Oh Rio

January river, Rio de janeiro, City of God, Marvelous City, or just plain RIO is the most visited city in the Southern Hemisphere, and I finally decided to get my Brazilian visa, ignore the language issue and head to Rio over spring break. I always thought of Rio as a city of buildings and that the beaches would be a day trip from the city, but I was mistaken. Copacabana and Ipanema are RIGHT there, within the "cove" of the city, and the beaches combined with the mountains combined with the city is what makes Rio amazing. There's just something to be said about being able to get up on a "hill" and see a bird's eye view. The special thing about Rio is that it lets you do that from multiple angles, and that there is a lot to see.

The first image that pops into my head when someone mentions Rio is the Jesus statue on the hill. Well, technically the hill is called Corvacodo, and the statue is referred to as Christ the Redeemer.

Jesus himself measures 130 feet tall but then you have to add the 31 foot pedestal. Construction began on the statue in 1922 and was completed in 1931. Of course the movement to build a statue of Jesus on a hill was driven by Brazilian Catholics and after some deciding on the "pose" of the statue, the open arms Jesus was chosen.

Apparently there are small spikes on the statue so that birds don't land on it. I wish I'd have known that before I went, because I would have looked for them. I did wonder how they kept the statue so clean. It is constructed from a mixture of concrete and soapstone and was under renovation in 2008 after it was struck by lightening. 

Now, what about Corcovado hill? Well this granite hill is over 2,000 feet tall and  looms above the sea in Rio. What a fantastic place to build a statue to look over the city.

View of Corcovado and Christ the Redeemer from another hill in the city.

As a New Seven Wonder of the World, this place is worth a visit, just be prepared to empty your wallet.

"Big water"

I've been doing a little research on Iguazu Falls and I think the reason that it is so awesome is a couple of things... First of all the park is clean, well managed, organized and self explanatory, which if you've done any traveling in South America you know is a rarity. The second reason is that on the Brazilian side you see the panoramic view of the falls (they boast that at one point you can be surrounded by 260 degrees of waterfalls.) There is a system of 275 falls and each time you turn a corner of the trail in Brazil, you see section after section, hence my 200 photos. The third reason is that in 30 minutes you can drive across the border into Argentina and be within the falls, up close and personal, and wet. Iguazu is accessible. 


Now, it is a pain in the ass to get to initially, especially if you are carrying a US Passport. The location is a bit in the middle of nowhere and bordering not only Brazil and Argentina, but very close to Paraguay. I chose to skip Paraguay to avoid additional visa costs, as the Brazil visa alone was $140. Having said that, seeing Iguazu Falls was totally worth every penny, especially experiencing both sides. I met people that were skipping the Brazil side because of the visa, don't do that. There is a small airport on each side and I found it was cheaper to fly into the Brazil side, although it took 4 different planes to get there from Bolivia. 


Statistically Iguazu is taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide, however Niagara has a greater flow rate than Iguazu. The earth in this area opened up as a result of a volcanic eruption and the water started working its magic of erosion. Iguazu is in my top 5 favorite places that I've visited so far. In fact, I think I enjoyed Iguazu better than Machu Picchu. Get out that piggy bank and start saving for the trip of a lifetime!

One of the panoramic views from the Brazilian side of the falls.

Just another panoramic view...

The Devil's Throat, up close on the Argentinean side.

Boat ride into the falls. Now that's getting up close and personal.

Igua what? IguaZU!

Thank you, spring break. For revitalizing me. For letting me take a deep breath and for helping me clear my head. 

True confessions

Ok, I'm about to say something out loud, well, type something on my blog. I've been thinking. Yeah, yeah, I know. I am a firm believer that when I say something and put it out there that whatever I say will come to fruition. This whole travel thing and the way I live my life right now is a product of my intentions. I've set goals and because I put them out there, they happen. So far my goals have focused on me and what I want to achieve personally, but as difficult as this is for me to admit, I am ready for the next step. What is that step, you ask? The step of sharing all this awesome, cool stuff with an awesome, cool guy. Since "the summer of Lisa" in 2007 I have focused on me, what I want, but now, almost 4 years later I am ready. So, here I am admitting something that is difficult for a feminist to admit. I am ready to be in a healthy, fun, adventurous relationship.

