08.20 Another morning, another day and we are still in Porto Alegre and in Brazil. The space in our shower could have been larger. Christer´s portable radio stands on the bedside table making a noise. Now he put it down and the noise is disappearing and turned into a radio transmission.

09.45 The breakfast here at Hotel Erechim is completed and our window view is as bad as it was yesterday, a yellow cement wall, a fence, a tin roof and a large white wall.

Avenida Júlio de Castilhos, the street from our hotel to the bus station.

Hotel Erechim, yellow and sunny.

10.49 We’ve been out on the internet at the bus station. Kely, our hostess in Joinville has e-mailed me. She has a friend in Pelotas who wants to meet us. She has sent his name and phone number. We'll see what we have time for when we get there. We are about to buy some tickets now.

11.24 No problems, we got hold of two tickets from the next city, Pelotas and to Montevideo in Uruguay. There were only three places left in the bus when we bought the tickets. It feels good that we made it here on time because that bus does not run daily. Now, however, the problem is that we have not found any office which sells tickets from Porto Alegre and to Pelotas. A cleaning woman just passed the bench where we sit and we have to lift our feet.

11.35 We’ve found the "neutral" ticket counters. It is not for any specific company. Could they be right? Christer has added the company's name on the note which has already been written with location, day of travel and departure time.

12.08 Success! It was possible to buy tickets to Pelotas from one of those counters. The counters seem to be for bus companies that do not cross the state borders. Now we are back in room two hundred and eight and are planning the rest of the day. The World Cup final is only three hours away.

The city of Porto Alegre is more or less closed when it is Sunday.

The town Hall at Praça XV de Novembro.

Beautiful buildings in Porto Alegre.

12.34 We’ve moved out in the sun and out on the streets again. There is a tour bus in this city which drives tourists to the various attractions here. However, we have opted it out for several reasons. It becomes difficult to find time between the ticket purchase and the World Cup final, it departs from a place far from our hotel, and last but not least, the "sights" it would stay at did not seem that exciting.

12.43 We’ve taken some pictures in the central parts of a pretty deserted city. It isn't that strange that the city is deserted. It is Sunday and basically everything is closed. There are only a few kiosks and small fast food places that seem to be in business. We’ve been on Praça XV de Novembro and we´ve seen the great market hall and the town hall.

12.55 Our feet have taken us up some steep hills and to the Cathedral area near the Catedral Metropolitana. Here our ears perceive music. Now our eyes view a group who perform on a small stage. In the background there is a picture of a gaucho, a South American cowboy. It seems to be a concert of South American "country music". The location of this bizarre experience is Teatro São Pedro.

Brazilian country music at Teatro São Pedro.

13.06 Yet another mall surrounds us. Here, Christer visited an ATM for withdrawals, of money. Later we will go to a "food court" for ingestion of food. The mall is called Rua da Praia, translated it means "beach road".

14.27 The place which served us lunch is called Pastellon and our dishes were Bauru ao Prato, a sandwich with ham, steak and a fried egg, the rice, strips, lettuce and tomato for me. Christer had a Prato Tropical, a large piece of meat with different kinds of fresh fruit. On the way home we saw a gentleman with a red jacket and a green hat. The man walked, sang and carried a book. We also saw a bus being salvaged. Salvage car and the bus were painted in the same patterns and colours.

Christer´s lunch, Prato Tropical.

A happy singing man.

15.26 It's time to watch yet another World Cup final in football on foreign soil. Eight years ago I was sitting on a couch in Lublin, Poland. Four years ago we sat in the middle of the night in Kuching, Malaysia. Now we´re watching the game Netherlands vs Spain from the hotel bed in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Where will we be the next time?

16.18 It's half-time rest. Not much to write home about so far. There have been several yellow cards and even more break in the play. The Netherlands plays tough to say the least. Now on TV, it is an image of the Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro and what appears to be a large football jersey beneath. It is advertising for the next World Cup that will take place here in Brazil in 2014.

16.54 The eighth yellow card of the game is just out. No goal party rather a card party. Will someone get his second yellow card soon?

17.21 No goals at all. Now it will be extra time.

17.42 The game has been going on for one hundred and five minutes and not even a single goal. What will happen during the next fifteen minutes?

