(George)The bus was hot. The station was hot. Everything was hot! Brazil is a challenging location for us Northern folk, we are used to stiff breezes, chilling blizzards and wispy trails of breath that weave between our fingers as we desperately attempt to avoid frostbite. To make matters worse, we stood out like mime artists in a debate. Taxi drivers of South American descent have an uncanny ability to smell the money in the pockets of a gringo. Like a pack of w...

(George)Arriving at Salvador airport, already nursing a severe case of the post-carnival blues, we sought refuge away from the bright lights of a bustling city and immediately took to the Internet to search for a tranquil hostel outside of the city limits. After a quick scroll through hostelworld, we quickly found the perfect match in a hostel 5km away. Jumping in the taxi, we were pleasantly surprised to see the beach was a mere 50m away from the incredibly spac...

(George)Boarding our 'door2door' transfer from Ilha Grande, I felt familiar feelings of anxiety and anticipation arise as I cogitated on our next destination. Only one city before Rio de Janeiro had provoked such feelings and emotions, the lofty La Paz. As the wheels of our transfer relentlessly rolled on (except when stopping for more all you can eat buffet stops), I closed my eyes and attempted to regather as much strength and alertness as possible - we...

(George)Filled with excitement by our first taste of Brazil, we embarked on a mammoth journey that would take us from the humble town of Bonito, through the mighty Sao Paolo, to the quaint, seaside village of Paraty (pronounced pah-rah-chee). The journey devoured three days of our time, consisting of 3 buses, a lot of snacks and a one night pit stop in Sao Paolo.Our bus from Bonito to the state capital of Campo Grande passed with little noteworthy activity and we...

(George)Stepping off the bus, the familiar jungle heat threatened to knock us to our knees. Taxi drivers flocked to the bus seeking the most coveted catch of all, a double gringo fare. With one crow quickly plucking us from the crowds, we secured our bags in the boot of the car for our most expensive taxi journey of Bolivia. 10 minutes and £5 later we arrived at the border crossing between Bolivia and Brazil, the scene that greeted us was not what we had hoped t...