no more travels? i don't think so

i just noticed it's been 8 whole months since i've written a post here.. you'd think it's a travel blog, and since it's been quiet, it's probably because i haven't traveled all this time.. 

but HELL NO! actually, i've been traveling quite a lot this year!

firstly, after the mini winter trip i last talked about, i went to andorra, on a mostly failed mission to go snowboarding..  we were a group of 8, rented a van, an apartment and the equipment, got the weekend pass.. and then there was a snow storm and we were stuck in the flat, playing games and watching tv! but good times anyway..

in may and in july and did two quick visits to amsterdam, just for the weekends, nothing big... and with the weather much better than the first time, i could enjoy my time more properly..

and then there was the pearl jam euro tour in early july.. this one was definitely worth a few posts, but i got lazy (summer, barcelona, holidays, you know...) and never wrote about it..

in short, 4 days in berlin, 4 days in oslo, 3 days in copenhagen.. meeting old friends, making new friends, and of course, seeing my favorite band kicking ass 3 more times (14 and counting so far)!

after that, since i was already in scandinavia, a little train ride to västervik, in sweden, to spend the weekend, visit my friend and bandmate honey (yes, i have a band: THE MINUS TWO), and to play 3 gigs (one little open air festival, two in a bar)..

and when i thought it would be all for my summer, because i was both broke and out of ideas, there was this invitation for a spontaneous road trip through europe, with a van and 4 german girls.. posts to follow (summer is almost over, i'm getting back to working mode)..

meanwhile, here are some photos of the other trips.. enjoy!

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andorra

--

andorra

--

brandenburg gate, berlin

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in berlin, with a lithuaninan i met in paris =)

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next to blå, a bar/club in oslo

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braSil, portugal, sweden, canada, italy.. everyone in oslo to see pearl jam \m/^o^\m/

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vigelandsparken, oslo | christiania, copenhagen

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pearl jam rockin' copenhagen

--

THE MINUS TWO posters in västervik

january 31st, 2010

a year ago today, i left the states with a backpack and 3 main goals: travel the world, meet people and evolve.

not only the mission was accomplished in a better way i could ever plan or imagine, but i still am (and will be for a long time) reaping the sweet fruits of this adventure..

r0ck
and
r0ll.

whole lotta posts

it's been over a month i don't post anything here..
i've been a little lazy and unmotivated (mostly for lack of feedback, honestly), but then i remembered this is supposed to be (also) something for me to look back and remember my travel experiences, and i still have so much stuff to post.. 

anyway, just so i post most of what i planned to, starting tomorrow i'll have something new here every day.. 

that's it. 

oh, and from now on, portuguese only on demand.. 

-- pt -- 

nao vou mais traduzir os posts pra portugues... muito trabalho a toa..
se alguem enstiver interessado, deixe um comment no post que voce quiser traduzido que eu traduzo..
ou entao tem sempre o google translate...

the question without a (short) answer

usually, when someone asks where you live, you have an answer. it's easy, right?

depending on who you're talking to and where you are, you can say "spain", or "hollywood", or "oxnard and vineland, by the vallarta supermarket".. even when you're as vague as only telling the country, it's still a simple question with a simple answer.. 

it's not my case. 

you'd be surprised how often you're asked "so... where do you live now?" when you don't have an answer.. or at least a short, normal answer.. 

fact is, since i left denver, in late january, i don't have an address.. i haven't paid a utility bill, or received a letter.. i haven't had a roommate or taken the trash out (except a couple of times when i was at my sister's).. 

from february to may, during the rtw trip, i formulated an answer to the question.. i would say "right now, i'm living right here, because i'm from braSil, but i haven't been there for 5 years. i lived in the states, but i'm not going back. i'm gonna live in spain, but i haven't been there yet.. so, i live here until i go to the next place". 

that worked until i went to spain.. then i was there, but i wasn't living there. now i'm im braSil, not living here. now i just don't know what to say anymore... and people keep asking me.. can i be a little more vague than most and just say "the world"? what about the good old "here, there, everywhere"? 

i guess i still have to work on that answer, until i move to barcelona... the good thing about this is, i get to live a (tweaked version of a) concept most people like and few have the chance to take advantage of: home is where my backpack is. 

r0ck. 