17.49 The thing about cards is continuing. the Netherlands is a man short. A red card was given to John Heitinga.

17.56 1-0 to Spain. Andres Iniesta has scored.

18.02 The game is over. Spain are world champions!

Spain has won the World Cup.

18.58 Today's dinner is a simple one. There are few really good restaurants near our hotel. We must content ourselves with what we´ll find. We are having spaghetti and a hamburger platter. The place that we dine at is called Ki-Lanche Restaurant and is inside the bus station.

19.46 There was a lot of spaghetti with big pieces of meat and a hamburger with bread, 10-12 centimeters in diameter, filled with fried egg, tomato, chicken, pieces of ham and squid. The entertainment was given by a little girl who did not want to sit and dine with her mom, dad and brother. She picked some drinking straws from our table. In addition, she carried around a menu and looked at it. It was, however, more than often upside down.

21.03 We are in our room again. Christer has tuned into a channel on the radio. They interspersed the temperature data in the city, +21˚ with different news. They talk about a road accident, who has been injured and in which part of the body, the killing of 10 soldiers in Colombia and now the temperature dropped to +20˚. A new mayor has been appointed, now it was +21˚ again. In the background they play merry music. Now they told the time and guess what ... the temperature again!

Monday 12th of July

07.46 It's been raining and thunder during the night. Right now it's holding up and we hear birds singing. Today is the last journey in Brazil for a while.

09.06 The birds have stopped singing. It's raining again and it is a lot of rain too. We’ve brought forth our umbrellas and have begun to gear up to walk to the bus station.

09.32 At the checkout, we were wished a good morning and were addressed with our names. Now we have walked/splashed us to the bus station. Here we are sitting and we´re waiting for our bus, a bus that will take us from Porto Alegre and hopefully away from the rain.

Christer is prepared for departure and rain.

The wait at the bus station in Porto Alegre.

09.54 The backpacks are loaded in the trunk. Once again, they have a sticker with a number on. We have as usual got a receipt with the corresponding number on. Today we travel with the company Embaixador (http://www.expressoembaixador.com.br)

11.28 The bus ride as well as the rain continues even though we have travelled far away from our starting point. One can not see much of the landscape outside because of the wet and misty bus windows. We are probably the only ones on the bus wearing shorts.

13.16 We finally arrived in Pelotas. It is not warm at the bus station. It is an open station and the wind is cold inside here. Christer has left to get some snacks. I sit down waiting for him to return.

Hotel Curi, Pelotas.

14.05 A female taxi driver in a small white taxi drove us to our hotel, or at least, its neighbor, the Curi Palace. We first went to Hotel Estoril and asked for their rates before we finally checked in at Hotel Curi (http://www.hotelcuri.com.br). Here we think that we will stay until 18.00 tomorrow. It went to say the least poor to make ourselves understood. The door to room 217 was sluggish but we finally managed to enter the room. We are about to have lunch. It's time to eat the journey snack which is left after the trip.

15.56 Enough is enough with being lazy. We should head out for a while. I hope we will get back inside. We'll see what happens with the meeting with Kely´s friend here in the city.

Pelotas

Rua Andrade Neves, a pedestrian street in Pelotas.

17.27 Pelotas is not one of Brazil's most exciting cities. It is a city and has what cities tend to have, cars, buildings, people, shops, churches, but nothing spectacular. We are just here to relax a bit before the trip to Uruguay. We are far south in Brazil and now the winter temperature is showing itself. It's cold! Our walking tour took us to the internet café Helite House for surfing. Christer has translated what we have to tell the hotel staff in Portuguese using Google Translate. On the way home I took a picture of a horse. A little later a man was shoveling something from the horse's small cart, wet sand, mortar, what do I know? Some of it splashed in all cases onto me and some ladies. Now we will definitely see if we can stay until 18.00 tomorrow.

17.37 With the help of the Portuguese version we had with us we now know that we can stay until 18.00 tomorrow, but not if it costs more or not. Now I'll wash away the stuff which seems to be wet sand.

First, take a photo of a horse, then get wet sand in the face.

19.17 The reading of our books that we devoted ourselves to in the room is over. Food is what we need. We will try the hotel’s buffet dinner.

20.10 We're back in the room after a nice buffet dinner. There is not much heat in the room. It is not as cold as it was in Johannesburg last year. Then it was +10-11˚ indoors. It will probably not be that cold this year, hopefully.