I've been thinking about this for a while, but given my past choices in men, I've been afraid to put this thought on "paper".

Now comes the hard part. You know that I consider myself a late bloomer, so it comes as no surprise that it's taken me until I'm 39 to figure all of this out. Now I just need to find another late bloomer (I'm kind of an age-ist), who loves to travel, likes adventure, is funny, honest, passionate about life and is not obsessed with watching sports or playing video games. Online dating creeps me out, so I'm going to have to put myself out there the old fashioned way.

Wish me luck...

the fine lines

It's official - I like reading on my kindle better than an actual book. I know what you are thinking... those pages, turning each page, flipping back and forth, the smell of a book, well, I fought with that for a year or so, but have reached the point that the kindle is just better. Easier to hold, light, compact, had a built in dictionary, which I use constantly, and right now I have 86 books traveling around with me.

Another great quality... being able to open Amazon and push a button and start reading. Also, Amazon now has these "kindle singles", short stories, for less than $2. I bought "The Saint" by Oliver Broudy and am reading it now. Isn't it funny that sometimes you pick up a book that has EVERYTHING to do with the present moment in your life?

Well, I just returned from my last big South America trip for a while and spent a few days in Iguazu Falls, on both the Argentina side and the Brazil side. The views of the waterfalls are fantastically amazing. My limited english skills can not even begin to do the falls justice. But, of course, as my brain usually does, my thoughts wander in and out of the obvious. I start thinking and thinking deeper and sometimes I have all the thoughts figured out and ready to record, but the minute I try to form actual words, the idea escapes me. And then, I read.

I am 3/4 of the way through The Saint, a short book about a man's search. Search for what? Everything, feeling, spirituality, himself, meaning, you name it. I just read a section that I want to save for later, so that I can contemplate my search...

"... borders were good only for being ignored. Most were simply relics of a misbegotten attempt at organization that ultimately did more to hinder than to aid. They were strewn across the land like ancient railway trestles, like moldering wrecks. It was the nature of borders - whether separating countries or people - to gradually take on far more importance than was actually useful. They assumed for themselves and unearned air of permanence, which, when not checked, gradually became a hindrance."

"... borders are designed to make you frightened of what lies on the other side."

Is it Saturday yet?

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Dear Spring Break, I need you ASAP

Around the globe schools are winding down and thinking about their last few weeks and we haven't even had spring break yet! Oh good golly I still have one more week before our beloved week off. Yeah, yeah, you are playing that tiny violin for me, thanks.

It really is that at the end of each day I feel like I've given my ALL and I can't possibly do the same tomorrow. I've become bored with this routine. Society continues to belittle teachers and treat us like we are lazy bums, when in fact 90% of the public has no idea what goes on in a classroom, or within the "system". I'm getting tired of being treated like a lower class citizen that was too stupid to pick another career. Don't get me wrong I've worked and do work with some super lazy, not very intelligent people, but who amongst you doesn't? You're trying to tell me that all the people you work with are fantastic and it's just the entire teaching profession that's lazy and just wants summers off?

I'm also sick of this soap box. I've been speaking out for years and because of this martyr profession of mine we, as a whole, get no where, and when we do band together the whole country shivers in fear and tries to dismantle us. Sometimes I wish all the hard working, dedicated teacher would quit so that the US could see what would happen. You want a safe learning environment for your kids? Well it's gonna cost you, just like that brand new SUV you bought, or that fancy new TV you spent 4 grand on.

While I sit here and bust my ass to create an interesting lesson for your kid you don't even have the common courtesy to make sure they've done their homework?