-- pt --


geralmente, quando alguem te pergunta onde voce vive, voce tem uma resposta. e' facil, ne'?

dependendo de quem te pergunta e onde voce esta', voce pode dizer "brasil", ou "sao paulo", ou "silvares", ou "na sao clemente, perto do supermercado mundial".. mesmo quando voce e' vago a ponto de so' dizer o nome do pais, ainda e' uma pergunta simples com uma resposta simples..


nao no meu caso.

voce ficaria surpreso com quanta gente te pergunta "entao.. onde voce vive agora?" quando voce nao tem uma resposta.. ou pelo menos uma resposta curta, normal..

o fato e', desde que eu sai' de denver, no fim de janeiro, eu nao tenho um endereco.. eu nao pago uma conta de luz, nem recebo uma carta.. eu nao compartilho um apartamento, nem tiro o lixo (com excecao de umas 2 vezes quando estava na casa da minha irma)..


de fevereiro a maio, durante a minha viagem, eu formulei uma resposta pra pergunta.. eu diria "agora, eu vivo aqui mesmo, porque eu sou do brasil, mas nao vou pra la' ha' 5 anos. eu morei nos states, mas nao vou voltar. eu vou morar na espanha, mas ainda nao estive la'.. entao, eu vivo aqui ate' eu ir ao proximo lugar".

isso funcionou ate' eu chegar na espanha.. ai' eu estava la', mas nao vivendo la'. e agora estou no brasil, nao vivendo aqui. e agora eu ja' nao sei o que dizer.. e as pessoas continuam me perguntando.. sera' que eu posso ser um pouco mais vago que a maioria e simplesmente dizer "no mundo"? e que tal o bom e velho "aqui, ali, em todo lugar"?

acho que vou ter que continuar pensando numa resposta boa, ate' eu me mudar pra barcelona.. a parte boa e' que eu posso viver um conceito que a maioria das pessoas gosta, mas do qual poucas tem a oportunidade de fazer parte: minha casa e' onde minha mochila esta'.

r0ck.

news and more

another week went by and i didn't really do much of what i was supposed to.. i should be working big time on the photos from the trip, but i've been lazy, so on that department, no news yet..

what i do have news about is that barcelona, paris and lisbon are confirmed, tickets (for the shows and for the flights) are all bought, and now it's just wait, then r0ck!

also (the big news, i guess), just booked my ticket to brazil... yeah, after 5 and a half years, i'm going to brazil in mid july, and will stay there for a couple of months, while my spanish student visa is processed..

i am excited to see friends and family again, but honestly, i'm terrified too! i never planned going back to brazil, even though i always knew i would have to at some point.. the thing is... 2 months? what the hell am i gonna do there in two months without money (mine is gone after the trip)?

well, let's wait and see, one step at a time..

oh, and blog news as well.. on the sidebar there, there's the categories now.. makes it easier to find a specific post or to read about one subject.. it's not fully functional yet, but it will be soon.. i still have some tweaks to make, but it's ok for now..

so let me go work on those pictures.. or play online poker.. gee, that's a dilemma!

-- pt --

mais uma semana se foi e eu nao fiz muito do que deveria ter feito.. eu deveria estar trabalhando pesado nas fotos da viagem, mas eu tenho sido preguicoso, entao nao tenho noticias nesse assunto ainda..

mas eu tenho noticias sobre barcelona, paris e lisboa: os tickets estao comprados (os dos shows e os dos voos tambem!), e agora e' so' esperar, e depois r0ck!

e tambem (a grande noticia, eu acho), acabei de comprar minha passagem pro brasil.. e', depois de 5 anos e meio, irei ao brasil no meio de julho, e vou ficar la por uns 2 meses, enquanto meu visto de estudante espanhou estara' sendo processado..

