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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 30, 2014 04:00 PM Where Brazil begins...
Imagine red, sandy streets full of holes. Heat, dust, and humidity. This is Oiapoque, for many years the northernmost township of Brazil. It looks like real frontier town. But the people smile here - not like in the French Guyana.
And I found in this exotic landscape a real jewel - it is Floresta Hotel located on the riverfont, where I stay paying just 70 reales ror a/c room with full breakfast. Inthe reception I found charming Melissa who speaks fluent English and is very helpful (I am not strong in Portugeese).
In the bank there is long line but finally I recognized that this branch does not change money! A mafia of money changers pays only 2,90 for 1 euro (official rate is 3,12). That´s the charm of the outback!
You can see many here. Inside clolor ladies are waiting for the one-night, paying partner from the other side of the border...
Who knows about river Oiapoque?? From the hotel terrace I have a great view of the river Qiapoque - It is bigger and more powerful then Vistula - the biggest river of Poland. Long pirogues are sailing up and down. Some of them carry people who are mining gold in the streams - illegaly. But in the town you can buy and easily sell the gold - the price is around 67 reales per 1 g.
Tomorrow I plan to go south - to the equator by the only, muddy road. They say it is 600 kms and it will take 11-12 hours. New adventure awaits me!
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Mar 29, 2014 08:00 PM Through the jungle and big rivers...
It was the sunrise in French Guyana when I was walking through the enpty streets of Cayenne to the bus St Georges bus stop. They do not have timetable. Minibus departs when full. And this is Sunday _ few people travel.
I was lucky. A minibus was ready for departure and they had a space for me and my backpack. The 200 kms ride cost already 40 euro.
We were going through the lush jungle, crossing huge rivers, ver few settlements and not much to photograph, especiqlly when it rains. Hot, hot and humid air.
After 2 hours we stoped in the little village of Regina on the huge river. Then after the bridge there were French immigration post and 50 kms further I saw the big river Oiapoque - the border with Brazil.
St Georges is very little settlement and there is nothing to see. So I decided to cross the border.
Pirogues were waiting. You pay 5 E and you go...
THis is exciting 15 minutes ride through the big river _
you land some 5 kms upstream in the lively Brqzilian township Oiapoque. No control on arrival _ just jump from the pirogue ang go!
I have to find the police station to get my entry stqmp in the passport. This is real outback. Welcome to Brazil!!!
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Mar 28, 2014 08:00 PM Saturday market in Cayenne
Merci! French baguette cost here 0,80 euro, kilo of bananas in the market - 2 euro. Saturday market in Cayenne is colorful. Imagine all those exotic vegetables and fruits on the outdoor stalls and a crowd passing by. On the streets I see 90 percent of color skin people - only 10 % whites. Life is expensive here. Forget about complimentary internet. They have MacDonalds but without internet! Be ready to pay 3 euro per hour.
Still many colonial buildings remained here and the old city hall (hotel de ville) looks great.
It is hot - 29 deg Celsius and very humid - I have to adjust after frosty Mustang :)
I found so called bus station (bus stop on the bank of the canal without any info desk or ticket office) and tomorrow I will try to reach Brazilian border.
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Mar 27, 2014 08:00 PM Paris to Cayenne...
Bon jour! I started my day from 5-kms walk to Orly airport. French taxis are too expensive for the backpacker! The flight was on time. Inside of the wide-body airbus340 only 33 percent occupied seats. Good food, red wine and plenty of comfort. After 9 hours in the air we landed in the jungle - Cayenne airport is surrounded by the lush green and was completly empty. Few flight arrive here!
Immigrations take my passport and returned it after 10 seconds smiling? No stamps, no custom search, no worries...
Oh yes - once outside I recognized that they have no public bus to the town and taxi drivers want 36 euro for the ride. Wow!
I went to the main road and at the parking exit I met charming Creole in the car - Claudine offered me a ride to Cayenne!
French Guiane is very expensive. After studies I came to the conclusion, that the last expemsive option will be a room in Ket Tai hotel located on the edge of the center - opposite the Pompiers (Fire Brigade). They charge 49 euro per night and this is cheap!
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Mar 26, 2014 08:00 PM Gdansk to Paris...
