down to a crawl so that it can deliver you right at the door.

I'm particularly interested in taking the mythical party kombi before I leave Rio. According to legend, its driver, Valdesere, has installed not only black lights, but dashboard and drop-down TV screens. His chosen playlist includes the Backstreet Boys and Boys II Men -- at full volume -- and Valdesere's tendency to barrel down the hill at a breakneck pace earns him the affectionate nickname 'speed racer.'

Actually, my boss has his phone number. Maybe I'll just book him for my ride to the airport.

*I actually adapted this post from one I wrote for my pousada's blog. I just like kombis so much! I felt kompelled to share with you as well -- they're just so kool! Guyyyyz!