Business Trip

After travelling to 13 different countries around the world, for studying and tourism purposes, this time I am traveling for my first business trip.

My destination this time is Weaverville, North Carolina, USA. Why? This trip is mainly for a technical training in the XBOX Program. This is because the company I work for, is manufacturing Xbox Games and I will be trained at US site for improving and maintain the Microsoft policies and procedures at Brazilian site.

The trip started not when I went to the airport to take the plane, but when I had to apply for the US visa. To request it at the US Consulate, everyone has to apply by the web site, and the next available date for the interview was only 100 days later. I didn’t have this time to wait for it. For this reason I had to apply by an agent which could schedule the interview for less than a week.

At the date scheduled I went to the Consulate for the interview, which took around 3 and a half hour. Everything went OK, though.

Meanwhile, the trip was being schedule for the Nov, 5^th to Nov, 12^th.

At the Consulate, I was advised the time for receiving my passport back with the VISA would take from 6 business days. As it was Oct, 26^th I believed there was no problem to fly on the Nov,5^th. I wasn’t counting with a holiday during that week (Nov, 2^nd). For this holiday, the 6^th day was going to be at the day before the trip was scheduled (Nov, 4^th ). I advise no one to do that, because I could not work focused until I was noticed my passport had arrived at home. I was very worry to have to move my trip whether my passport had not arrived in time.

First happened was under control hopefully.

Iguassu Falls & Paraguay

The trip to Foz do Iguaçu (Iguassu Falls) was very quicly. However, I could see how enormous and beautiful it is. Besides the Falls, my girlfriend and I could visit Paraguay and Usina de Itaipu (a hydroelectric dam on the Paraná River located on the border between Brazil and Paraguay).

The trip started on Friday – April, 29^th – when we caught the flight. As I live in Sao Paulo and my girlfriend lives in Sao José dos Campos (1 hour away), we had to meet at the airport. She had taken a bus which was going to arrive very close to the time of the flight. For this reason I decided to try to check in at the machine for us. My one was ok, her was “under authorization”, though. So I asked the company support what was going on. They advised me to ask the attendant as there were more people than seats, as the last flight was canceled. Hopefully, I could reserve a seat for her. Nevertheless, we had to sit far from each other. Shame on it!

After an hour and 20 minutes, we landed in Foz do Iguaçu. There a taxi driver was waiting for us to take us to the Normandie Hostel. It was around 2 am, so we just got ready to sleep to be ready for shopping in Paraguay on the day after.

8 am – the alarm was set.

9 am – it rang again.  Wow.. so difficult to wake up!

After put the clothes on we went downstairs for breakfast (included at the hostel price). Then, let´s get the bus to Paraguay! As we didn’t know where the bus stop was, we asked at the pharmacy.

The bus every stop was getting more crowded. Saturday, is the busiest day in Paraguay. No problem!!!

There we could see a mix of shopping malls, peddlers and mini-outlets. There was anything who you couldn’t find there. Electronics, clothes, accessories, underwear, perfume, cosmetics, drinks, etc … Whatever you are looking for you can find. Although you can buy the products for a good price, usually cheaper than in Brazil and the border countries, you must test them (for electronics) or make sure it is really original.

I guess we spent around 5 or 6 hours walking around. We bought a few things, though. Spirits, perfumes, moisturizing and clothes.

Tired to walk, let´s get back to the Hostel to leave our new belongings. Still sunny, why not to have a beer?

Then, back to the Hostel, a rest to save energy for the night.

We had read on Internet there were clubs and bars close to the Hostel. But where? There was anything opened to ask. So we decided to walk and find something. At the gas station a guy oriented us the way to the bars. There we chose one and had drinks and beers with nachos.

Exhausted, we went to sleep.

Sunday, the last day! We woke up earlier, because we had to go to the Iguassu Falls and the Itaipu Dam.  We decided to go to the Falls first! Bad choice, you will understand why … The weather, different than Saturday was cloudy. Not so good for viewing the falls.

We took the bus and head to the National Park (Brazilian side). It was freezing there. Because of the weather we gave up to do the Macuco Safari tour (The boat travels up the river through the canyon facing the rapids at a speed that allows the appreciation of the scenery).

So we just went to the edge to see the Iguassu Falls. It is huge!! At the “Garganta do Diabo” you are rounded by waterfalls. A can feel a great sensation over there.

Follow some pics …

The bad thing of the tour was when we left. Just because once we had left the National Park, the sun came out. We were so disappointed! Well.. there was nothing else to do, so we departed on the way to Itapu Dam.

Just before, we stopped at the Mc Donalds, as we were starving!!

Already at the Itaipu Dam, we decided for the panoramic tour (1 hour), instead of the complete tour (2 hours). The “Usina de Itaipu” is enormous. It is responsible for the total energy in Paraguay and around 20% in Brazil.