estou animado de ver amigos e a familia, mas honestamente, estou com medo! eu nunca planejei voltar ao brasil, mesmo sempre sabendo que eu teria que voltar alguma hora.. mas.. por 2 meses? o que eu vou fazer la em 2 meses e sem dinheiro (o meu acabou depois da viagem)?

bom, vamos esperar e ver.. um passo de cada vez..

ah, e tenho noticias do blog tambem.. na barra lateral, agora tem as categorias.. fica mais facil achar um post especifico ou ler sobre algum assunto.. nao esta funcionando perfeitamente ainda, mas em breve sim.. eu ainda tenho que fazer uns ajustes, mas por enquanto esta ok.. 

entao deixa eu ir trabalhar aquelas fotos... ou jogar poker... ah que dilema!

it's over, but it's not

so after 107 days, my 'round the world adventure is over, but hey, i'm not sad.. not only i had some of the best experiences of my life, but now it's time for a new beginning.. looking back and looking ahead..

i'm in spain now, taking time to digest the last four months, take everything in, organize my stuff, talk to old friends, work on my pictures, see how (and where) the people i met are, and of course, enjoy my sister after almost three years apart..

and there's a lot to be done as well.. i have to figure out how i'm going to be able to stay here in spain for a while, decide where to go, begin organizing the paperwork, study work options and everything else..

there's also some more travels to be done, of course! one of the reasons i didn't include europe to the rtw itinerary is because being in spain, it's really easy to explore the rest of the continent, a little bit at a time...

for now i'm gonna take it easy, see a little and plan a lot.. i should go to barcelona in late june to see a kiss concert, and also (hopefully) have the paperwork ready to apply for a school there and begin the house hunting, at least for ideas..

then there's france for a week in early july, where i'm going to visit an old friend and go to a pearl jam concert.. and right after, portugal, where i'll meet my sister and friends, go to the last show of the pearl jam european tour, watch the world cup finals and do a little tourism..

but that's not all! i have many, many plans for the .sapo., there's still a lot of information to be posted here.. actually, there's way more to come than i have already posted.. curiosities, numbers, tips, photos, videos..

i'm very excited and a little overwhelmed with all this, but bear with me, and soon everything will fall into place.. just have to get a new rhythm worked out..

r0ck!

-- pt --

entao depois de 107 dias, minha aventura ao redor do mundo acabou, mas hey, eu nao estou triste.. nao so' eu tive umas das melhores experiencias da minha vida, mas agora e' hora de um novo comeco... olhando pra tras e olhando pra frente..

agora estou na espanha, tomando meu tempo pra digerir os ultimos quatro meses, absorver tudo, organizar minhas coisas, falar com velhos amigos, saber como (e onde) as pessoas que eu conheci estao, e claro, curtir a minha irma, depois de quase tres anos distantes..

e ainda tem muita coisa a ser feita.. tenho que descobrir como vou ficar aqui na espanha por um tempo, decidir onde vou, comecar a organizar a papelada, estudar minhas opcoes de trabalho e tudo mais..

tambem tenho algumas viagens pra fazer, claro! um dos motivos pelo qual nao inclui' a europa no meu itinerario da viagem foi porque estando na espanha, e' facil explorar o resto do continente, um pouco de cada vez..

por enquanto eu vou devagar, ver um pouco e planejar um monte.. eu devo ir a barcelona no final de junho pra ver um show do kiss, e tambem (espero) ter a papelada pronta pra me matricular numa escola e comecar a procurar lugar pra morar..

e vou pra franca no comeco de julho, pra visitar um velho amigo e ir a um show do pearl jam.. e em seguida, portugal, onde vou encontrar minha irma e amigos, ir ao ultimo show da turne europeia do pearl jam, assistir a final da copa e fazer um pouco de turismo..

mas isso nao e' tudo! eu tenho muitos, muitos planos pra o .sapo., ainda tem muita informacao pra colocar aqui.. pra falar a verdade, tem muito mais a vir do que eu ja postei.. curiosidades, numeros, dicas, fotos, videos..

