The Caipirinha is up there with strong drinks that I have tried
The explosion of lime and sugar left me watery eyed
Then the cachaca hit, Brazil's favourite spirit
To finish a Caipirinha is not luck, you get there on merit
The majority of Rio partying happens on the street
The crowd surges and sways to a samba beat
The Rio Olympics, we made it in one piece!
Time to grab the togs out of the bag and ditch the fleece
I have made it to Rio after a month and a half
Of travel with Tom, he's a good laugh
We chomped on Bolivia with a side dish of Brazil
We negotiated most parts with a distinct lack of skill
More fate and good fortune, it's been quite some journey
We've fit more in our schedule than a district attorney
Our backpacks are dirty, it is time for a swim
And I think I ought to use a beach-side gym
Watermelon is a fun fruit to eat
It offers respite from the Brazilian heat
Never have I felt more hydrated from food
More refreshing than a swim in the nude
I like spitting the pips further each time
Tongue slightly rolled to make it streamline
As each seed cannons into the breeze
These watermelons man, they aim to please
Back in little old New Zealand, over here is 'out there'
We often speak of foreign places with just a dash of fear
It's funny how your perception of danger can shift
The wild winds give your confidence a lift
Plans are more flexible and people are there to meet
Lessons take on meaning with each small defeat
No one can tell you to travel, that's on you
Be bold, step out and see it through
Spanish to Portuguese is a difficult transition
I'm not aiming for fluent, I have a simpler mission
Just a rough understanding about what is going on
To catch a wisp of meaning before the sentence is gone
It's the 'g' sound you see, almost every 'd' is a hidden 'g'
And the greeting sounds rude - hello is 'oi'
It's extremely foreign, giving someone an 'oi' with a smile
I'll get there no doubt but it's going to take a while
A day spent floating down a freshwater stream
Snorkel on face and a disco ball of light beams
The current carried us down past schools of silver fish
Our moving aquarium served up a tasty dish
Later we returned to our hostel of chill
And cooked up a feast of meat on the grill
I find the heat in Brazil lends itself to a good time
To wear covered shoes would be a crime
A morning of peaceful bird watching by boat
The muttering woman would be in the water if I had my vote
Dust and wind as I stood on the back of a truck
Back to our bungalow and packing (stuff and tuck)
Then on to a game of 'how many people in the van'
Let's chuck your bag over you just because we can
Memory games, word games, games about nothing
Later a pizza with a jolly nice cheese stuffing
As the sun began its descent, I waded into the lake
Carrying a rod and all the bait I could take
I could not help but notice the nibbles at my feet
Painfully aware of my left hand filled with juicy meat
And so, chest-deep in the water we fished for Piranha
My stomach felt like a squashed banana
Oh there were Caimans too - they came to have a look
We barbecued the few Piranha that we managed to hook
We woke early and set off on a morning trek
We were told we might be getting a little bit wet
A little wet was an understatement. "Take off your shoes"
I looked down at my toes and wondered which one I might lose
Caimans are South America's answer to the alligator
This particular swamp section was a Caiman collaborator
The splashes around me gave me much to ponder
That was before our guide mentioned a possible anaconda
My first taste of Brazilian ways happened right at the border
Seduced by a slick-talking tour guide - he took our passports and gave the order
The line was skipped and our passports stamped without a blink of the eye
Then off we went to the Pantanal to chase animals under the hot sky
We took an evening walk following an eccentric barefooted guide
'Anaconda' as he called himself enjoyed every moment of the ride
Later we had a camp fire with a shooting star or two
We thought the first day was adventurous but we didn't have a clue
Your priorities when travelling take an unexpected turn
You're more concerned with ways to charge your camera than ways to earn
Wifi spots are golden and any need for privacy begins to taper
The first thing you look for in a Bolivian toilet is if it has toilet paper
You haven't really backpacked until you've given your undies a hand wash
You smell, you're out of options, and you're well beyond looking posh
You cast your eyes around the hostel, I think that sink will do
You grab the nearest bar of soap and soak your undies through
There are three things that will always scream Bolivia to me
They've each been consumed on this trip rather regularly
The first is a Sublime, pronounced 'Suu-blee-may' over here
The perfect blend of peanut and chocolate to bring about a tear
Coke is not something I ever thought I would enjoy as much as this
There's something about Bolivia that makes a bottle of Coke bliss
Finally, the Bolivian street burger - there are no words
You'll have a bite and later you'll be on your knees for thirds
We took a guided walk through a National Park
The token obnoxious group member was never short of a remark
Beautiful tree-scattered cliffs gave way to a river
The cloud coverage and wet boots brought on a shiver
Tom was adamant that the guide had brought cocaine
His white powder turned out to be baking soda - which was tame
Later we took the bus to the sprawling city of Santa Cruz
And found a sweet hostel with good Internet to use
Samaipata, the town that never wakes
Sleepier than a McDonald's worker without breaks
The climate is pleasant all year round
A more peaceful Bolivian village I have not found
Nearby lies 'El Fuerte', an ancient meeting place
Where Incans and Amazonians used to show their face
What was once a vibrant cultural hub is now a giant rock
The place was immaculate and organised which was quite a shock
Our charming bus ride finished 10km past our stop
The driver mumbled an apology and firm 'out you hop'
It was 4:30 in the morning, dumped on the side of the road
Thankfully a lone taxi driver flashed his lights and slowed
We sat in Samaipata plaza until the sun poked its head
Then found a quaint hostel where an old lady gave us each a bed
I returned the favour by breaking her expensive thermos
Then proceeded to search for a replacement in earnest
We went from three party shirt wearers to two
Our lovely Dutch friend had other things to do
So we went to the bus terminal to haggle on deals
And thought we had secured a good set of wheels
'Expreso Tequila' wasn't quite as fun as it sounds
No bathroom on board and 13 hours of shaky grounds
Not a recipe for a pleasant night's sleep
Looking back, the bus haggling learning curve was steep
Here's an interesting piece of trivia
We went rock climbing with the second best in Bolivia
Carlos, our guide, champion in waiting
Took us for an afternoon of educating
Four climbs later my arms were jelly
But there was one last climb for my limbs to rally
An overhang of biblical proportions
My body couldn't handle such contortions
There's nothing quite like a good vege soup
When you're out of ideas with a hungry group
If something looks edible it is added to the mix
There's no problem a vege soup cannot fix
After demolishing the soup we found a guitar
And found our way to the rooftop to sing to a star
The lyrics got lost somewhere above
So we made up our own with a good dose of love
We were told to take bus twelve to the end
By our hostel owner and South African friend
So we did just that, and it was quite the sight
He said it might be a bit dusty and he was right
Dogs and dirt were all that I could see
Passing the village we came to a tree
There we sat and ate until shadows grew
We returned with more stories and dust on our shoe
Arriving at 4:30 in the morning is never ideal
When you're hoping for a bed and a hot meal
An eccentric German kindly opened the door
To a hostel that could not have given us more
Later we explored Sucre, a city in white
Through the food markets for ingredients that night
Fresh fruit and veges after so many days
Of exclusively street burgers, although I enjoyed that phase