Welcome to mvincentk

I recently went on a trip to Ilha de Tinharé to visit the city Morro de São Paulo and Ilha de Boipeba.

I had been to Morro de São Paulo before, but not to Ilha de Boipeba. Therefore it was with great joy I visited the nearly perfect spot in a state larger than France, with the real baiano hammock mentality and a sun that seemed to shine nearly every day - and if you want to see the pictures, please click here:

Domingo 11/08 2013:

I start the day of by buying a ticket to Ilha de Tinharé, and more specific the city of Morro de São Paulo. I arrive at Morro de São Paulo around 16h15, and finds a pousada to sleep in. I experience some of the night life, and I'm relaxing in the hammock half an hour before I go to bed.

Segunda-Feira 12/08 2013:

When I'm at breakfast my whole body shakens by the thought of returning to Denmark. I can't wait to return home! Until then, I have lots to do here! I visit the Fortaleza that lies on the island and crawl up to one of the most beautiful places on Morro: Belvedere do Farol. From there you can se almost everything that goes on on the north part of the island. After that I visit the lighthouse, and goes down a place which is absolutely NOT meant for walking down. The instructors at the hang line thing also said that it was very, very dangerous and that I should come up - that was impossible so the only way was down. They cheered, though, when they saw me walking on the beach. When it becomes night I head back to the pousada and I confirm with the dude that I'm going to Ilha de Boipeba, and he knows a guy who can get me there. I say yes to it, and it is a deal: I'm going to Ilha de Boipeba. Yes!

Terça-Feira 13/08 2013:

Today I am going to Ilha de Boipeba, and I'm going by speed boat. I arrive at Ilha de Boipeba after approximately 02 hours and 30 minutes with boat, so that would be around noon, 12h00. I'm walking up the beaches of "Praia de Boca da Barra" and "Praia de Cueira" but unfortunately I don't make it to Moreré, which I would love to. Why? Because for once I doesn't know my way around the island and it's getting dark, and secondly because it will rain within an hour - the time it takes for me to go from Boca da Barra to Moreré. So, I'm walking back to my pousada, and when I reach the door it starts pouring down for 2 hours. Lucky me.

Quarta-Feira 14/08 2013:

Today I'm hungry when I attend breakfast. I haven't been hungry the last couple of days and now it's a good sign with the breakfast: fresh fruit - watermelon, oranges and mamão - , coffe, bread, newly baked cake (some sort of marmory cake and chocolate) and some small sweets to the coffee. A dude walks up and tells me he owns a company that can transport me back to Morro de São Paulo, which I accept. It departures at 14h00 so I have a couple of hours to get to, and come back from, Moreré. I then pack my backs and checks out of the pousada. I pay the dude, and travel to Moreré. I don't make it, unfortunately since I had some problems on the way. So next time I will hit Moreré! I take the speed boat to Morro de São Paulo and arrives before dark. On our way we see dolphins! Though they were so shy that we couldn't take a close picture. What a shame... In Morro de São Paulo I find a place to eat some moquecka with French Fries, some rice and beans and a Guaraná. After that I go to a pousada and checks in.

Quinta-Feira 15/08 2013:

I'm taking the catamarã to Salvador and the plan is to go to Praia do Forte from Praça da Sé over Terminal Rodoviária. The plan, however, didn't work out so I ate some lunch in Shopping Iguatemi and went home. The plan now is to go to Praia do Forte either next Monday or Tuesday, early on the day so I can make it in 1 day.

Evaluation Time!

The islands are a must-do if you are in Bahia! I would strongly recommend going there if you can. Combine it with sunlotion and a girlfriend, friends or family and you've got some of the best things in the whole wide world. To explain the beauty of it is impossible, since it would be equal to explaining a rainbow to a blind person.

My trip to Amazon was very, very good! If I had the opportunity to do it again I would.

Unfortunately we didn't get to walk or sleep a night in the jungle, and we didn't visit the indigenous people. It has to be stated, that the indiginous people of the forest is called indigenous and not Indians, as you are refering to the population of India!

Anyway, with no further beating around the bushes, it might be time for you to read what I have experienced in Manaus, Amazon, Brazil - and if you want to see the pictures, please click here:

Sexta-Feira 26/07 2013:
I took a bus from Salvador da Bahia to Rio de Janeiro. The most crazy thing to do, period! It was cheap, but the trip was very, very long! The plan was to arrive in Rio de Janeiro at 10h30 Saturday - 25 hours - but I arrived in Rio de Janeiro Saturday at 16h24, 31 hours after departure!
My first thought was to leave on Saturday from Salvador to Rio de Janeiro and then take the plane from Rio Sunday - but with all the problems I was happy I went with my second plan!

Sábado 27/07 2013:
I arrived in Rio de Janeiro at 16h24, 31 hours after departure. I head from the Rodoviária (Bus Terminal) into the city where I have reserved a place to stay overnight. It is very cheap but unfortunately without breakfast - Café da Manha. But it doesn't matter, because for the low price of R$ 20,00 I get to sleep somewhere in Rio downtown - although it is a stone's throw from one of Rios favelas. I'm very uncomfortable with it and I don't go outside the hostel, partly because of the favela, partly because it's dark and I don't know my way around and lastly I'm exchausted from the journey. Silly me, expecting that I could go around after a long journey.
Also, today was the day the Pope visited Rio de Janeiro, and around 3 million people waited on the Copacabana Beach - sleeping in tents or on nearby hostels. A quick price search before my journey showed that the hostels were in price range from R$ 60,00 - R$ 150,00. It was not the most exciting day, but I got to sleep much which was good - but then again: when isn't sleeping good?