After the tour, we went to the same bar as the day before, for dinner. Then, we went to the Hostel to sleep. Our flight back was at 6 am. It was so hard to wake up! But we made it and caught the flight back to Sao Paulo. Back to the reality and work!

Rosa´s Beach and Florianopolis (Easter Holiday)

As I had commented before 3 trips were planned. For Easter Holiday we went to Rosa´s Beach in Imbituba City where we stayed and Florianopolis where we just went for a Samba Show.

The trip started on the 21^st at 2 am, time we leaved the gas station on the way to Rosa´s Beach. We were expecting to take around 10 hours to get there. Wrong expectation! We took 4 hours at the fisrt 120 km, and we had more than 700 km in total to get the place.

Well, we took 17 hours to get to the Hostel we had booked. It was already 7 pm and everybody was very exhausted! For this day, besides traffic jam, the only thing we did, we had pizza and beers just to relax.

Already Friday, we woke up quite early to enjoy the beach. Hopefully the weather was great and we stayed for a long time at there. Finally we could enjoy our holiday! For the night barbecue and night club were already planned. So did we!

 

After club, one of the guys was excited to use his fireworks …

...the day after, he had to clean it up!

 At the 3^rd day, April,23^rd, the weather was very bad … just raining and raining. However, we´d got tickets for a Samba Show (Exaltasamba) in Florianopolis, 70 km from where we were. The show were very nice and a few of us got quite drunk. The way back was quite bad, as everyone was tired to drive. On the way, we stopped for dinner in a barbecue restaurant. Then, back to the hostel, nobody did nothing but sleep.

The day after, day to go home. What we were praying was to not take the same time to get in town. Well, it wasn’t the same time as we took 15 hours. Only 2 hours less!

What I can say is that I won´t do it again. During holidays the roads get crazy by the traffic jam and some of them doesn’t even have infrastructure for having so many cars driving by.

Back home, time to sleep for working then.

New trips coming soon ...

This week some ideas that I´m developing started to become true. For this reason, I am going to Argentina to discuss about one of this projects. To mix business and pleasure I bought a flight ticket also for my girlfriend who doesn´t know Buenos Aires.

Looking for cheap flight tickets I discovered that a Flight Company had a great promotion for travels in Brazil. After I bought the tickets to Argentina, which weren´t cheap, I checked this out just curious. However, I founded a flight to Foz do Iguaçu (Iguazu Falls) for a good price. So, I could not resist and I bought too.

I was missing this feeling of traveling! Now, there three trips coming soon!

Florianopolis - April, 20th - 24th (Easter holiday)

Foz do Iguaçu - April, 29th - May, 2nd (my birthday)

Buenos Aires - May, 28th - 30th (my girlfriend birthday)

Soon, new stories and pics will be posted!!

Carnaval 2011

This year was the first Carnaval that I was not single. For who is not used to it is like a self-test. But I can say that I didn´t failed! 

To be honest this Carnaval was very cool! From my part were my mom and I, and a couple of friends. From my girlfriend´s part were her parents, brother and wife, sister and boyfriend, and a few friends. All of them were very nice and friendly.

The worst part was the weather. It didn´t stop raining. Anyway, we enjoyed a lot even under the rain.

Ouch! I almost forgot to say where we went. The city is called Lambari, in Minas Gerais State. A really small city, charming, though.

The parties were during the day, usually from 2 pm, played by a band on a "Trio Elétrico"* surrounded by fences, with open bars with free beers, water and soft drinks. (Actually the drinks weren´t free as we had to pre pay to get into the party).

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*Trio Elétrico is the name we give to a truck equipped with an extremely high powerful sound system and a music group on top of it.

At the end the Trio Elétrico left the place on the way to the main square, where the party was going on for local people with a huge stage with many bands and singers playing.

Follow below some more pics of this crazy Carnaval!

 

 

What a wonderful place

I don’t get tired of travelling at all! This is my passion! I wish I could live travelling around the world … Any investor to invest on me? Lol…

After a year back in Brazil, I haven’t traveled much, only weekends to the beach or countryside friend´s house. Finally, at the end of 2010 I had a week off and my girlfriend and I went to Bahia. Famous for the hot weather, capoeira, spicy food, Carnival… etc.

At the capital Salvador, a tourist city, you can find the Market called Mercado Modelo, famous for selling souvenirs, as handicrafts and t-shirts, drinks, spices, etc. At the top floor, you also can enjoy a typical food, such as acarajé. Around there, at the city, both Lacerda Elevator and the Pelourinho must be visited for you culture and historical buildings.

The place that I fell in love in Bahia is Morro de São Paulo, located at Tinharé Island. Day by day, I’m thinking that I should move to a Beach city, working in Hospitality or better, having my own Business. I wish I had money enough for opening my business there. I would be so happy!!! I tried betting the lottery while I was there, but I was unsuccessful.

Amazing beaches, awesome bars, happy people, great weather, nice environment, beautiful sunset … what else?

No words to describe the great time I had there with my girlfriend. Just have a look at the pics! Enjoy it!