Ilha do Mel - Part II

Hey folks,

I know I’ve been out for a long time, but it’s became very difficult to up load the blog. I haven’t had time to get into a C@fé or access a decent computer. I still have to tell you about places I’ve been, as Maringá, Foz do Iguaçu, Puerto Iguazu, Ciudad del Este, Asunción, Santo Ignacio, and now Florianópolis. Unfortunately, I can’t up load photos, because the computer I’m tapping has no available USB, at least. As I promised, I’ll tell you more about Ilha do Mel.

When I got there I met an American couple that was kind of lost. They were going to get off on the wrong part of the island they would like to. Then we started to talk and I helped then to get a place to stay. I went straight way to “Canto da Vô”. It’s a part of the island where I was told to go by few friends from Curitiba. There I stayed at Angêla’s camping area. The best thing I’ve ever done. I supposed to stay there for 2 days and 1 night, and I stayed for a week.

There I met Paulão. A man who LIVES in a tent for 19 years. I had loads of fun with him. I also met a guy from my home town. This guy (Gabriel) helped me to surf. I met Ivan, the guy who borrowed me the surfing board. I met another guy who was guide at the fortress in the island.

There I spent more time with Paulão than with anybody else. We drank cachaça, we smoked cigarettes and we have load fun. He recommend me to try “Meleca” (the translation for this would be GOO I think. It’s a spirit (very good) made by a guy who lives in the island and he loves Raul Seixas (a famous Brazilian musician). He built a house, which is called “Toca do Raul” (photo bellow). Instead I try it, I bought a bottle and brought back to drink with Paulão.

If the 2 first days I spent with Paulão were recorded, it would be a movie funnier than Hangover. I swear it was fun and incredible crazy. I also learnt pretty much with Paulão. He’s wisdom of an experienced man without a corrupt mind. He is the oldest child I have ever met in my whole life until now.

I had good time in the island.  I got good weather (with billion of stars and stunning sunsets and also shit weather (with thunders, storm and strong rain), but just good time (photo bellow).

The people I met were the worthiest thing. I also met a Austrian guy who lived in the island for 3 years 30 years and we was back there to visit the island and the people. Crazy story. He arrived in north Brazil and built a boat.  Then he sailed all way south until he got Ilha do Mel and lived there for 3 years instead spend there 2 weeks.

Enchanted island.

Well, I left wishing to stay.

Oh yes, when in the Island I learnt how to do “artesanato” (handcrafted bracelets). I’ll up load a photo later from my “artesanatos”.

Then I went back to Curitiba where I got rested and come back hitchhiking and walking heading to Foz do Iguaçu. (The following post)

That’s it for now.  (sorry for my delaying and lack of photos. I’ll be more present now.)

With goo smells,

Ronei Rodrigues.

Ilha do Mel

Hey folks,

Sorry for being such a long time off.
As I said I was going to hike, to camp and then going to the Honey Moon island (Ilha do Mel) near of Curitiba.

The train journey wasn't impressive. To me it was trice expensive and twice slower.  I couldn't hike, because on the mountains was foggy and also raining a bit. So the track was slippery.

I had to go to Morretes by train. Morretes is a small town with a nice historic downtown and a river crossing the city. The city has few waterfalls around. It's a nice place to go for a waterfall and a lunch and that's it.

From there I went to Antonina. Another small city with a nice historic downtown.  But Antonina is on the coast. What makes the city more enjoyable. The city has a deck along the bay where the people go for fishing or bathing. I really got wet there. A strong rain took me unprepared.

