Welcome to the jungle

Finally I managed to get some time to choose some photos from my wild adventure in the Amazon forest and river!
It was one full week of walking, hiking, rowing and being bitten... by insects of course! eheheh

Now that I look back I realize the one thing that I really enjoyed: no communications with the rest of the world. It's a fact: it's possible to live without mobile phones and internet! :)
Fishermen, local villagers and simple people in general, it was amazing to exchange ideas with all of them and all the good times around a fireplace in the jungle or by the river.

But there was also the dangerous part of the trip: piranhas, tarantulas, poisonous snakes, scorpions, wild boars and weird food :P I survived all that! eheh
Sleeping in a hammock in the heart of the jungle is one of my best memories, and waking up the following morning under heavy tropical rain.

Now I'm back to the city stress, while everyone and everything still lives calmly in the Amazon, away from traffic jam, projects' deadlines, bad internet connections, and all other modern life "diseases". :P

Enjoy the photos!

Alive and kicking!

From a jungle to another! This was my thought this morning, when I was going to work. Why? Well, there isn't a big difference between a tropical rainforest and the subway in Paris, specially if there is a strike.
Try to imagine a super-crowded subway, on a hot day with everyone sweating and voilá... you have another kind of jungle! eheheh

As you can realize I managed to survive all kinds of animals and weather conditions, but I would repeat it :)
It was a very rich experience, where I had contact with local villagers, fishermen and some pseudo-indians. Of course, the gastronomy was even better and spicy.

The second part of my vacation took me closer to the beach, to popular feasts and even more food! :P
In Brazil you eat well, and that doesn't necessary means quantity.

Well, I'll post more about my vacations (with pictures)... but I still have unpacking to do! ;)

I'll be back...

I'm about to leave for vacation, hoping to survive the deep rain forest jungle ;)

Of course I promise to return, to tell everything about my experience... in one piece, preferably! eheheh

No cell phones, no internet, no blog, no nothing! :P
I'll be out of reach for two weeks (well, many of you are happy about it, I know!) :P
I just hope to carry with me enough batteries and memory cards for my camera! eheheh

Besides the Amazon forest, I'll also celebrate Saint John's day in the city of Campina Grande, where the feist is more typical and popular.
Unfortunately I won't see much of the Euro 2008 cup... but I'll support Portugal in spirit! :)

If I don't show up in two weeks, feel free to search for me using Google Maps! :D

I got the yellow fever virus!

It's magic! I haven't started yet my trip to the Amazon jungle and I managed to get infected by a tropical virus! eheheh

In order to follow the recommendations, today I took the yellow fever vaccine. It's not mandatory if you travel to the Amazon, but since the beginning of 2008 the risk level has increased. :P

So I paid a visit to the Institute Pasteur in Paris, in order to get ready for all kinds of virus and diseases. They gave me a list of all vaccines I should take: hepatitis A and B, dengue fever, rage, yellow fever, etc and etc. About 8 recommended vaccines! Thank you, but no thank you! eheh

I decided then to have the most recommended one, for yellow fever. Not that I fear needles, but the price for each vaccine scared me! eheh I think it was an allergy! ;)

How did I get the virus? Well, every time you get a vaccine you are being deliberately infected with a weak form of a virus. That's how I made a new friend: the yellow fever virus.
Now my immune system will recognize the vaccine agents as foreign, destroy them, and 'remember' them.... so I hope! eheheh

The list of possible side effects and reactions is big: fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, swelling, difficulty breathing, skin rashes and spasms.
For the moment, I just don't feel my left arm quite well! eheheh

Oh yes... the next few days will be very funny! :P

Next stop: Amazon Rainforest

Last time I had a long vacation (for real!) was back in 2004, when I had the opportunity to visit Japan for two weeks. Since then, no more long trips neither far away adventures.

Well, after moving to France in 2006 I've been delighted to travel around this country and its "neighbours" like Italy or Switzerland.
But I'm like that Depeche Mode song from the 80's... because "I just can't get enough" :P

This year I've decided to make my premiere in the south american continent: Brazil. But don't you think that sun, sand and samba will be the highlights. Beach is not my thing, specially after living two years in Côte d'Azur ;)

Do you know when you promise yourself a treat, a special gift or a trip? Well, this year I'll offer myself one long waited trip: the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
Maybe the timming was not the best one, with all those mosquitoes and yellow fever striking in some parts of Brazil. Who cares about some small insects? :P

For one week I'll be in survival mode, hiking on the jungle and travelling along the huge Amazon river, like... like.... like Indiana Jones O:)

The second part of my south american tour includes visiting some brazilian cities, with a special highlight at Campina Grande.
What's so special about this town? Well, the Saint John feast on June 2th is very typical here (here's my magic word), and I want to see the similarities and differences with my favorite Saint John's celebration: the feast and party which are held in my beloved hometown of Porto (or Oporto if you prefer). :P

I'm one month away from D-Day and now I need to check the vaccines required againt tropical diseases and weird bugs! ;)
It's important to visit the tropical rainforest while it exists, because it won't last for too long! (damn you, global warning!)

Watch out Anacondas, here I come! :D