eu estou bem animado e um pouco sobrecarregado com tudo isso, mas tenha paciencia, e em breve tudo vai estar no seu devido lugar.. so' preciso de um tempo pra entar no ritmo novo..

r0ck!

the good, the bad (many times)

the good: even with the substantial delay with the australian visa, i was happy to find out i'd still have time to get me the indian visa, since their website says it takes 5 days to process it

the bad: after i mailed the application, my passport and the fees to san francisco, they told me it would actually take 10 to 15 days to process the visa and then return my passport. it would be way too late and i can't leave the country without my passport

the good: after losing the money i already paid, and paying yet an extra fee, i arranged so they will send me my passport back in time for me to leave the country

the bad: i'll get my passport, but no indian visa in it

the good: i did some extra research and realized there's no visa on arrival for india. it was gonna suck to get there and then find out i can't get in

the bad: without the visa or a possibility to get one, i can't go to india

the good: after freaking out for 5 minutes, i contemplated my options and decided to go to bali (indonesia) instead of india. the airfares are around the same as if i went to india

the bad: i had to cancel 2 flights and pay a fine for them

the good: indonesia is cheaper than india, and the money i'm going to save staying there should be enough to cover the cost of the fines i'll have to pay for the canceled flights

the good: from indonesia to south africa, i won't have to waste a whole day at the airport for my connection flight, which would happen from india to south africa

the good: indonesia is a paradise

the good: beaches

the good: i'm slightly crazy, so i can go from worried to upset to desperate to calm to focused to excited in a matter of minutes!

ps: a couple of hours after i changed the plans, canceled the flights and booked new ones, i got word from the indians saying my visa was granted and it's been mailed to me already. bummer. maybe i'll try to visit them later, before the visa expires..

here's a little bali for you:

the monkey forest (just in case you're tired of beach pictures)

--- pt ---

o bom, o ruim (varias vezes)

o bom: mesmo com o atraso do o visto australiano, eu estava feliz de saber que eu ainda teria tempo de pegar o visto indiano, ja que o site deles diz que o processo demora 5 dias

o ruim: depois que eu mandei os documentos, meu passaporte e as taxas pra san francisco, eles me disseram que levaria de 10 a 15 dias para processar o visto e depois disso, retornarem meu passaporte. seria muito tarde e eu nao posso sair do pais sem meu passaporte

o bom: depois de perder o dinheiro que eu ja havia pago, e ainda pagar outra taxa, eu consegui fazer com que eles me mandassem meu passaporte antes que eu saisse do pais

o ruim: eu vou ter meu passaporte. mas sem o visto indiano

o bom: eu pesquisei um pouco mais e descobri que a india nao da vistos no aeroporto. ia ser pessimo chegar la e descobrir que eu nao posso entrar no pais

o ruim: sem o visto e sem a possibilidade de pegar um, eu nao posso ir pra india

o bom: depois de enlouquecer por 5 minutos, eu estudei minhas opcoes e decidi ir a bali (indonesia) ao inves da india. as passagens sao mais ou menos o mesmo preco

o ruim: eu tive que cancelar 2 voos e pagar uma multa por causa disso

o bom: indonesia e' mais barato que a india, e o dinheiro que eu vou economizar ficando la' deve ser o suficiente pra cobrir os gastos com as multas que vou ter que pagar por causa dos voos cancelados

o bom: da indonesia pra africa do sul, eu nao vou ter que desperdicar um dia inteiro no aeroporto esperando pela minha conexao, o que iria acontecer saindo da india

o bom: a indonesia e' um paraiso

o bom: praias

o bom: eu sou meio louco, entao eu passo de preocupado pra triste pra desesperado pra calmo pra concentrado pra animado numa questao de minutos!

obs: algumas horas depois que eu mudei os planos, cancelei os voos e reservei os novos, eu recebi noticias dos indianos dizendo que eles ja tinham me dado o visto e que o passaporte estava a caminho. bummer. talvez eu tente ir pra la mais pra frente, antes de o visto vencer...

um exemplo de bali:
(foto)
a floresta dos macacos (no caso de voce ja estar cansado de fotos de praias)

@sapotb twitter

.sapo. travel blog is now on twitter.. you know, for those quick updates..
if you don't have twitter, you can always just check the side bar, right there to your right.. it will always show the three most recent tweets..