Domingo 28/07 2013:
I'm meeting up with my professor, Vinícius, at the airport. The Thursday before the travel we met, got some cachaça on a restaurant and drank a few beers and ate some fish. It was a lovely evening. We fly to Manaus after meeting with another of the professors, Fernanda, from the university onboard the plane. We land in Manaus Airport around 15h47 and the joy is great when we meet the other students that are going on the expedition. After some chatting and catching up a man from the Army is picking us up and drives us to the base. We are checking in on the base, talks about how things are working around the base, and after we are having some food and later hitting the nearest bars to get some beers or other drinks. Some of the people are leaving to get some rest before the big day, but others (me included) stays behind and drinks some more. It was really good to talk with the people again.

Segunda-Feira 29/07 2013:
We went to some lectures after breakfast and a beautiful ceremony to hear about what the military faces of problems. We got lunch - feijão, rice, salad and other things and for dessert: ice cream with tapioca flavour - and after we headed out to a parque. It was very good, but it became a bit weird when suddenly I was an attraction in the parque - the small kids from the kinder garten took pictures of me which was funny, because it never had happened before.
We went out after diner and took a few beers and some caipirinha - I took one for the team and ordered mine with vodka since they ran out of cachaça before mine. It tasted fine but it wasn't a caipirinha, just a copy.

Terça-Feira 30/07 2013:
Today there was riot control! And it was so awesome!
We started by observing the formations that the military uses to control the riots, and to keep themselves, in control. Then we had a lecture about the equipment they use, and after we were told that we were going to join in. Hells yes! So we to on the protection and I came behing a shield with weapon and everything. The other soldiers that didn't participate, or had the day off, acted as protestants, and threw water bags at us. I didn't get wet, except on my feet but it dries fast in some 30+ degrees Celcius. It was very good and very interesting - and a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After lunch we went out to the hospital ship that sails up and down river to aid the poorest indigenous people with medical treatment, food, water and other things - they are also known as "The Ships of Hope". We get lunch on the military base and some of us plays 500 (a (Danish) card game where you have to get 500 points to win the game).

Quarta-Feira 31/07 2013:

Today we visited the military engineer department. We also visit a major attraction in Manaus: Encontro das Águas - or The Meeting of Waters. This is a unique phenomenom due to the difference in the densities and velocity of the different rivers: Rio Negro and Rio Solimões. Why? Well, according to the article on Wikipedia, the phenomenon is due to:

the differences in temperature, speed and water density of the two rivers. The Rio Negro flows at near 2 km per hour at a temperature of 28°C, while the Rio Solimões flows between 4 to 6 km per hour a temperature of 22°C.

After that we went home, ate some diner and went to bed. I read my mails today - I got to borrow a laptop from one of the study mates. I got a dormitory today, and one of the days I returnes I signed it which means, that I have a room when I get home from Brazil. That is very good, considered that a majority of the students didn't have a place when they come home.

Quinta-Feira 01/08 2013:
Today we got briefed about the department which explores the jungle. It was very exciting! We went back to the base, ate some lunch and headed out to CIGS - Centro de Instrução de Guerra na Selva - or the Centre of Instruction of War in the Jungle. We got to see a leopard, and we went to a lecture about what dangers lurks in the jungle. After that we went to their zoo and saw a lot of animals - that was very exciting but I'm still not comfortable with seeing animals in cages. After that we got an outside lecture on snakes in the jungle, and some of the students tamed a snake (but not me).
Lastly the military invited us to rappel on their field. 10/12 people did it - me, included.

Sexta-Feira 02/08 2013:
Today is the last official day on the base for us. Therefore we wrote on the Danish flag we've been using for the different pictures, as a souvenir for the military to have. They were happy about it and it was a good idea. After the ceremony we headed out tho the Theatre of Manaus, a very old theatre that isn't used anymore but still stands nice and pretty. We got to see the inside of it, and something I didn't thought I would see in Brazil was pieces of LEGO that was put together as the miniature version of the theatre. As for diner, we were invited to a private party just for the sergeants, majors and us. We drank some beers, ate some food, talked with the civil military people and had a great night. When I was sleeping some of the students came in, grabbed their stuff and headed home with the plane.

Sábado 03/08 2013:
Today the rest of the people went home, so I was all alone on the base. I used the time to sleep, eat and just relaxe. Therefore, not much happened, but at 23h20 I go with 2 military people to the airport where my flight is going Sunday morning.

Domingo 04/08 2013:
Today I returned home to Salvador. But my flight was around 04h45 in the morning so I used a lot of time in the airport just waiting. The kids were afraid of me, and some of them cried. Apparently I was scary, sitting in an airport with a big, read beard (funny thing: a beard, on portuguese is uma barba. Not masculinum nope! Femininum). Anyway, I took the plane from Manaus to Rio de Janeiro and from there to Salvador since I had school the day after. So, when I got home the apartment was filled with party air since it was Charles' birthday the day before and they hadn't cleaned up yet, so I went to the cinema and watched The Wolverine.

Evaluation Time!
It was a very good and exciting trip. Although I could use the trip to the indigenous tribe. But it was a once-in-a-lifetime, so I won't get too down over it.