Bem-Vindo Brasil

Or something like that, I simply cannot get my tiny mind (or over exercised tounge) around this change of language to Brasillian Portugese. It´s quite a mind bender cause some words are similar to espanol while others certainly ain´t. Have been in a quandry about how to speak to these people, ie: do I attempt some Spanish? More chance of being understood but potentially insulting to these proud portugese speakers. Do I speak english? Also potentially insulting as I may be taken as some kind of imperialistic western tourist who wants the world to speak their language. Pehaps I should shut my trap and just mime? Always humilitating for me and potentially embarassing for the party it is directed to. So my solution is to simply get up and leave the country for good. In two days it will be goodbye Brasil and hello Morocco.

It wasn´t an auspicious start, Eduardo and I caught the bus over here from Argentina to be greeted by torrents of rain. I of course came beautifully prepared for this by having no raincoat and a bad attitude which wasn´t helped when I slipped over on the wet pavement (in my Brazillian made Havianna flip flops I might add) and banged my toes on the concrete which resulted in an undignified limp for the rest of the day. To add to this when we tried to speak to people they either just shook their heads at us, asked if we spoke French or simply tried to avoid us altogether. Hello Beautiful Brazil!

But I whinge too much, we are sitting in the amusingly named town of Foz (just makes me think of the muppet show) and we have had the pleasure of visiting the Iguazu falls on both the Argentinian and Brazillian sides where vast torrents of water crash down making for quite a picturesque scene, or a cheesy scene similar to artwork often sported by Chinese restaurants, depending on how you want to look at it.

The major highlight of yesterday apart from a stupendously crazy boat ride that took us right underneath the waterfalls and laughing at what Brazillian tourists like to wear when they are holidaying (the tighter and whiter the better, irrespective of body shape, age or sex) was watching Ed get mugged by a gang of Coatis who wanted his chips. We became aquainted with the not so nice animal that is the Coati at our animal park in Bolivia where even the most do gooder volunteers were always keen to chuck a rock or two in their direction. These critters for some bizarre reason are actually featured as a cute n cuddly cartoon logo of the Iguazu falls national park. In reality they are agressive, greedy and equipped with a fearsomely large set of jaws. A small group of them chased my poor darling along a jungle path and appeared to be ready to wrap their jaws around his bare legs when Ed chose to sacrifice his chips in order to save his limbs. Coatis - 1 Eduardo - 0. I assisted my beloved during this drama by laughing loudly and trying to take photos - I truly am a model girlfriend.


I really think this sign could be a little more helpful......logic would suggest that presenting a hamburger with the lot to a rabid coati is going to get you into trouble but nothing was mentioned about the traumas that could be yours when subtly scoffing a handful of chips at the hands of these little beasts.

Just add water....there is a lot of it. With rainbows and birds circling ahead I felt like I had been dropped into a Hallmark greeting card, or a christian tv commercial.

Doing my best impersonation of the Japanese tourists I saw that day.