--- pt ---

.sapo. travel blog agora esta no twitter.. pra atualizacoes rapidas, sabe?
se voce nao tem twitter, voce pode checar a barra ali do lado direito.. ela sempre vai mostrar as tres entradas mais recentes..

it's countdown time

december 31st.. while most people are getting ready for the new year's countdown, i honestly didn't realize it was already new year's eve!

i do have a countdown of my own, though... exactly a month from today i'll be heading to fiji for my first stop on this RTW trip..

so it's "Tminus31" day for me..

here's a little (meaning long!) text i translated from portuguese..
i always read it when i need help through hard times and it actually motivated me to be where i am right now (and where i'm gonna be in the future):

--

change,
but begin slowly,
because direction
is more important than speed.
sit on another chair,
on the other side of the table.
later on, switch tables.

when you go out,
try to walk on the other side of the street.
later on, change the path,
walk other streets, take it easy,
paying attention to the places
you pass by.

take another bus.
change for a while your dressing style.
give away your old shoes.
try to walk barefoot a few days.
take a whole afternoon to wander around
free on the beach, or in the park,
and listen to the birds sing.
see the world through other perspectives
open and close the drawers and doors
with the left hand.

sleep on the other side of the bed...
then, try to sleep on other beds.

watch other tv shows,
buy other newspapers...
read other books,
live other romances.

do not make the habit a lifestyle.
love what is new.
go to bed later.
go to bed earlier.
learn a new word every day
in another language.
fix your posture.
eat a little less,
choose different foods,
new seasonings, new colors,
new delights.

try the new every day.
the new side,
the new method,
the new flavor,
the new way,
the new pleasure,
the new love,
the new life.

try,
find new friends.
try new loves,
begin new relationships.

have lunch in other places,
go to other restaurants,
drink other drinks,
buy bread in another bakery.
have lunch earlier,
have dinner later or vice-versa.
choose another market...
another soap brand,
another toothpaste..
take a shower at different times.

use different color pens.
go for a walk in other places.
love a lot,
more and more
in different ways.
switch your purse,
your wallet,
your luggage,
switch your car,
buy new glasses,
write new poetry.

dump the old watches,
gently break
these horrible alarm clocks.
open an account in another bank.
go to other movie theaters,
other hair dressers,
other theaters,
visit new museums.

change.
remember you only live once.
and seriously think about getting another job,
a new occupation,
a lighter work,
more pleasant,
more deserving,
more humane.

if you can't find reasons to be free,
make them up
be creative.

go ahead and take a relaxing trip,
a long one, if possible to an unknown destination.
try new things.
then switch again,
change again,
try again.

you will certainly find better things
and worse things than what you already know,
but it doesn't matter.
what matters is the change,
the movement,
the dynamic,
the energy,
only what is dead never changes!

i will repeat it for pure joy in life:
there is only salvation through risks,
and without it, life isn't worth living!

love is only a feeling

the darkness is (was) a great band from the uk, and i love them no matter how gay they sound.. (or look).

check this video out:







i first saw this video when i started planning for the RTW trip, and back then i did some research to find out where it was shot..

guess what? the blue mountains, a few miles west of sydney, and i'm *so* gonna go there!

oh, the aussies

so i was bored out of my mind 2 hours after i woke up on my day off, and i decided to try and call the australian embassy to find out what the hell was going on with my visa processing. i thought they were just gonna say they can't give me any information, but they actually can verify the status of the application and give you updates...

turns out they thought i was applying for a short stay business visa (god only knows why, since they're completely different forms and document requirements), and haven't come to a decision about it yet.. now it's fixed, but now it's christmas week and i'm assuming they'll just be lazy and won't pick this up until next year..

