Brasil

At the Copa, Copa cabana

       
Brazil

No justice to Rio a picture can find

Nestled in mountains. Favelas behind

We sought Ipanema, its bars and its beaches

Or they sought us like a church seeks believers

Trying to Samba with Frangelico shots

The nightlife was hectic, so many hots spots

Laid out in a taxi on the way home

I looked up to see El Cordovero

Arms spread wide he lit up the sky

Not one for sightseeing - but that was a sight

And with all the sights there were there to see

They were all just a backdrop as life happened to me

Travelers in every true sense of the word

We prided ourselves of avoiding the herd

Adopted by family in Angra dos reis 

We fished in the bay until the day light

Black beans and rice. Street food for the soul

We slept on the bus to Sao Paulo

A detour forced we couldn't resist

Iguazu falls shouldn't be missed

One of few places that lives up to the hype

A romantic place - but Brad’s not my type

We travelled to places lesser unknown

Redgums on roadsides remind us of home

I savored the coffee I drank on the street

As fresh as air, black, strong and sweet

You take from Brasil the small thing you see

The cities and towns. The life on the street

Brad and the Cordovoro fromSugar loaf

Foz the Iguazu

En route to Agrs dos reis

Chile

Devils valley

Chile

Somewhere in Argentina, we boarded the bus

A beautiful route through the Andes, they promised us

hundreds of hairpins later we began to think

Should have flown and had a drink

A border we crossed, in mountain peaks

Santiago we;d spend the next few weeks

The morning commuters drank at cafes

I ate a breakfast burrito on my first day

Enricas family welcomed us home

They treated us steaks and Chilean vino

A VIP bus tracking the coast

Then a steep road it climbed to the altiplano

The air became thin, the desert was high

I smelt the volcanoes as the clouds left the sky

In Calama there had been no rain for 10 years

But the day we arrived god shed his tears

3 inches of rain just in one day

All the Roofs leaked. In puddles kids played

San pedro de atacames’, we acclimatized

We Trekked through the devil's valley, Ate black beans and rice

But we needed to cross the great desert plain

3 days in a carriage On the world's slowest train

The red desert hue passed slowly by

We drank vodka with lemon and ate bread to survive

I spoke with the people we met everyday

I studied their language. Their culture I craved

They asked; “are you married? si? oh why not”?

Did I believe the word of god?

I laughed and I thought if we don't choose a faith

Just believe in yourself and respect those who pray

In a town the train stopped - no name that I saw

I was sent by the travellers to the alcohol store

I came out of the shop - with the supplies

To see the train pull away to my surprise

I sprinted behind the train without shoes

Brad hung out the back and said “pass me the booze”

Finally arriving at the dusty border town

The guards entered the train, we knew to calm down

Checking our passports for a visa to pass

We entered Bolivia in backpacker class

San Pedro de Atacames

Cafe in Santiago

Crossing the Andes by bus

Bolivia

Bolivia

There are some places where time has stood still

Praying to inca gods and rejoice in the kill

I arrived in the town on a day of a feast

Summoned to task we helped kill the beast

With blood on my hands, I helped stoke the fire

We ate the Llama meat - a tribal desire

3 animals we killed to feast on that day

The first struggled. The others resigned to their fate

We thanked the gods. the devil too

It was authentic and primal and didn’t feel cruel

In their culture, Life and death are both honoured.