21.34 Now we've read a bit about our next country, Uruguay, and the next city, Montevideo. It's always good to keep track of what's coming in advance. We haven’t contacted Diego, Kely’s local acquaintance. The main reason is, I believe, pure laziness. In addition, we have been busy ensuring that we have the room until his departure tomorrow morning.

21.56 Now we have found a TV channel, Canal Rural, where there seems to be the live auction of livestock. Cows and bulls wandering back and forth across the screen while the presenter babbles, chats and clubs. Facts about the cattle are shown. Some TV shows have not reached Sweden yet and we hope they never do it.

Livestock auction on TV, tonight's entertainment.

Tuesday 13th of July

08.28 A note has been put under our room door during the morning hours. On it we can read that we are wished a good morning, when it is breakfast and that they serve locally produced products. We were also informed about today's weather. It will be sunny and between +4 and +12˚. This (July 13) is a date that has haunted us during previous trips. 2001 we went to a, to say the least, strange hotel, in 2002 it became a long train ride following a hot day and finished with more trains, 2005, we were worn out in a ferry queue on our way to Cyprus and in 2007 a day trip became more complicated than needed.

09.49 With a hearty breakfast in my stomach, I am ready for the last day in Brazil for this time. I will, with regards to the outside temperature, wear a jacket today.

Urbane dog strolls around town.

10.25 It is all but warm here in Pelotas. The digital thermometer in town is showing +6˚. We are impressed by the city's dogs wandering around without owners. One of them crossed the street at a pedestrian crossing. Lawful dogs here!

11.02 We are in the search of an exchange office that I saw yesterday. The question is, however, where did I see it? Now all we see is a dry fountain, no water here at all. It is a shame. I like the fountains with water.

A cold but sunny day in Pelotas.

Dry fountain (Fonte das Nereida) on Praça Pedro Osório.

12.03 After some more walking, we found the money exchangers I saw in yesterday's tour around town. The changing went fine. The elderly gentleman behind the counter was complaining about the cold weather and thought we would dress better. On our walk, we also found a grocery store and a possible dinner spot. In addition, we have seen a man who played an electric piano, a lady who sang and a dancing couple. I believe that it was tango.

12.46 Travel snacks for the evening and the night's long bus trip has been purchased at Super Mercado Paradiso. Now we are back in the room. Here everything is as we left it, nothing has happened. We guess that this means that we can stay. But what will they charge us for it?

13.50 We had lunch. It consisted of, in absence of a sensible lunch restaurants, jam cakes and tangerine juice. The furniture in the apartment above us is being moved around right now.

Mercado Central, Pelotas.

Santa Casa de Misericórdia, a hospital building from 1847.

15.30 Today is a dull day. We´re not doing much. We will mostly pass the time before we depart towards the bus station and our bus to Montevideo. We would have seen more of the town if it only had been warmer.

16.05 Let´s head out and find that dinner place that we found earlier. We will not only find it, we plan to eat there as well. We will also make a final sightseeing around town.

17.27 Sure, we found dinner place and several others as well. However, none of them were open at this hour. We have at least looked at a cathedral, walked on some new streets and bought some snacks and fruit instead of dinner in a kiosk. Pelotas feels like the city that the open restaurants forgot, or are all of them located outside the center?

17.49 It's almost time to check out. It feels like we've been here forever. Now the question is it, how much do we pay?

The beautiful cathedral São Francisco de Paula in Pelotas.

18.15 We had to pay 100.50 real (50 US-dollars). This was for the dinners yesterday, 23 real (11.50 dollars), plus extra for the time today. The rest we had paid at check-in. A taxi took us to the bus station. Christer is looking for a possible alternative for dinner.

18.44 We have not found any restaurant here either. I went to add stuff to my travel snack. I pointed to a sandwich, got it handed to me, took it and a bottle of juice and went to the counter to pay. The man at the counter said, "OK, Peter," and something in Portuguese. How did he know my name? It turned out that the guy who gave me the sandwich is also called Peter.

19.56 We are still waiting for our bus. It should have been here at 19:30. But it is supposed to depart at 20:15 so there is no panic yet. It would have been great if it had been a bit warmer here. The bus station has almost no heating. On a bench a short distance away there is a man with white hair and white beard and he is talking to himself.

