World Cup in Brazil

June 27th, 2014

This blog is to prove, again, that anything is possible. 


"Keep on going, and the chances are that you will stumble upon something,
perhaps when you are least expecting it. I never heard of anyone stumbling on
something sitting down." Charles Kettering

 Belgium plays Russia in Rio de Janeiro! I had a ticket to this game.

Holland plays Australia in Porto Alegre - snuck into the end of this game or free.

I heard from numerous people that entering Brazil around world cup time is
difficult, especially when one does not have a mandatory travel visa. In fact,
I do not think anyone told me I would be able to get in...Well, it happened. I got in without the
'mandatory' travel visa required for Americans. This happened without forcing
anything; I simply believed it would happen and showed up. The second 'impossible'
feat was to enter a world cup game without having purchased a ticket. Read
on...
 
After several long days and nights spent on buses, I arrived to the border of
Uruguay and Brazil at the town of Chuy. The travels began in San Salvador,
Peru, crossed the Bolivian border at Lake Titicaca, crossed through Bolvia and
into Argentina.  I spent a couple days
with my friend Tete in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Thanks for hosting me Tete!
Then I took a ferry to Montevideo, Uruguay where I spent a week with my Chilean
friend Raul. I met Raul in the first week of this journey in valparaiso, chile.
He and his girlfriend, Paula were great hosts! It was great to be welcomed to
their home like an old friend. From Montevideo, I traveled by bus to the
Brazilian border. 

Raul and Paula!




 At the border in Chuy, Brazil, I did not want to get in trouble, and told
the immigration officers I did not have a visa. He did not seem to care or
understand, did not ask me any questions, and stamped my passport. I was
laughing silently in disbelief. 'Really? I can cross? I'm good to travel in
brazil?' I asked. Brazilians do not speak nor understand very much Spanish, as
they speak Portuguese. He said yes, so I picked up my rucksack and continued.
Yippee, I am in. World cup! 

The first stop in Brazil was an 8 hour bus ride from Chuy to Porto Alegre. We
arrived first thing in the morning, so I began to arrange a place to stay.
Accommodation prices are very inflated as there are thousands of tourists all
over Brazil. For a hostel, some places charged around 80 us dollars for a
shared dorm bed, which usually cost around 15 dollars. Luckily, I found a local
throug AirBnb who offered a couch in her apartment for 30 dollars and night. 
 
Next impossible feat: getting into a world cup game without a ticket, and for
free. Holland and Australia played a match in Porto Alegre; tickets were sold
out. I was determined to get in, so that's what happened. It was not easy, but
anything is possible. There are police officers that guard fences a half mile
outside the stadium, keeping everyone without a ticket far from the stadium. I
made friends with one of the police officers and he let me get near the stadium
just after halftime. Then the next challenge was to get past security and
ticket collectors. I ran to five different gates, getting told no each time.
Persistence payed off the sixth time; I got past security and ran towards the
stadium. I entered the stadium and I wish you and I could have seen my smile. I
found an empty seat and thoroughly enjoyed the last 15 minutes of the match. 

 

Success!






After a couple days in Porto alegre, I took a 19 hour bus to São Paulo, one of
the biggest cities in the world. I arrived to the big city and tried to get
into the Uruguay vs England match. This time I was unsuccessful getting into the
game, but obtained a ticket stub and gotto the gates. 

While in São Paulo, I met a friend from university, Julio Hernandez. It was so
great to see a familiar face, a friend I have had for years. Julio invited me
to stay with his friend, Carol, who lives in the city. Carol runs a hostel
named Morumbi Hostel and is such an incredible host! She treated me like
family, and was a pleasure to meet. 

Photo!




 While staying with them, I found a ticket to a match for $175 US dollars.
Russia and Belgium played in Rio de Janeiro. So I took an overnight bus to Rio,
and I was amazed at how beautiful this coastal town is. Big green hills, lakes,
islands, beaches, ocean, sunshine. And the fruit. Yumm. I bought a huge bag of
fruit and had breakfast on the beach before taking the underground metro to the
match. What intense and exciting energy on the metro, in the game, and around
the city for the game. It was a total blast. 

Rio de Janeiro







Beach at Impanema, Rio de Janeiro






 I took the night bus back to São Paulo and stayed with Carol and Julio for a
couple more days. We had beautiful conversations, delicious meals and enjoyed
one anothers presence. 

Carol and Julio and I enjoy a home cooked meal




 Now I am traveling to the Peru border via Assis, Brasil. Uncharacteristically,
I bought a flight from São Paulo to Rio Branco. I took a bus to Assis and
then cross the Peru border on my way to Cusco. There I will meet a childhood
friend named Ricky Gamp. Ricky has been planning to meet me and travel in south
America for a couple years and now it is happening. We plan to hike to Machu
Picchu the first week of our trip, and then we have an open itinerary for two
months. What will we create and manifest..?



Thanks for reading!