From Antonina I went to Paranaguá. Place where I was going to take a boat to go to the island. I lost the last boat, so I had to sleep in Paranaguá. I decided to sleep in an hostel.  Why? Because after I've walked all day long and I've taken rain, I thought I deserved a bath and sleep in a nice bed what didn't happen.  I took shock having bath and the mattress of my bed was horrible uncomfortable.
I bought a bottle of wine, a 5 litters water bottle, fruits, bread and chesse. I also bought waxed line to learn how  to do "artesanato" (bracelet) to bring to the island.
The boat takes around 2 hours from Paranaguá to Ilha do Mel.
The island has 1600 inhabitants and receive 5000 limited people per day in the summer time.
The island is an estate preserved park in a preserved ambiental island. The island has 3 main attractions. A light house, a fortress and a cave. This is the 3 tourist traps.
The good things from the island is that it's enchanted.  If you are a good person the island invites you to stay. If you are a bad person the island expels you. How? You eat something that doesn't make you feel good. You get sick. You get a flu or whatever.

It's the island. I went there to spend a night and I stayed for a week. And I just left because I put my tent down, otherwise I would be living there right now.

At the moment I'm having problems updating my photos.  So this post will be launched without photos. But as a recompense,  the following one will have photos and also nice and funny stories  I have passed through in Ilha do Mel.

With careless,

Ronei Rodrigues

Marumbi, Morretes and Ilha do Mel

Hey folks,

How are you doing today?

I'm just getting into the train to pass through the forest, with nice landscape, on my way to the island (ilha do mel).
I don't know if I've chosen a good day. Today is gray sky. A little bit fogy.
But hopefully it will clearing during the trip.

Before I get the island, I'll get off in Marumbi.  It's a kind of park or reserve.  I'm not sure if I'm going to sleep over there tonight or if I'm going to hike all way down to the historic city called Morretes. Then I decide if I sleep over there or if I keep going until Paranaguá,  city where I'm going to take the boat to the island.

Hopefully it won't be raining.
Let's pray.

Now it's time to keep walking and enjoy waterfalls and beaches.

See you whenever I have the opportunity to come back here to up date it.

With printsteps,

Ronei Rodrigues

About Curitiba

Hey folks,

As everybody knows I'm in Curitiba.

This is a nice place to come to whom like parks, groves and forests.

Curitiba is very organised with good public transport, even though they are not able to give you the right information. Here they have a really nice fair. A fair just on sundays. But you can find everything to buy in this fair. From food to house's stuff. If you're going to spend a sunday in Curitiba you must go to this fair which calls "Feira do Largo da Ordem".

If you like to run, you must go to the park Barigui. If you just want to chill out you should go to "Jardim botânico" or "Parque Tanguá". If you want to do a slow walk and have a nice chat with someone else go to "Bosque Alemão".

It's also nice to walk at "Rua XV" for shopping.

The people here use to say that the locals are closed people. But I've met really nice ones, so to me they are friendly.

I made a friend who invited me to sleep at his place. so then I would be able to spend more time in Curitiba. I'm publishing from his house. Really nice man. He gave me his keys and total freedom at his place. I do thank him for his kindness and trust. His name, Jaime!

So now, I have a properly place to sleep, get rest and organise my things quietly I decided to take the day to rest, write down and organise my next destination. I met few people who told me about an island that calls honey moon (Ilha do Mel) that is the opposite direction to "Foz do Iguaçu". And to get this island I have few options. I can go straight way by bus and then a boat. I can take a train and pass through the forest with nice landscape and then the boat. I can take a train to half way and then do a hike, camp, hike again through the forest, get a historic city, then hike again until get the coast and then the boat. Well, as I'm very practical and I don't love adventures I'm thinking to go there by the last option. Train, hiking, camping, hiking, historic city, hiking and boat.

So I kind of delayed the trip to Iguacu Falls (Foz do Iguaçu).

Follow attached some photos from when I left home until I get here.

Enjoy it!

