Reaching Curitiba – PN

I woke up quite early, but it didn’t help much. Half of the trucks had already gone and the ones which remained didn’t give me a lift. It was missing just one truck I hadn’t approached the truck driver. He apparently was sleeping. For instance, I remained at the gas station asking for a lift to every truck was stopping by.

Around 8am, the truck I hadn’t approached gave life signal. The truck driver left the truck and went to have his breakfast. When he went back to the truck I followed him and asked him a ride. He said yes and also that he was going straight to Curitiba. (yes, I got the last ride to reach the first city and then keep planning my trip). But his loading had moved. He was carrying huge paper rolls to make diapers. He had to sort it out to not rip off the canvas and let the loading dropping on the way on the curves. I offered him to help. I spent around 1 hour working hard and getting dirty, to finally start up the truck and hit the road.

This truck driver was very different from the other ones. He was funny and he knew all the brothels and whorehouses on the way from São Paulo to Curitiba. And guess what? He had friends in almost all of them. We stopped in many of those brothels (that looked like restaurants and motels) to drink a coffee (but it was always a coke) and ask for some “friend” that was sleeping (it was Saturday during the day. His “friends” had a long Friday night).

This truck driver was more extroverted and playful. I had lot of fun with him. On the way from São Paulo to Curitiba had bananas plantation all the way aside the road. Loads!

Bananas shop (also a brothel)

Bananas shop (also a brothel)

And more bananas shop (And brothels)

Bananas

Bananas

And more bananas

Bananas plantation

Vegetation

By evening time, he dropped me off at the metro station outside the city to reach the city centre. I thanked him for the lift and took the first bus to city centre.

On my way inside the bus, I researched for hostels in Curitiba and I found 2. When I saw the map location, the bus I was, was passing just 2 blocks away. I gave the sign and got off the next stop. I went straight to hostel. Getting there, had no beds available. The following was going to happen exams to work for the government. Consequently, the city was full of people trying to get a “precious” job.

I told to the attendant about my trip. I told him I was tired. I was travelling for 4 days by hitch-hike to get the city. I explained him how I was travelling and I had a blog that I was publishing about. Then he got me a bed.

I just left my backpack on my bed, I took a shower, went to the market to buy wine and some food to cook something nice. After 8 rides, walked for 5 hours under the strong sunshine (I got burnt) and 1354km later I reached Curitiba and I deserved some nice food and some wine.

I cooked, I ate, I chilled out until I go to bed – a properly one after 4 days.

To be continued...

Second and Third day

I woke up early at 6am I was ready to go. But, where did all trucks go? It seemed I woke up too late, exactly.

All trucks were passing through the gas station was stopped by me until I get a ride at 9am. The ride I got was to Uberlândia (the next main city), almost 300km always and around 4 hours by truck. The trucker was an elderly man well known as “crazy Chico” because he manipulated the register of the truck to speed up a bit. He taught me about trucks and roads. He even called his daughter who was studying English to talk with me to check if she was really studying. She was shy and didn’t talk much, anyway, “crazy Chico” was fucking laughing about the situation he put her daughter.

On the way I saw a queue of trucks. The queue had around 20 km of trucks parked aside the road. So, at this point I figured out where all trucks had gone when I woke up.

Truckers on Strike

Somewhere between Cristalina - GO and Uberlândia - MG

 He dropped me off at a gas station in Uberlândia around 1.30 pm. I didn’t get any ride afterwards. I passed the day writing on my diary book and trying to get a ride. At 7pm I set up my tent below trees and went to “bed” under the rain.

The following day I woke up even early at 5am (I didn’t sleep at all, to be honest. I was sleeping above cobblestone – the only place I could set my tent) and started to hitchhike. I got a ride to the next city, Uberaba, 1 hour away by truck. The next gas station (the only way to get a ride in Brazil) I got a ride to São Paulo.

The trucker asked me if I was carrying drugs with me. I said no then he gave me a ride. We talked a lot about trucks, roads, politics, religion, travels and so on. It’s incredible, once you introduce yourself, the truckers tell you everything about their lives. They tell you even how much they earn, without ceremony. Before getting São Paulo I supposed to take other road to go to Curitiba. It was when an unusual thing happened.

