Where Is Ron?
Latin America, 10 November 2008 - 3 March 2009
Ron in Sipascancha, Peru, November 2008
Brasilia, Brazil, February 2009
14 February 2009
Afton, Virginia, USADear family and friends,
Updates from all three of the travelers today. After his 36-hour bus ride from Belem, Ron is in Brasilia, heading for visits with Brazilians he has met in his travels before returning home from Sao Paulo on 3 March. Steven and Laurie are coming down the home stretch with their project, organizing their final meetings and tying up loose ends before they leave Cusco on 3 March for Lima and leave Lima for home in Oregon on 5 March. Ron flies through Lima on his way home and has several hours there, but his plane out of Lima leaves at 12:20 pm and Laurie and Steven's plane from Cusco doesn't arrive in Lima until 1 pm -- too bad they will miss meeting each other!
Love to all,
Ellen
14 February 2009
To see photos of Brasilia, click on the thumbnail at the left.
Brasilia, BrazilHello, my dear,
When I arrived at the long distance bus station outside of Brasilia I worried that I might have gotten off the bus at the wrong city - the bus station was not very big or impressive as in the other cities and people were confused when I kept asking them where do I catch the bus to the downtown bus station? Then I found out that there was a new metro which was not mentioned in the guide book. Then I could not find my hotel and ending up staying at a more expensive place. But things got better!
John and Nancy are right - Brasilia is a fascinating city. I have just finished a first class tour of the city ending with the Temple da Boa Vontade with the crystal on top and the labyrinth that Marion would love to see. (Enter on the circular black tiles and exit on the white in the opposite direction. The middle is directly under the crystal.) You might be able to pull up a web page on the Temple de Boa Vontade. [note from Ellen: I did -- if you look at http://www.tbv.com.br/interna/interno.php?sp=98088&cs=1&ci=2 you will find out about the temple, and about halfway down the page will find a photo of the labyrinth.]
Remember the young lady from Brasilia I met on the bus from Paraguay to Brazil? She had a car and picked me up at the hotel and gave me a first class tour of the city, including the area of Praca dos Tres Poderes with the new national library, and the Cathedral Metropolitana, then on to the monuments, the President's Palace, their equivalent of our Senate and House, then on to many of the other governmental buildings and the President's home (where the President declined to live). Then a tour of some of the residential areas, the lakes (man made), and their new beautiful bridge that changed a lot of development and traffic patterns.
Mariana grew up in Brasilia, living in the center. Her aunt lived in the first four blocks of the residential area developed, where everything needed for the people in the four block area would be available in the four blocks (totaling perhaps 7,000 people in the 4 blocks): schools, church, stores, etc. However, it didn't work out as planned and as the next blocks were developed things were changed. But she was an excellent guide and lived the history here as a child.
Tomorrow we are going to continue to see some more of the surrounding area. I am just a lucky guy to have met her on the bus. And on the bus from Belem to Brasilia I met another guy who used to live in the US and could speak excellent English. He was on his way to his farm and his adopted daughter who was a Dentist to get his teeth fixed. In Belem he is building warehouses and he owns a home in Rio on the beach and has invited me to stay at his home for Carnival. So I will be on my way south to get there around the 22nd or 23rd. And the doctor I met on Ilha de Boipeba has emailed me and wants to have me to his home for lunch in Sao Paulo when I get there. So my social life and adventures have definitely improved.
My knee is bothering me just a little today. I think from the way I was sleeping on the bus for two nights. But feels ok tonight.
Love and miss you,
Ron
Back to the Latin America 2008-2009 index
cfw.com
Questions? Send email to Ellen, ebouton 
operamail.com
While we're traveling, reach us at bikepacker
Last updated: 11 April 2009
