Motivating in Brazil

Olá and Obrigado. These are the two words I know in Portuguese (Brazilian). It’s actually very funny to realize that sometimes you just can not understand the other person. Well, it’s not very funny if the fellow is a camp site manager or a policeman. But in Brazil there are not many people who speaks Spanish/English – not even the younger ones.

So it has been sign language mostly. I start to be really good in showing my thumb up, as “good” or “OK”. They use it here a lot. Also putting your hands together as a pillow and leaning your head to show you want to sleep, is an easy one.

Though the people are here super hospitable. First night I stayed at one’s farmer back yard, who also offered me a supper and a shower. To avoid the awkward silence at the dinner table I turned down the offer and nibbled some cookies in my tent:) The next night one English speaking young man asked me to his family’s residence. It was a very nice guest house, and this offer I couldn’t turn down. I had comfy room, delicious dinner and the best breakfast on this trip. This family was just so friendly and nice, that I had smile on my face the whole day. And the young man was a cyclist himself, so he even put a short note to the webiste of that region’s cyclist club (check the link “noticias” on the right side).

In Porto Alegre, a couch surfer invited me to a private tennis club with excellent sauna’s and a seat ticket to a Gremio’s match. At one camping site on my way to Florianopolis, another guy just thought I need some energy, so he gave me his cookies, sugar, tuna and sweet milk (!). And so on and so on.

Even so, despite very nice experiences in Brazil, my motivation is going down day by day. Don’t know why excactly…  maybe eight months of traveling is just long enough to feel a bit tired. Though I have other possible explanations too: Boring road (heavy wind & traffic), Rainy weather (comparing to Asia part), Damaged & worn out equipment (8 months of constant using), Maybe too demanding crossing to Lima (?), or just the fact that my thoughts are already in returning back home. After all, I have passed the point where I have less kilometres ahead of me than behind me.

Last days I’ve been enjoying the carnival time in Florianopolis, (about Carnival there will be a post on Ovi Blog ), where I found a nice hostel. There I relaxed a bit (great beach access & four hammocks!) before my last haul along the Atlantic coast to Curitiba. I think this “lack of motivation” will pass soon, when I’ll get back in the real action… which means leave the expensive beach life, and go towards Paraguay and Bolivia.

Wish me luck!

ps. some new pictures on flickr , and I have my own page on teletext of Finnish national TV channel:)