My thoughts and conclusions about Brazil and places I visited:
1. A very beautiful country however dirty and smelly which in a big part distroys its beauty.
2. An unimmaginably dangerous country, especially Rio, Salvador and Recife, but all others as well. It seems to be much safer in Manaus.
3. I didn't like Rio. Although beautiful, majority of people don't have time for you and they are a little bit snob (and I met a lot of people in Rio). They are too busy drinking and going to parties and they are not into a good conversation.
4. In all other cities/towns I met very nice, intelligent, very hard-working (mentally as well as physically) and interesting people.
5. There are too many very poor and uneducated people in Brazil (there is no birth control in favelas at all. It's very scary and if it's going to carry on, I think the level of Brazilian economy will not improve at all).
6. People don't dance as much as I thought they would.
7. Health and safety are not existent in the country (you can see a proof of it every day: on buses, streets, in the buildings or if you have to go to a hospital because a television fells on your head).
8. There are many very good and cheap doctors/dentists in Brazil. There are a lot of excellent plastic surgeons (much needed here for breast and bottoms implants, as well as liposuction).
9. Unlike in London, you always have to pay an entrance fee when you go to clubs/bars.
10. Majority of Brazilian men are not my cup of tea (I know you would ask about it :)). Why? They are beautiful and handsome and I wish I could see so many good looking men in London (good looking not because they were born like this but because they look after themselves). However, beauty is not everything....
11. Will I come back to Brazil? Yes!! - to Porto Seguro, which I love because of the lambada zouk tradition, to Salvador because although dangerous, it is a very beautiful city with good cultural vibe, and definitely to the Amazon forest.
12. Could I live in Brazil? No. Although maybe I could be able to live in Manaus, if I had a good job and good friends in the city (I am actually surprised myself that I am saying this...).
13. I have done 2805 kilometers by land (Rio - Fortaleza), 1,801 km by plane (Fortaleza - Santarem), 739 km by boat on the Amazon river (Santarem - Manaus), 1000 km by bus from Manaus to the Venezuelan border = 6345 km in total = 3943 miles.
14. I have spent 1,600 pounds in three months in Brazil. It includes bus from Brazil to Venezuela, Caracas (110 pounds), flight from Fortaleza to Santarem (105 pounds), boat ride from Santarem to Manaus (35 pounds), travelling by executive (little more expensive and comfortable than normal) buses between cities (218 pounds), food, drinks, entrance fees to dancing clubs, internet cafes and tourist attractions. It doesn't include cost of accomodation (because there is none) and it doesn't include 400 pounds I spent in the hospital in Recife as I will get the money back from my insurance company.
It looks like the biggest cost is transport, if you stay in one place in Brazil you save a lot of money. However, I am very happy to have seen so many places.
In the picture: getting to grips with Tecaca' (traditional Amazon soup with weird weeds :))
