By bus through Brazil

After some time getting acquainted with the Brazilian way of life in Sao Paulo, I headed to the Pantanal - an area in which a vast assortment of wildlife and where I saw mammals (capuchin monkeys, giant anteaters, capybara), fish (piranha, dourado, pacu), reptiles (fake coral snake, caiman - a type of alligator), and lots of birds (jabiru stork, toucans, macaws, vultures, hawks, and on and on). I was fortunate to be able to fish for piranha amongst caimans, take canoe trips at sunrise and sunset, and even herd cattle on horseback with the Pantaneiras. I then moved 4 hours south to Bonito, where there are incredibly clear rivers and caves with deep azure lakes. Was able to hike through forests, swim in these rivers, and explore the caves.

I continued my journey south by leito (overnight bus) to Foz do Iguacu - home to an amazing set of waterfalls that you have to see, feel, and hear to really appreciate their sublime power. The Brazilian side provides a great panoramic view of the falls, while on the Argentinian side was able to take a boat literally under part of the falls (and get completely soaking wet). Surrounding the falls are rainforests which have a wide range of wildlife rivalling the Pantanal.

Took another long bus journey to Curitiba from where I took a train through forests and over mountains, clinging to ridges, crossing 67 bridges and passing through 14 tunnels as the train gradually wound its way to Paranagua - located on the coast - where I took a boat trip around the islands. That evening, moved on to Florianopolis (or Floripa as it's nicknamed) where I stayed on a great stretch of beach called Praia Mole and went out at night in Lagoa. A chill couple days to end all the traveling around the Central West and the South.

Throughout these travels, I've met lots of great Brazilians - even with language difficulties (I don't speak Portugese). In addition, have met a tremendous amount of travelers from England, Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, even Poland. Often staying at a pousada not paying more than $10, I meet others over breakfast or a cerveja where we swap tales and explore the country together. If you make it to Iguacu, I highly recommend staying at Pousada Evelina, a converted home in a nice neighborhood. Here, Evelina will mother her brood of travelers - she was a bit disappointed how "little" we ate at breakfast (we were stuffed) and that we did not take umbrellas with us one day. When we returned from the falls, coffee and cake was awaiting us.