Church in Campinas - SP

Saving moments

Train bridge somewhere in São Paulo state

Tietê river somewhere in São Paulo

The trucker I was with asked another trucker, during the traffic when the trucks and cars were side by side, when he supposed to drop me off to go to Curitiba in order to go to São Paulo. The other trucker said that 12 km away had an exit where he should drop me off and then I had to walk 6 km to get the first gas station. Then the traffic flew and he went away. Few minutes later the other trucker stopped aside the truck I was and said he was going to Curitiba and he couldn’t take me ‘til there because he was carrying dangerous materials and he didn’t have 2 safety kits, but he could take me to a better gas station to hitchhike. Then both trucks pulled over and I changed trucks at the busiest road in São Paulo.

The trucker who offered me a ride said he offered it because I transmitted good energy. I was pleased. Without asking he told me his life story since he was a kid until that day. You couldn’t believe how crazy his life was. Anyway, after 3 hours driving he dropped me off somewhere in the middle of nowhere. It was a gas station between São Paulo and Curitiba.

I reached this gas station around 9pm. I just set up my tent at the truck park and went to sleep.

To be continued...

First Day

I started walking with my backpack weighting 17kg. I found it light. It was a short 10 minutes walking when I reached the first gas station. There were few trucks parked and one that was leaving to the same direction I was going to. I ran until the truck before the trucker speed it up, and asked him a ride. He said he was driving 20km further, but if it already helped he could lift me.

Awesome! I just started my 6 months trip and the first ride I asked I got it. He dropped me off 20km further. There was no gas station, just the road and a city aside the road. I started walking again, when I car pulled over and awaited for me. When I got closer the driver asked me about some industry company along the road. I said it was 10 minutes driving straight. He asked me where I was going and I replied I was heading south. He offered me a ride and I accepted.

“It’s much easier I thought” I was thinking. The driver left me 10 minutes later on the road. Now it was properly road. No cities. No houses. No factories. Just road and trees.

It was 9am. The sun was shining. I started to walk at the same time I tried to hitchhike. I walked for 2 hours before I see the first house along the road. I was fucking thirsty – I had forgotten a bottle of water. Around 11am the sun wasn’t shining anymore, the sun as burning. My backpack was heavy as hell. I went straight to this house which was a road restaurant, exactly. I ordered a 500ml water bottle. I drank in one gulp. I ordered other one to take with myself. The attendant was a boy no more than 17 years old.

The attendant had Mohican with dreadlocks. He asked me if was travelling for business or pleasure. I said pleasure. Then he saw the badges on my backpack and asked me if I had been in all those countries – around 12. I said yes. He asked me if I learn the language of them. I said I learnt English and Spanish. Then he simply started to talk in English with me for 10 minutes. I got surprised, because even at the international airports in Brazil sometimes is difficult to find someone who speaks English and this country kid was talking with me fluently. I left the restaurant and said: this is what I’m talking about. Then I came back walking.

I walked under the burning sun for more 2,5 hours with the heaviest backpack before reaching the other gas station. I didn’t get any ride on the way. Then I realised after 5,5 hours walking that the easiest way to get a ride was talking with the truckers at gas stations.

I was starving and tired. My back was aching. My legs and arms were burnt. My watch showed me 2.30pm. There were few trucks. I talked with the truckers but I didn’t get any ride. So I decide to lie down on the shadow, have my lunch (biscuits my father cooked for me) and apples and take a nap.

I woke up at 5.30. There were 2 trucks. I went straight to talk with them. One trucker said no, the other one made me some questions and said yes. They were brothers, and the trucker who said no said to his brother he couldn’t give a ride. It was forbidden. The trucker didn’t care and told me to climb up. It was the first real ride I got. It was around 2 hours travelling. He dropped me off in a gas station in a city called Cristalina around 8pm, wished me good luck and drove away in a direction I wasn’t going. Then I decided to set up my tent, take a shower at the gas station bathroom and go sleep to wake early and start hitchhiking again.

André - The first of many truckers who helped me up
* He asked my phone number to keep informed about my trip

It was the first place I set up my tent. It was raining at night, so I set up my tent outside the gas station office

To be continued...

Leaving Home

The real reason was definite. Besides writing a book when travelling, to prove to my family, friends and everybody else who doesn’t believe in goodness that it doesn’t matter where you go there’s always someone to help you up even though you don’t have a good looking.

I must say I didn't have a good looking, but I didn't care at all.

 When I said this to my Mom, she said in low voice if she could come with me. I said to her to get herself a backpack and be ready. Then she said out loud to my father that I said that she could come with me. He simply replied: Go, then. Jokes apart, I got my things ready to leave on February 27^th at 6.30am.