Trucker André from Rio de Janeiro who gave me a ride from somewhere to Cristalina

 The better place to set my tent to protect from the rain at Gas Station in Cristalina

 A queue of 30km. A strike! Getting in Uberlândia

 Playing with the camera on the truck

 The river Tietê in São Paulo

 On the road from São Paulo to Curitiba. They have a plantation of bananas for more than 150km along the road

 Love more. Kiss much more. Cry with desire. Give away generously. Do mistakes. Do what fright you the most. Scream! Harmonize more. Care less. (Translation by myself)

 Oscar niemeyer Museum

A dodger car, I think

 This thing of want to be exactly what we are, are going to take us further. Just regret once. (Translation by myself)

 This life is a journey, it's a pity I be here just as a passanger. I do not discuss with the destiny. What appears to do, I'm in. (Translation by myself)

 It's a fair in Curitiba. Historic downtown. (Feira do Largo do Machado)

 The fair seeing from up side

 The mosque Iman Ali

 Inside the mosque. Mecca in South Arabia. The holy place where all islamism people pray in that direction

 Cathedral Basílica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Luz de Curitiba

 For those ones who keep insisting to drink, be careful. You might sleep on this position sooner or later

 Botanic Garden (Jardim Botânico)

 Tanguá Park (Parque Tanguá)

 Tanguá Park seeing from down side

 Wire Opera House (Opera de Arame)

 Tanguá Park Seeing from Up side

Entrance from German Grove. (Bosque Alemão)

 Sight from Curitiba on the top of the German Grove

 Going up on the German Grove

 Telepar tower. (Torre Telepar - oi)

 Barigui Park (Parque Barigui)

 Ukrainian Memorial at Tingui Park (Parque Tingui)

Parana University

See you whenever I have the chance to publish again.

With footsteps and joy,

Ronei Rodrigues

Curitiba - Paraná

Hey Folks,

I just got Curitiba (South Brazil).

I didn't expect get down here quite fast. I took 8 rides, walked for 5 hours under the strong sunshine (I got burnt) and 1.354 Km later I got Curitiba in 4 days.

I really got into this. Now I do know how to do hitchiking. You can't get a ride on the road. You must ask the trucker at the gas station for truckers.

I've met 8 truckers (all of them gave me a lift from somewhere to somewhere). They just tell you their history without shame or cerimony. They even tell you how much they earn. Seriously, it is common. They all tell you without you even ask. They just open their heart. I believe it's because they spend too much time alone without anyone to talk. So when they have a company, they just talk.

Many of them lose their wives because they spend too much time on the road. Some of then keep out for 3 months, some times even more. Some take drugs and use cocain to keep awake and take more freight and make more money. But all of them drive trucks because they do love to drive a truck and being on the road.

The oldest ones say it isn't worthy. You fucked up your health earn just couple of hundred reals in the end of the month. The youngest ones don't give a shit, they just want money, even though it is just a little bit more.
It's always that story: IF I HAD THIS HEAD I DO HAVE NOW FEW YEARS AGO, EVERYTHING WOULD BE DIFFERENT! (keep it in mind people, sometimes it is just too late).

The most curious story was when I was walking.
I was waking for 3 hours under strong sunshine when I saw a restaurante in the middle of nowhere. When I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE! No houses, gas station, farms, or whatever for miles away. Then, I went there to buy a water. the attendant had no more than 18 years old. He oberved me to drink half litter of water in just one gulp. Then start to ask me a lot of questions. Where I was going to. Where I came from. For how long I was travelling ans so on. When he saw the flag from Iceland he asked me if I went to UK. Then asked me if I learnt the language. And then he started to talk with me in a brilliant English. Fluently. We talk for few minutes 'til some one ask for his help inside the restaurant. Then we say good luck to each other and I left the restaurant think: It's this what I'm talking about!

I was surprise because, even in tourists cities like Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro is difficult to find someone who talks fluently English, and this young guy, a country guy, living in the middle of nowhere was talking fluently English occasionaly. Well done to him! WELL DONE!

It happened too much more, but by now it's all you've get.

I'll be in Curitiba for a week, I'm afraid. and then I might go to Maringá, Foz do Iguaçu and later keep going down 'til I reach Florianopólis.

*** I do ask apologise for not attaching any photo, because I just took photos on my camera and the computer I'm publishing has no device to read my memory card. And I also had some problem with my network on my mobile, even though most of the time it has no network at all on the road. It has no coverage. By the way, from now on I'll use my mobile more frequently and also take photos with it to publish them.

