There are two things I hate about Brazilian buses: firstly, it is too cold on them. People cough, sneeze and put lots of clothes on but nobody protests. I had a fight with drivers on the bus from Manaus, I politely asked to switch off the air conditioning, they said ok but they didn't switch it off. So I came back twice, I was very impolite, and it worked. I understood that the situation on the bus represented a nationwide political and economic problem - Brazilians don't protest, they accept what comes and say nothing, even if it damages their health.
Secondly, when drivers stop for lunch or break, they leave the engine switched on, working during the whole break. I got really upset about it and I told the drivers to switch it off as they were polluting the environment. They did it for me but I am sure they will not do it the next time. Polluting the beautiful Amazon forest in this stupid way, it really makes me sad...

On the first day in Caracas I tried to contact Hernan, my first host, with no success so I phoned my second host Laura. She was busy but when she heard that I was on my own, with no working phone and no money as my cards stopped working and I needed to phone my banks, she cancelled all her plans and she picked me up from a tube station. I am staying with her and her flatmate Betsy in a district called Marques (La California tube station) . They are just won-der-ful and so Venezuelan!! I didn't like the energy in Brazil, here everything seems to be sooo different... I saw a TV programme about Caracas about a year ago and they showed the city in the worst possible way, a lot of crime and generally the message was: never go to Caracas. I like the city very much.
The picture: in Poland squirrels are red, in England grey and in Venezuela..... black!!