bad news is with other 5 visas waiting, i did not have any margins for delays, and this problem messed up all my visa schedule. i don't know what i'm gonna do now. i just don't.

what i do know is that i'm gonna stick to the plans and make this work out...

let the worries begin

it's been over a month since i sent the papers for the australian visa.. and i need them back so i can send them to the other embassies..
but i haven't heard back from them yet..

bad, bad timing, aussies..

i'm thinking i'm going to get the 3 visas for SE asia (laos, cambodia and vietnam) on their borders, since i'm not going to have time to apply for them here..

*awesome*

packing is a pain

i obviously haven't started packing yet, but i started looking for the ideal backpack, and little did i know that before i decide how i'm gonna carry all my stuff, i have to decide what stuff i'm gonna carry... duh.

apparently i'll need a whole new set of clothes and accessories, head to toes (literally).. i'm a planner and i'm a neat freak, so i want and i will pack light and as efficiently as possible without having to sell a kidney for it..

i was gonna get a huge backpack and have it checked in for every flight, but after a few hours of study i realized i'm better with a backpack about half the size, so i can carry it with me, saving time and worries (not so much money, though..)

research, research, research... i'm getting stressed.

training wheels

i'm a little behind schedule with the planning and the preparations for the trip, but all for a good cause..

last couple of months, instead of working on the RTWT, i was kinda training for it..
i went to see pearl jam play in seattle (their hometown, tour opening), salt lake city, la (2 shows) and philly (halloween, tour closing), and since i was in philly, i went for a week in nyc as well..

of course seeing the band was the main reason for all the traveling, but i took the opportunity to do some couchsurfing, meet people from all over the globe, practice packing efficiently and learn to be less neat-freak and more spontaneous with the planning...

this set me back a little with everything i have to get done for the trip, but it was a little experience that's going to be worth a lot later, and now i'm all focused on it, 100%...

more to come...

couchsurfing.org

now let me tell you about this amazing little organization i heard of once before, and now that i decided to check on it, i just can't get enough of.. and "little" was only a figure of speech..

i'm talking about couchsurfing.org, and i can't find better words than their own to describe what they are: "CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."

that is their mission statement, by the way. but there's more:
"As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world! "

ok, so what does all that mean? well, it means they have over 1.2 million members from every corner of the world, willing to meet new people from other places, either by offering them a place to stay while visiting their town, or just meeting up for a coffee or a drink, or by traveling and being guests. and by "meeting", i mean exchanging experiences, cultures; introducing friends and places; and sometimes (why not?), just being a nice host or visitor.

i'm talking about them because i plan to use this community as much as i can on my 'round the world trip (which from now on will be referred to as RTWT, it's easier). just studying the site changed my whole perspective on how and why i should travel..

it's just crazy how this things happen..

sta travel

after reading a little bit about matt harding and drawing some inspiration for my own 'round the world trip, i found out the agency he used to book his flights (and maybe the hotels/hostels too): sta travel.

they are an agency with over 30 years of experience, and specialize in helping young people in world wide adventures. they're huge, they're everywhere, and they seem to be pretty helpful.

i just called them yesterday for the first time, told my agent (todd) about my plans and itinerary ideas, and he's working on it right now, so i can have some more in depth info on everything...

once i have the itinerary figured out, i have to check on the visa requirements for all the countries; then work on dates (it's gonna take a lot of research to decide on the length of stay for each country, 'cause that's gonna depend on how much i'll be willing to get to know them, the costs of accommodation, eating and traveling there, etc); then decide where to stay, if hostels, hotels or couch surfing (more on that later)...

gosh, it seems i'm already running out of time...
this is getting more exciting by the day!

where the hell is matt?

here's the video i wrote about on the last post.. the one that started it all..
i found out later that this is actually his second video (out of his three big trips)...
if you want to read about matt, or check his other videos (which i definitely recommend), click here.



talk about inspiration, huh?