Everything is used. Nothing for granted

I hiked deep in the mines of Potosi

Offered cigarettes to a devil effigy

For the altitude we chewed coca leaves

We wore Llama wool coats, without we would freeze

A bus to La paz, short breaths up the streets 

In the Witches market A guinea pig I would eat

I tried everything – didn't want to be rude

Who am I to judge? When we waste so much food

In La Paz I met a new friend for life

Its effect  counteracted my overactive mind

As my Spanish improved, I travelled soltero

Lost in the mountains. Care factor zero

I met a student in Sucre on the day I arrived

She was a tour guide she said - but I felt that she lied

I leant her my walkman - she took me to mass

I met her family - they wanted marriage no less

She was beautiful and catholic and everything right

But I planned my escape and fled in the night

With my Paraguay potatoes bag on my back

I boarded a bus, and returned to La Paz

I found my companions. We planned a jungle hike

We bought provisions for 6 days and for 6 nights

With no guide or support - only a map

We slept in mud huts. Walked with feet chapped

The trek was extreme. The jungle grew thick

Many lives in the past this journey had took

I learned to survive and not to give up

Took the death road home on the back of a truck

In terms of surprises Bolivia came through

But we had to move on to the land of Peru 

Bolivian locals

Trekking in Bolivia 

Helping out with the bbq

Brad practicing good dental care in trying circumstances

Letting the Israelis go first- Jungle river crossing

This experience not is tour guides

Yes that is real dynamite and yes I was young and dumb

Sucre

My Sucre tour guide

Peru

By savious, football team and hosts

    Peru

Arrived at Puno, the town by the lake

When locals throw  rocks train windows break

A welcome of sorts we did not expect

Clearly a place to not disrespect

We finally saw the lake in the sky

Titicaca - 4000m high

It was serene and inspiring, a magical place

We sailed to islands. In the water we bathed

We flew to Lima- we were warned to keep safe

The city had a 10pm curfew in place

As I got off the bus I received a full armored guard

To walk through the streets to my hotel after dark

A few hours south I took a small plane

In Nazca I saw something hard to explain

The lines you can only see from the air

A monkey. A man, a space suit he wears

How could a race depict such a thing

2000 years before the first moon landing

Its from that day on - I finally thought

Maybe we are not the only astronauts

I went to a place for the dead it's reserved 

The thin desert air leaves the bones well preserved

Not buried below - but scattered on land

1000 skeletons rising out of the sand

There’s no roads to Iquitos, in the Amazon

I took a military plane with a life jacket on

Found a local bar on the river bank

I met my friend again there -  with locals i drank

The sun rise revealed an incredible sight

The Amazon river 10 kilometers wide

Powerful and deep, it looked more like a sea

I stared in wonder as it flowed under me

I boarded a ferry and sailed down stream

To see pink dolphins and the Amazonian

But my tour guide was cheap and he led me astray

He abandoned me in a village - from Iquitos 3 days 

An Amazonian family soon took me in

I had to play soccer for the village to win

Piranha, Plantana, the only food that we ate

I slept on the floor, a net kept Tarantulas at bay

We hunted for monkey - their primary meat

Deep in the jungle - Our prey we would eat

But I got lost from the men, I knew no way home

Lost from the hunters -suddenly alone

No one survives this place through the night

A search party found me just before mid night 

I returned to the village slightly ashamed

Eating the monkey they gave me a name

Cazadora de la amazon they joked as we ate

I thanked my saviours as I finished my plate

A fishing boat took me back up river

A promise my friends I had to deliver

In Cuzco we met and our friend joined the ritual

We planned  Maccu Piccu our goal  became spiritual

The ultimate trek, A lost city by foot

Returning pilgrims told us what the walk took

So we left our friend there 

and cleaned up out acts

Went to be bed early. prepared our backpacks

At km 88 we got off the train

Walking 5 days it was extreme terrain

The reward was worth it we finally arrived

We camped at sun gate our feet over the side

We saw the lost city with the sun rise

The ancient ruins on a mountain so high

This journey had not been about taking photos

 For me chapter became to a close

I thought to myself as the sun rose

I was successfully treating my self-diagnose

At Agus calinette all day it would rain

We ate a hot meal waiting for the next train

We returned to the capital city of Lima

The soldiers rolled In eAch night as we ate our dinner

I left the hotel just before dawn

At 7am I needed to  be airborne

As I walked to a taxi - 2 Dobermans chased

I ran to the car - to make my escape

The driver was ready the dogs slammed into the door

We laughed as the driver put his foot to the floor

Everyday it seemed was a test to survive

But the danger made me feel good to be  alive

Peru is place with adventure and Risk

But i Wasn't afraid. i trusted instinct

I learnt the best travel is not to a resort

Its seeing a world different to yours

I only took a few pics for I kept in my mind

The feelings of then, to this day I remind

Adventure and risk, we wanted  more

So north we travelled to Equador

Our spanish improved we bribed border guards

Quito, Mojitos large and in charge

In a good mood. Matt, Barney and Brad the day we arrived at Maccu Piccu

Maccu Piccu from sun gate

Hanging out in Cuzco with Barney and Jane

Agus Caliente'

On the 3 day train across the Altiplano - The red plastic cup was to collect vodka donations

Camping at Sun Gate

Cuzco fiesta

Valley of the dead

Remains preservedin the desert air

Nazca - The space man

Peter the Swede

In the Amazon

Equador

Quito

         Ecuador

Into Ecuador with my confidence high

I was craving again that new friend of mine

American students all on exchange

We found an apartment - long term we arranged

Took Spanish classes by day, took my friend at night

Practiced merengue until the daylight

But despite my desire to assimilate

I met a girl from New york, somewhere upstate

We travelled the coast with 2 of her friends

4 in a room but only 2 beds

We arrived at a beach with world renowned surf

I rented a board. A non-surfer from Perth

The water was cold I had no leg rope

I lost the surfboard and soon couldn't cope 

The waves took me under I was losing the fight

But I decided that day was not my day to die

With my last breath the shore I had reached

I vomited water as I laid weak on the beach

We went to the mountains A place of recluse

An experience based on san pedro cactus juice

I saw my whole life in a view from above

I let go of my anger and promised to love

It was an experience I believe to this very day

Gave perspective and light and reset pathways

Living in Quito, for 2 months of the year

With my friend, Quesadillas and American beer

One night in my room DEA  busted through

They searched but I flushed my friend down the loo

A bullet I dodged by a whisker that night

Danger and risk seemed to be a part of my life

So I got out of town to the Galapagos islands

I swam with iguanas, penguins and the sea lions 

To the mainland we returned and to Banos’ we climbed

Surrounded by volcanoes hot baths we would find

We bathed in the waters from which it is named

Banos is gone now – By lava reclaimed

To leave Ecuador an inevitable day

A girl called Ary to the bus port she came

I told her one day that I’d return

Another lie for which in hell I will burn

Montanita

Travelling around Equador with Catherine, Kate and Pete

I got the slow horse

Meeting a sea lion in the Galapogos

A town in Equador

Banos 1992