Thanks amigo, I think. I'm not a big football guy so I dont own either Argentinian or Brasilian football shirts, so I should be safe crossing the border at Oiapoque. Wow, I didnt know the Brasilians and Argentinians did not like each other. Every time I have seen Argentinian and Brasilian people together, they get along very well and its a big party atmosphere. Maybe the governments dont get along, but the people sure do.
On another note, Brasil is nothing like I expected. The culture, language, people, everything is so different from the rest of South America, I am very surprised and I like it. The language is interesting. If I speak Spanish to people, they understand everything, but when they reply to me I understand nothing, and it almost sounds as if they are speaking a slavic or eastern European language. Really amazing how unique the Brasilian culture is. I really like it here. You Brasileros have a wonderful country.
Thanks for the compliments, Vince! How is the weather where you are? You know, there have been strong rains all through Brazil. Be careful. Abraços,Linhares
Rain , rain, and more rain. Then after it rains, it starts to rain really hard. I'm beginning to wonder how bad the rains have been in the north near the French Guiana border? Supposedly, the wet season there does not start until April.
I think this year has been exceptional. I am in Santa Catarina and I bet that over the last 4-5 months there have been less then 10 days without rain. Something to do with el nino, la nina, global warming or anti-global warming experiments gone awry.
Unfortunately, I am on a bit of a schedule so I have to chose one route through Brazil. Which route would you recommend? Option 1: From Rio up the coast to Recife or Natal, then over to Belem. About 5000 kms. Option 2: From Rio north through Minas Gerias to Brasilia, then Belem. About 3000 kms. Or would you recommend a different route?
Vince, most people would chose to go through the coast, because of the beaches. But if you want to save time, come straight to Brasilia and I'll buy you a beer! Abraços,Linhares
You can always go to Brasilia, then out to the coast again, you will pass chapada diamantina on the way, and you will have free beer and a place to stay in Salvador too, should be a win win.
Thanks amigo. Actually, as my Colombia boat date approaches I need to get moving. I could have some challenges in the Guyanas that will take time as well, and I have to squeeze in Venezuela. Brasil is worthy of at least a year of riding, but unfortunately, I dont have nearly that amount of time left. Also, for some strange reason, riding the bike all the way home has become important to me. Its crazy, I know. So, I have seen a good bit of SP and RJ states, however, I am going to save Bahia and north for next time (hopefully in winter) and make my way through Minas Gerias to Brasilia, then to Belem hitting quite a few parks along the way. Ideally I would like to be in Belem in a couple of weeks, but you know how it goes.
Unless you're favored with some sort of insider information which I lacked, you'll find the parks generally less thrilling than they sound in the guidebooks. Chapada Diamantina is the best of the lot, but most others require a day of added riding for very little in return. Plus, they often seemed to be closed for mysterious "holidays" (and the preceding day and the following two days....). Take with a grain of salt, of course. Say hello to Alex and his whole retinue in Belém. Mark
Thanks Mark. I dont have any insider information. Understood about the parks. Of course I have to go to the UFO park,:huh I forget the name. I'll see how it goes. Right now I am on track for dry weather in northeastern Brazil and I would like to keep it that way, but, you know how that goes. I have had a fantastic time here in southern Brazil with the local advriders graciously hosting me, taking me on trail rides, and showing me around. I will return for sure, but in winter. I will do a little off the beaten path riding as well while I go north. There are little dirt roads everywhere it seems and much of it is quite good riding from what I have experienced so far. Alex is the owner of the Moto Mania shop in Belem? I googled alex motorcycles in Belem and that is what I found. What did we ever do without the internet? Vince
Hey people, I just got home from my third visit to the hospital since my pelvic surgery... Normally I would be allowed to start doing some physical therapy by now, but things are slightly different... I had to take x-rays and while I was waiting to get into the doctor's office, I took a peek and I didn't like what I saw... the implants that they put in six weeks ago to put my pelvis back in place, were all loose and not in the right place anymore... Also, the pelvis isn't closed like it should have been, but about 3 cm apart... So I'm basically back to square 1 and have to have the surgery all over again... I already had some really great days here in Brazil, but this is definitely not one of them... I'll keep you guys posted. Raf PS: watch out for those combi's... they can fuck you up big time...
Raf, I don´t know what kind of medical insurance you have but there are many great surgeons in SP and it happens that I could have access to most of them (family members working in major hospitals such as Sirio Libanes). If you want any help, just pm me. Wishing a speedy recovery,
Hi Fernando, Thanks for the offer, but I already planned a new surgery for tomorrow morning in the VITA hospital in Volta Redonda, which has a pretty good reputation. Also, I (ainda) don't have a medical insurance, so it's going to cost me another 5000R$ just for the hospital. The surgeon said that they are not going to charge me for the surgery. (we'll see about that tomorrow I guess...) but he also said that they would put in a bigger (stronger) titanium plate, so I would probably have to pay for that too... Anyways, it is good to know about the SP Surgeons for the furure. I'll keep it in mind. (though I'm planning on having NO more accidents in the coming decade ;o) Cheers. Raf
When I talked to my neighbour, who is a lawyer, he said that I would have a good chance of recovering my damages if I would start a process against the company who was doing the roadworks when I hit their combi. Point is, that the signalization was very poor (the police report mentions "reduzido"...). There were only a few cones placed about 20-25m behind the combi, which was parked on the left lane of the Rio-santos (a road that is comparable with the Dutra, with a speed limit of 100km/h at the site of the crash.) In similar situations, (and I already saw a lot of road works) I ALWAYS see at least one guy with a flag hundreds of meters before the roadworks and cones usually also start a few hundred meters before the works. This combi also was a passenger vehicle and didn't have any function at the work site. My friend says that this could be an important element in my favor. Does anybody know about rules for signalization around roadworks? Anybody already had a similar experience? What is the chance of winning a lawsuit against this company and how long would it take? That part of the Rio-Santos is under private concession. My neighbour/lawyer says that this is a good thing for me... I don't want to get rich here... but recovering the medical costs and the damage to the bike (total about 35-40.000R$), or at least part of them, would be nice... Thanks Raf
Good luck in the surgery tomorrow, keep us posted, and let me know if there is any way I can be of help. Abraços,
Raf, I´m not a lawyer myself but I would give it a try. There are many good lawyers who work on a *sucess fee* so there would be no out of pocket expenses for you. The more documentation (and testimonials) you have, the better. Perhaps an attempt for an amicable offcourt settlement directly with the concessioner might also be worth a try. Good luck,
Hi mister, a good advise " if you have lots of time and money to spend with it go right ahead ( I don't believe you can get a Lawyer for the end result $ I mean no money out of your pocket ), I know the law down there to be very slow, I am from Parana (live in New Jersey US) and am very used to the speed of the law! All being said , it could be a good first step to hold these people accountable ! Good luck
I'd agree with the last post: if you've got lots of time and lots of money (plus a high tolerance for frustration), why not? Otherwise, find a way to put it behind you. Being in the right has little to do with whether this is worthwhile; it's all about cost/benefit ratios. And FWIW, although you might have hit a truck (as I understand it) which wasn't adequately flagged, and you might feel aggrieved about this, most road hazards in Latin America are unflagged.....and it's up to you to not hit any of them. Again, this is not a matter of right or wrong, but merely a question of practicality. If you're not paying attention closely enough to avoid hurting yourself, you're likely to get hurt. It doesn't help to have been within the law at the time; you're still hurt (or sometimes dead). Ride safe. This advice valued at precisely what you paid me for it. Good luck with your recovery, whatever form it takes. Mark
