Brazil
It was finally time to head south.
Brazil, Chile, and Peru were on the horizon. After six months of planning, our trip was about to begin.
What should have been nervous anticipation turned to extreme sorrow and doubt four days prior to our departure: Scott’s father, Lee Hardesty, passed away. Our first journey together was to begin with the heaviest of hearts. In the aftermath of his death, with persuasion from Scott’s family and friends, we made the difficult decision to go through with our planned adventure. We have to believe that this is what Lee would have wanted for us, and that he would now be traveling with us in spirit as we embarked on our journey together.
Before continuing on with details of our time in Brazil, it is essential to note that Lee was a wonderful father, musician, thinker, creator, and just all around man. We take comfort in knowing that he is no longer in pain from his battle with cancer, and his suffering is over. He inspired each of us to never stop pursuing our dreams and to always be curious about the world around us. He was loved by many and will leave a lasting impression on the hearts of those who had the honor of knowing him. We will miss him dearly and carry him in our hearts always.
During this time of grief, gathering together all of our gear for our trip seemed more obligatory than essential. We felt as though we were about to leave behind something we would never be able to return to again. Doubt raged through our minds as we gathered what would be our possessions for the next seven weeks.
We laid out our gear on Scott’s childhood bedroom floor and made sure each item deserved to be packed, for better or worse.
And with these possessions, we were off. One step at a time. Side by side.
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Upon our arrival in Rio de Janeiro, we were all nerves. Even though we had both been to foreign countries where we didn’t speak the language, this felt different. Here we felt vulnerable, responsible for one another. From what we had heard about Rio, this was not the place to take a wrong turn...
Favelas filled our view (worsening that vulnerable feeling) as we made our way from the airport to our hostel in Leblon. Lemon Spirit made a wonderful first impression and lessened our trepidation considerably. Friendly staff, clean accommodations, and free caipirinhas were welcomed with open arms by these two weary travelers.
Our first few days were mixed with beaches, queijo coalho, misunderstood Portuguese, footvolley, and nights on the hostel’s porch drinking cheap beer with people from all over the world. Those conversations mixed with drinks on the porch would end up being some of our favorite memories from Rio.
Wanting to get the most out of our Rio experience, we decided to switch locations and try out a different hostel after a few days. Even though Lemon Spirit couldn’t have been better, it was slightly pricey and we thought a change may be nice.
We thought wrong.
The Ocean Inn Hostel, just a 35 minute walk away, was under construction, and the staff was unfriendly to say the least. We quickly returned to Lemon Spirit and made arrangements to stay there for the remainder of our time Rio.
We took advantage of a free guided hike up to the top of Dois Irmãos. A van hurried us through the tiny, winding streets of a favela before letting us out on the edge of a trail. What was concrete and crudely build buildings quickly turned into to tropical plants and trees. Marmosets jumped from branch to branch, pausing to look at their reflection in our cameras and phones. Each new viewpoint was more amazing than the last, and soon we were at the top, marveling at the beaches below.
With each passing day, we began to wish we had more time to spend in Rio. With our time there coming to an end, though, we decided it was absolutely necessary to experience the nightlife in this vibrant city. Friends from Lemon Spirit in tow, we made our way across downtown Rio. Shots of cachaça went down easy and made samba dancing seem natural.
For our last day in Rio, we decided to head into the city and see some of Rio’s more well known attractions. Our first stop would be Rio’s most well known icon: Christo Redentor. Unfortunately, clouds consumed the statue, and it was only in the briefest moments that we were able to catch a glimpse. We were able to snap a photo or two in those moments, but the clouds mixed with the hordes of tourists made us glad to make our way to our next stop. Escadaria Selarón, the colorful staircase in Lapa, was a beautiful sight to behold. Crowded again, but here you were given more space to revel in the beauty of Jorge Selarón’s amazing work.
Last on the agenda was Pão de Acúçar (Sugar Loaf). We took the cable cars up and sat on the veranda to watch the sunset. As Rio came to life underneath the night sky, we couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for all that we had experienced and for all that we would experience on this trip of a lifetime.
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A spur of the moment decision led us to spend a night on Isla Grande, and island just off the coast of Rio. Here, you could tell life truly did move at a different pace. Making your way across the island by foot, or traveling by boat were the only modes of transportation here. Even with tourists as far as the eye could see, the people here still maintained a warm and welcoming attitude. Almost as though we were visitors to their own personal home.
We managed to meet up with some Chilean friends from Lemon Spirit and had the most wonderful day at Lopes Mendes with them. This beach was like something out of movie, or at the very least a travel magazine. Fine white sand met our toes, and the turquoise water splashed our smiling faces. Back at the main town on the island, we enjoyed a seaside dinner with strong drinks and good company before wandering the beaches by moonlight.
