Preparing to leave Brazil and move on to the next country, Chile, we have now been on the road for a little more than 3 weeks. We started our trip in Rio, a sprawling metropolis of more than 11 million. We didn't know the language or what to expect. There were plenty of mistakes we made as we tried to navigate our way through a country where few outside of the hostels spoke english. Things move fast in Rio; you can get walked over if you idle on a busy sidewalk and I'm fairly certain that most of the bus drivers are training for the Indy 500. But it did not take us long to adapt and begin to feel comfortable here. We began deciphering bus schedules in Portuguese, learned the value of a Real, and most importantly, where we could get a cheap beer.
After a week, we left the fast paced lifestyle of Rio for the island of Ilha Grande. Ilha is an oasis that gave us a chance to catch our breath after navigating the maze of Rio. Surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, and covered in dense jungle, Lesley and I quickly eased into the island culture. Late breakfasts, lazy days on the beach, nights drinking caipirinhas. From there, we made our way to Paraty, another lazy beach town.
Living our lives out of hostels has been an adventure all in itself and has been the biggest adjustment from our lives in the US. We've learned to live without most of the luxuries we're used to at home and begun to appreciate many of the small things. After a while, you get used to the lack of privacy, the occasional cold shower, and a couple stinky roommates. But it has given us the opportunity to meet people from around the world that I can't ever imagine crossing paths with in any other way. Some have been traveling just a month or two, others for years. People have shared some amazing stories with us. I'm sure we'll have a few of our own to share by the end.
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