With footsteps,

Ronei Rodrigues

It's time to start walking!

It’s time to keep move on. It’s time to conquer my own land. It’s time to show you all that down here in South America is safe to travel as Europe (or at least as everybody thinks it is), even though down here is as dangerous to travel as Europe is. Am I confusing you? Well, let’s clarify this then. THERE IS NO SAFE PLACE ON EARTH!

What Am I talking about? Once again, I’m talking about people. What make a dangerous place are the people. The people are the risk. The people are dangerous. But the people also are worthwhile. The people also are good! What I’m going to prove is: People react in accordance of your act. You make people dangerous. You make people unharmed. You make people either bad or good. YOU are responsible for people’s reaction! But you ARE NOT responsible for people’s action!

If you are the one who first acted, you are responsible for the whole thing then. But if you are the one who reacted, you might choose either if you are going follow the steps or if you are going to invert positions and control the situation. “Hold on a second. You’re making it worse. I’m more confused than the beginning. So, it doesn’t matter if I act or react. In both cases I can be the responsible?” Being the responsible it’s not the matter. What really matters is whether you’re able to make the things worse or better. Finding the responsible won’t make any difference, but controlling the situation.

Well, let’s put this pure philosophy aside now and go straight to adventure. I’ll try to show you all that you can travel being helped by people WHEREVER you go. It depends of you, only.

You are the MASTER! You have the POWER! But only if you have FAITH and BELIEVE in it!

Now it’s time to walk more and talk less. Until next post, whenever it comes!

P.S.: From now on, I won’t confuse you all with my vain philosophies, but describe what I’m passing through with real facts. Be prepared! It won’t have censure.

Ronei Rodrigues

Stroller's blog

Hey Folks.

Ronei Rodrigues here, 24, ex accounting auditor of 2 Bigfour’s companies!

Involved into capitalism for a long time, I decide break it for while and experience the other side of life. Breaking what the society imposes as fully truth and living to be happy without any labels. I decided do not care about brands, about fashion, about being fit somewhere. I decided to live my life as money was no object (of course I do still need money to live, I became, for a while, an anticapitalist and not a damn fool). I decided to do what make me happy despite everything else. Is it easy? You're a foolish if you think so. Go against the "normal, natural and common" imposed by the society is quite complicated and complex. You must be strong and careful. You’re even going to hurt people you love the most. Is not everyone who has an open minded to understand what you are going to do!

I've been considered crazy, insane, foolish, damn idiot and so on, but I also have been considered courageous, fighter, human being, hippie and so on. Whom should I believe? I must believe myself. Each person has your own experience, believes, truths and conceptions of life even though many people are involved in a system what makes them all the same. They lose their identity, their originality, their truths and believes. I've lost it once and I've found it back.

I figured out that is more important the people we meet instead the places we go.

So, this "damn fool" human being here is going to travel through South America believing in people, giving them a trust vote once more (forever). I’m going to travel, mainly, with their help.

My aim is show to whom it may concern that people are reliable, does not matter where they are (Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Oceania) and also that life is to be lived as you desire and not to follow somebody’s else conception.

In couple days I'm going to travel through South America walking and hitchhiking. I know that's a bit dangerous travelling like this. So, I've provided myself with a house (tent), a mattress (thermal foam bed roll), a blanket (sleeping bag), cutlery (pocket knife and pocket multitool), umbrella (waterproof and windproof jacket), clothes, some medicine, a notebook, a backpack to put everything inside, a car to move (my legs) and fuel (water and food). I’m going to do it with an open heart and an open mind and God leading my journey.

I’M NOT TELLING YOU TO FOLLOW MY IDEAS, I’M JUST TELLING YOU MINE! I’M SHOWING YOU MY CONCEPTION OF LIFE, THAT MIGHT CHANGE SOONER OR LATER.

P.S.: Special thanks to my friends Fred Brasil and Ana Falcão who convinced me to create this blog. This blog is on, thanks them.

“Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.” - Allan Watts