I woke up at 6am, took my shower, had my breakfast with my parents and took my backpack to start my journey. My father said good bye into the house and went back to his bedroom. My Mom insisted to give me the first lift until the road. Of course I accepted.

Ok.. I did care a little bit about it, so I had my hair cut before I leave

Into the car, she gave me 300 quid to start the travel. Then I went out, so did my Mom. I put my backpack on my back and my Mom came to give me a hug. A tight and longstanding one. That hug your Mom give you when you are going away for a while. Then she said that my father didn’t come because he was worried and he got emotional. She also said that she would like to do this kind of things, but she didn’t have the opportunity. She concluded I was very brave and wished me good luck and asked me to be careful before give me her blessing. We said good bye to each other and I started walking.

I was walking for 150 metres when I had the feeling that someone was watching me. Have you had this feeling before? Well, I stopped and looked back. Then I saw my mom taking the last picture and putting her camera down before I disappear.  It was a sad moment, but at that time there was nothing I could do. I turned back forwards and started walking again.

At this moment, my adventure started and I was by myself

To be continued...

The Reason

Why will I travel by hitchhike in South America?

This is a question with a long answer. First of all, I would like to write a book. But, what sort of book I would write, I didn’t know. I would like to write something funny, nice, interested, real and also that would give people information. I thought about this for a while. I really would like to write something, but what?

Then thoughts started to come to my mind all the time. Most of them about travelling. All right, then. I already know the subject. Let’s work it out.

Then I remembered that when I was travelling through Europe, it was normal hit the road and ask for a ride instead to get a bus, sometimes a train.

Once I lost a train to visit a friend. The next one would leave the following day, only. I called my friend to tell her the news. I would be late. Then she said, hitchhike then. It’s easier, cheaper and I guarantee you will get here today. I thank her for the option and I chose to take the next train the following day.

Many people I know from Brazil (the country I was born) prefer travelling overseas than in South America, or even in Brazil. Many of them even didn’t much Brazil. Some have been overseas, but didn’t know the estate aside their home. And most of the European people I met, if they haven’t been in South America yet, they would kill to go down there.

Then, the light blinked on my mind. That’s it. I’ll write about travelling through South America by hitchhike. Yes, I know, I know, I Know… too dangerous. I’ll check it out then to be sure.

Then I said to my brother, and also to my parents. I planned the trip to February (After Carnaval, of course) leaving from my parents house. Then I told friends and family. The next step was to visit some friends before leaving Dublin.

I went to visit my family here in Dublin

Then I put my backpack on my back and went to Netherlands to say hello

Then I met a friend which inspired me even more – Annika Aneko

Then back to Belgium once more

Then I flew to Rio de Janeiro to spend the Carnaval with my brother and friends

Then I flew to Brasília after Carnaval time

Then I decided to sew the badges from the countries I have been on my backpack

Then I visited friends (Gabriela sewed the badges)

Then I visited more friends

And some more

Then I asked permission to the general (my father) to go accomplish my mission

Add caption

To be continued...

I just came back...

Hey folks,

What’s going on?

I know I’ve been off. But you all must understand that when you’re travelling or you stay on facebook, blogs, e-mails on the computer or smartphone or you simply meet people, make friendships, have fun and enjoy your life (after all, the life is too short to waste).

I know I promised I would keep you all informed about my trip, but it was just impossible to do it hitchhiking, sleeping in tents and refuges and with low internet access when I had some.

So, now I’m back with time to spend writing and uploading photos to inform you all about my trip through South America.

I just came back…

Regards,

Ronei Rodrigues

Should I stay or should I go?

Reaching the end of the world

Hey folks,

How are you doing?

I'm doing well,  myself.

I've passed through many cities,  got to know many interesting people,  slept at gas stations,  survived wind storms, walked for many different routes, got ride with different drivers (trucks,  cars, vans,  pickups, motos and bikes also), taken ferry, slept at the immigration control (out side, bellow zero and snowing), lost the marriage of the year (friend's marriage - happiness is my wish for you both Fred and Ana),  I've managed to get what I've looking for.

After a month in Argentina hitchhiking and 3.040 km later I got Ushuaia (The last city in the world).

Now is time to enjoy the last city on the world for a bit and do all way back north (west side, this time).

Photos below from signs on the way, places I've been, routes I've walked, ferry I've taken and finally Ushuaia I've reached by foot and hitchhike.

With Ushuaia regards,

Ronei Rodrigues

P.s.: Once I'm uploading from my mobile,  the photos might be unorganised.