Back in Buenos Aires

Caught the late ferry from Colonia, Uruguay to Buenos Aires Tuesday night, October 14th.

Summary: Rode 8,247 miles = 13,272. kilometers

Orange is the route of Brazil 2014 trip.

Brazil 2014

North of Florianópolis - Fire the afterburner

Twisting the throttle - heading south.  Even with significant road work and delays I still made 725 km today. After 30 minutes of lane splitting I took to the dirt and rode around another ~10 km of traffic backups. This will be an amazing road when it is finished - but stopping at toll plazas every hour sucks - sell me a disposable RFID pass good for a day/week/whatever...

Holambra Brazil

Bypassed Sau Paulo and headed inland to meet Melissa's cousin Jerry and his family - great people, fun and very welcoming.  Touring a wonderful little piece of Holland in southern Brazil.  

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

I Lied

Búzios is the best of Santa Barbara and Carmel surrounded by amazing beaches for 300 degrees -  it's the 60 degrees of Compton/Tijuana that you have to drive through that's the killer.   

There's a little housing development just down the street with a heliport and a lethal electric fence that suggests there's an alternative. 

Did I mention the beaches are amazing?

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

Armação dos Búzios

Arrived Búzios. 

Now I understand why helicopter are a part of urban Brazil. 

60 + kilómetros of bumper to bumper traffic with stop lights,  large speed bumps from hell, and speed cameras (a hundred plus) to get to...  paradise (?).  

I was expecting a semi-tropical Carmel... a closer approximation might be driving through downtown Tijuana without the benefit of Mexican food.  I'll reserve judgment on Buzio until tomorrow and a fresh day because after 7 hours to travel 250 miles (in the rain)  I'm a little cranky...
I'm planning to stay for a few days.

Salvador de Bahia, Brazil

I've rounded the curve of the horn of Brazil. 

I finally saw a fellow Adventure rider after 3 weeks -  he was riding an almost identical v-strom no less., but traveling North,  the wrong direction.

Later in the day I met and rode with a local Brazilian on a Triumph 1200.  Unfortunately he was ending his ride in Aracaju.  We ended up riding the rest of the day and then sharing  a late lunch and beers with friends - I got a room, and later that night was invited to dinner with the family. Like I've said - I've never met a bad adventure rider.  

A nice  bike!

 He's planning a big trip South in March and I hope to host him on his way through BsAs.
Natal to Salvador could have been done in a day but beer intervened and Aracaju was very nice.
I've checked into a place right on the waterfront in Salvador and tomorrow I'll go play tourist.

It's Brazil,  there's a beach,  it's evening  -  ergo futbol.