The Trip 2013 - Mercedes to Itacare

Note: This is a condensed version of the pictures I took with some added narrative. The rest of the pics can be viewed in the album Trip 2013 - Mercedes to Itacare. Each picture can be clicked to see a larger version and comment / like.



After chilling out at the ranch in Mercedes for a few days we were ready for the next spectacle. So what could be more spectacular than the Iguazu falls.







We spent two days at the falls, first exploring the Brazilian side when we first arrived then the Argentinian side on the second day.





Both sides were absolutely spectacular, the sheer volume of water that cascades from one section of it just boggles the mind..



On the second day we all hopped in a speedboat and headed up the river right into the maw of the falls itself



While we were there some of us took the opportunity to visit a bird sanctuary.







Definitely well worth the visit for the sheer number and variety of feathery (and some not so feathery) creatures on show





All in all the Iguazu falls was an incredible place and one of the (many) highlights of South America for me!





After the two days we had to move on. An early flight and bus found us in Paraty an old Portuguese colonial town on the southern coast of Brazil.





Its a quaint little place that I really enjoyed for the two days we were there. On the second day we took a cruze out around the coast to a number of beaches and snorkelling spots.







Unfortunately the water wasnt particularly clear for swimming but the booze on the boat was free so it wasnt all bad ;)



The following day we took a short bus ride then ferry across to the island Ilha Grande.



The first day we spent walking around the island exploring the jungle, beaches and waterfalls





Despite it raining hard that evening we had a good time bonding with our GAdventures tour group





Next up was a long drive up to Rio de Janerio where we had just one day to see the city before saying goodbye to our GAdventures tour group for the last time :(





Im going to miss most of this bunch of awesome people, they made everything so much more interesting, thanks guys!

Kelsie and I didnt explore the city too much while we were we would be back again in a few weeks for NYE and then a further 14 days so we would have plenty of time to see the sights then. Instead we hopped on a flight he following day and headed north on a taxi then two planes then another taxi and bus and taxi until we eventully reached our Northern Brazil beach destination of Itacare.





We had three awesome days there soaking up the sun sand and Caipirinhas





On the second day we decided to go on a hike in search of "one of the best beaches in Brazil". To get there we had to hike along several beaches, then through dense jungle..



.. past several waterfalls which I had a lot of fun cooling off in ..



.. until we finally reached the beautiful, remote beach ..





On the way back we stopped for a beer and relax as the sun went down..







All in all it was a great start to our Brazilian beach adventure and the start of the end for trip!

The Trip 2013 - Monte Verde to San Jose

Note: This is a condensed version of the pictures I took with some added narrative. The rest of the pics can be viewed in the album The Trip 2013 - Monte Verde to San Jose. Each picture can be clicked to see a larger version and comment / like.

After Ometepe we crossed the border into our final country on this trip, Costa Rica. The first destination for us was the beautiful town of Monte Verde high in the hills of northern Costa Rica.



Of of the main attractions of Monte Verde is all the extreme sports on offer. I decided I was going to do the jungle zip lining first.



The site in which we did it boasts the longest zip line in Latin America at 1590m.



The ride takes the best part of a minute and a half which I managed to record in the super-man position:





The final zip line wasnt a zip line at all, rather it was a giant tarzan swing. To get there you had to walk across a rickety bridge before you reach the platform that you jump from.



After zip lining I decided I wanted to have a go at something I have been meaning to do for a long time, bungee jumping.

While we were getting suited up in our harness a friendly Makaw decided to join us. It seemed to have a fetish for peoples feet however.



To get to the bungee jump spot you had to ride in a small cage across the steep valley



One by one the people in the cage took the plunge over the edge until it was my turn. I shuffled up to the edge (my feet were tied to the bungee) before the countdown 5..4..3..2..1.. and I felt the not-so-proverbial boot up the bottom and jumped:



The jump was exhilarating tho the way the rope caused you to spin afterwards did make me feel a little nautious.

While I was doing the jump some members of our group went off on a coffee tour.





The following day we took a bus and a boat across to La Fortuna the town that rests at the foot of the Areal volcano in northern Costa Rica.





Like Monte Verde, La Fortuna offers a great many adventure sports for the adrenaline addicted traveler with deep pockets.

As soon as we arrived a few of us decided we were going to go canyoneering.



Canyoneering involves hiking and repelling down waterfalls and is great fun.





Some of the waterfalls are so high that you basically have to zip line down.



There were a couple of 'surprises' along the way too such as a dive bomb into a pool.





The other was a 'Tsunami'. We were wedged into a small crevice then the stream was blocked from above. After a few minutes the dam was broken releasing a huge torrent of water down onto us.





I loved the canyoneering, I may have to see if I can do more of it on this trip!





When we returned from the canyoneering we found the other half the group having fun in the hotel pool.



They had been drinking sangreer all afternoon in the sun and had come up with a game called 'Limeball'. It basically involed letting a lime sink to the bottom then in teams you have to try to get it to the opponents end by just using your feet.



The tricky thing was that it was really tough to see the lime through the chest high water so often everyone would loose the lime until someone would sneakily kick it towards the other side.

The following day I decided to continue on my adventure sports with some ATV'ing.



I had never done it before and was pleasantly surprised at how powerful the small things were.



We stopped after a few hours and took a break at a small river in the forest.







That evening we took a break from all the adrenaline and visited the hot springs at Los Lagos.



The pools are supplied with hot water fed by the volcanic activity deep underground. Unlike the springs in Hondorus that were built on a hill side deep in the jungle these were much more formal built up affair and were basically hot swimming pools. One of the pools even had a swim up bar which I made good use of.



We had dinner at a buffet in the hotel. During the meal we practiced a little "1912'ing".





The following day we left La Fortuna and headed to San Jose. Along the way we stopped ot do a spot of white water rafting.



The guide in our raft thought it would be funny to stick twigs in our helmets



We had an awesome time though it made me yearn to do some harder rapids in the future.







During the ride we had an opportunity to 'ride the bow' which involves sitting on the front of the boat and hanging on for dear life as you sail down the river.



It was all good fun until Meike, a Dutch girl in our boat was thrown off and landed on her knee onto a rock.. ouch!



Halfway we stopped for some pineapple and a little cliff jumping.





After the rafting we headed to our final destination, the capital of Costa Rica, San Jose. There we spent one more night together as a group getting drunk in a local club.

Im going to miss these guys, I had a phenomenal time, sharing so many good memories. I got on with all of them, each person had their own unique qualities that made them great to hang around with. I wish I could spend the rest of my trip travelling around with them. Thanks guys!