Morning came much too soon. After a relaxing morning on the island, we were off to the airport for our late night flight to Manaus, our entry point to the jungle.
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Wandering around the Manaus airport at 2:00 a.m., we realized that sometimes the cheaper flight isn't worth it...Luckily, our amazing jungle excursion company, Amazon Gero Tours, was waiting for us right outside, ready to go.
After a short night at a local hostel, we slowly but surely made our way from Manaus into the Amazon rainforest. On our way, we slowed to view the merging of the two rivers: the Negro and the Solimões, one dark, one light. It was at this moment that we realized we grabbed the wrong compression sack from our bags back in Manaus. Instead of our rain gear, we had our fleeces, jackets, and other things completely unnecessary in the jungle...yet another mistake in the books. Laughing it off, we continued down the river to what would be our home for the next week.
Choosing the “economic” option, we took in our luxurious cabin complete with hammocks, no hot water, and mosquito nets. We set up our belongings before the first downpour occurs and the electricity goes out. Welcome to the Amazon.
Our transportation for the week would be a long wooden boat, barely capable of containing our group of eight. We would be spending the majority of our days on this vessel, searching for the treasures of the rain forest. Before we boarded, though, we met our guide: Antonio. This man was incredible to say the least. Badass to his core, Antonio radiated friendliness and expertise all in one boat trip. Over the course of the week, we would continue again and again to be amazed by his capabilities and knowledge.
Open lakes, swampy grass fields, narrow river chutes, dense flooded forests, and plenty of jungle greeted us on our first boat outing. Antonio was quick to point out wildlife at every turn, and soon enough we were up close and personal with a sloth. Moving almost in slow motion, she didn’t seem bothered as we gently passed her around. She even fell asleep a few times before Antonio swiftly returned her to her resting place in the trees.
Each day we seemed to learn something new about the jungle. Many of the plants contain natural herbal remedies, others could just as easily poison you; some of the animals and insects are stunning to admire, while others could sting you, bite you, or even kill you. It didn’t take us long to realize why some of the locals called the jungle “Green Hell.”
After some piranha fishing, we set up camp for our night in the jungle. Tarps stood over our arrangement of ten hammocks side by side, and we rested as chicken roasted over the open fire.
Caiman spotting was on the agenda that night. Looking out at the water with flashlights, all we could see were bright eyes shining back at us. Antonio brought a small caiman into the boat for us to get a closer look before returning it promptly into the water. Among the eyes, we were able to spot a few massive sized caiman, revealing one of many dangers of the river.
We would see some of the most lush and diverse flora and fauna this world has to offer in those six days. Trees towered above us; life was at every turn. We were also fortunate enough to see how people live in the Amazon. A family welcomed us onto their property and showed us the ins and outs of their manioc farm. We helped out as best we could, peeling these starchy vegetables, yet a sad, guilty feeling crept among us, knowing we would soon get back on the boat and head back to the lodge while this family would be peeling the massive pile of manioc until the sun went down….
One highlight of our Amazon adventure happened not in the jungle, but on a soccer field. We were invited to participate in the locals’ weekly soccer game. Although the field was essentially a giant mud pit, the goal posts were barely standing, and half of the players didn't have shoes, there wasn’t a face among us without a smile. Those playing quickly earned the respect of the local players by showing that they knew the game well. As they slid around the pitch together, there was a beautiful, unspoken moment of connection.
The reminder of our days were spent on the boat, immersed in the mysteries of the jungle. Antonio’s knowledge seemed never ending. Even as we relaxed on the deck, beers in hand, this man of the Amazon told stories so captivating you never wanted them to end. As our luck would have it, we would experience a story in the making on our last day in the rain forest.
Tired from sleeping in hammocks and so many long days in the boat, we seemed to be at the end of our ropes in terms of spotting wildlife. That was until Antonio quickly told the captain to turn around.
“Snake, a big one,” Antonio said to no one in particular. We were all silent, our eyes scanning the thick trees sticking up out of the water. Antonio proceeds to climb the tree in order to bring the four foot long boa constrictor into the boat.
“If she falls into the boat, don’t move,” he says. My heart never beat so fast.
After some poking and prodding, the snake begins to fall into the water. Antonio’s timing is perfect. He leaps from the boat and catches the snake mid-air, crashing into the water below. He surfaces, smiling wildly, the boa constrictor wrapped tightly around his arm. The boat erupts in cheers.
Surprisingly, Antonio said the snake was quite calm and passed her around before kindly returning her to her tree. We sat in the boat stunned, amazed, and utterly ecstatic with the results of this amazon adventure.
Back in Manaus, we met Antonio to treat him and his girlfriend to dinner, wanting to spend as much time as we could with this inspiring guide. We ate, drank, and lost ourselves in his stories until it was time to say goodbye.
With that, we left Brazil behind. It was time for a new adventure, a new country, a new story to be told: Chile was waiting.