It was hazy morning in Gdansk and l was very much afraid that LO flight to Warsaw will be delayed and I will miss the connection in Warsaw. I travel Warsaw - Paris -Cayenne on AF award ticket and for LO I have separate one. If in such a case you will miss connection they are not responsible... But thanks God we landed in Warsaw on time. Then in Warsaw I boarded French plane - the AF attendents speak already also English - not like 10 years ago! I had also a chance to refresh my French. Only half roll sandwich for lunch but 2 little bottles of vin blanc - tasty! We departed with 30 min dalay but arrived to Charles de Gaulle airport on time- how they can manage such a things?
After baggage claim I found "service de client" desk. -I have to change the airport to Orly! If you have both flights in one reservation they provide free coupon for bus transfer to Orly. Otherwise you pay hefty 23 euro.
Buses depart every 30 min just outside.
Transfer takes almost an hour and there is not much to see on the way - just the highway.
Once in Orly I took a long walk to find my inexpensive hotel. They fly to Cayenne only in gthe mornings so I have to yspend the night here.
Bonne nuit dear friends!
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Mar 25, 2014 08:00 PM New voyage!
Just ten days have passed since my return from Nepal and I've pack my backpack once again and setting off on a new journey. It begins with a flight through Paris to French Guiana. I've been there before - heading north of Cayenne - to Suriname and Guyana. Now I'm going to follow by land to the south - to the Brazilian Nordeste region, to discover the unknown cities and to cut the vast Amazon Delta. From the continent, I'll later fly to a little-known Brazilian islands of Fernando de Noronha. Just see the tiny red line on the map.
From Recife in Região Nordeste do Brasil I will sail back by ship to Europe, stopping on the number of Atlantic' islands. I plan to be back in Poland on 30th April. Dear friends, please keep your fingers crossed! :)
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Mar 24, 2014 08:00 PM Spring flowers in Wojtkowka
Can you imagine? In my garden wonderful spring flowers are already in blossom!
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Mar 17, 2014 08:00 PM The Mustang dream came true...
Home, sweet home...
Public bus 110 took me from Gdansk airport to the city... Then I was walking some 2 kms to my conctrete block.
Another great trip is completed! My dream about seeing legendary Mustang came true... I found it fascinating place... And due to the harsh conditions this will be one my top travellers achievements. It is hard to imagine now sitting in the warm flat that somwhere there I spent days walking and climbing snowy paths to the level of 4000 - in the strong sun and wind, sleeping in the primitive bhattis with no heating, no running water and poor hygiene.
But what a views! How different culture!
I brought few hours of video recording, more then 1000 pictures... Now it is the time to prepare them for publication.
And time ti think about the next expedition. The world is so exciting!
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Mar 16, 2014 08:00 PM Bye - bye Nepal!
Sorry - it is time to say goodbye to the Himalaya and Nepal.
Due to the Holi Day I was forced to take a junk taxi to get from the Guesthouse to the airport. It cost 500 rs - like 5 USD!
Kathmandu airport is famous fot its strong (I do not want to say: stupid) security control. You and your pack will be controlled 3 times on the way to the plane. Since they do not have advanced equipment you will be the subject of palpation in three places - fortunately the ladies have their separate line! :)
I had connection in Delhi airport, forced to spend there a night in the transit zone (without visa - op to 24 hours!).
At the gate 17 of terminal 3 they have funny boxes to sleep (charging 10 USD per hour - worth to use is you are really tired - no water, bring your earplugs due to permanent announcements... Lufthansa plane to Munich departed on time... Beer is free...
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Mar 15, 2014 08:00 PM Patan and Holi Festival in Nepal
Patan -the third royal city in Kathmandu Valley lies closer then Bhaktapur. It is walking distance - like an hour walk from Thamel south. Otherwise you can take a public bus paying only 15 rs each way.The old Patan is located on the hill. Nice Durbar Square with pagodas and palace is on both side of the old street. There is a lot to photograph. Old citizens are sitting in the shadow of the palace -just sit along, be discret and soon you will have a nice collection of characters... I took also ladies selling offering flowers...
Already yesterday on the streets they were selling paints in powder,, baloons to be filled with water and so on. Today it is Holi -on this day they are spraying each other with color water, they paint also their faces and lough... I do hope I'll survive clean...
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