20.43 Ok, the bus is late. How late? Well, I do not know. It started in São Paulo so a lot might have happened on the way down here. One thing I know, it isn’t hot. It feels cold around my shorts-covered legs. One man has offered to write Christer´s name with copper wire. Christer turned down the offer from "Copper Charlie”. Many buses have arrived and departed but we have not seen any sign of our bus.

21.18 A man came to us and picked us up and led us into the TTL office, they are our bus company (http://www.ttl.com.br). Here various papers were filled in. It feels great. But we still don’t know when the bus arrives.

21.27 All completed papers and our passports with a numbered sticker with our seat numbers are in the company's office. The papers are our exit and entrance documents. About the bus, well, I do not know where it is. We´re waiting in the office.

22.20 The bus is finally here. The delay was about three hours. We are on board but on other seats than first planned. It is pitch black inside the bus and difficult to see what I´m writing. The ice cold bus station in Pelotas will be remembered forever and there's nothing nice about those memories. This year´s July 13th brought a certain amount of suffering too.

Wednesday 14th of July

02.05 The bus journey in the dark bus has gone well. People are sleeping and the journey is comfortable. The bus has let off a lot of passengers in small towns just before the border and we have rolled through the town of Chui, which is both in Brazil and Uruguay. Now we are at the first border control.

02.34 Resg, Central Aduanas can be read on a sign on a wall outside the bus. A man with a knitted cap and a flashlight went right through the bus aisle. We are waiting to head on, drive on along the Uruguayan roads. Now at last the bus carried on.

URUGUAY

02.55 It's really great to avoid going out of the bus on a night. All passports and all paperwork were prepared ahead and everything is handled without disturbing the passengers. We will start our stay in Uruguay with trying to sleep.

07.15 The daylight is slowly arriving. The bus drives through various small towns and suburbs outside of Montevideo. Early morning commuters are waiting for buses. They have lots of clothes and thick clothes. I still wear my shorts.

A photo from the bus terminal Tres Cruces, Montevideo.
The man wearing red is a bit afraid of the camera.

07.45 The bus seats are left behind and replaced with plastic ones. We are at the bus terminal Tres Cruces in Montevideo. We have changed country, language and currency. Here you speak Spanish and pay with pesos. Here at the terminal we will gather strength and withdraw money before we take a taxi from here. I have reached the 80th visited country in my life.

08.40 The meter ticked during our trip. The ticking is not the price but different numbers, numbers which will be translated to a price according to a list. There was a glass wall between us and the driver. We are now in room number 3 at the Green Hostel (http://www.thegreenhostel.com) in Montevideo's old town. We will stay here for two nights. We had booked for three and have paid for it too. Now we hope that we can get us a breakfast here today. Why the three nights' payment? Well this room was booked before everything was cleared regarding the transport here.

Peter in our room at Green Hostel.

09.40 The life spirits are returning. We´ve had breakfast; toast, milk, cereal and coffee. This place is called Green Hostel because of their environmentally friendly policy on energy, recycling, etc.

12.16 More for the life spirits. We have made sure to get a few hours sleep and I have brushed my teeth. The room is freezing cold, largely depending on the cold stone walls that surround us. Big thanks should be given to the soft thick blankets we have. Soon, we will head out in yet another capital city.

13.31 We are once again looking out over the Atlantic. The sea looks cold and not at all inviting.

We met the cold Atlantic ocean in Montevideo.

A football supporter has parked his/her car along the Rambla Francia.

Strong and cold winds by the English temple (Templo Inglés).

Plaza Independencia, Montevideo.

13.50 We have moved from the sea towards the centre. We have seen the Teatro Solis. Now we are on the Plaza Independencia, Independence Square. Here is a statue of Artigas, the national hero, and also his mausoleum. Right now, I have taken a picture of the Puerta de la Ciudadela. It is a large stone gate and all that remains of a fort built here 1833

14.05 Plaza Zabala is the location and the square of the first bench rest here. There is an equestrian statue, pigeons and several dogs in sweaters. One of the dogs seems to be bullied by the other dogs. Could it be that his/her shirt is not enough fashionable?

14.26 We have suddenly encountered a protest march. They have gathered on the Plaza Independencia. I do not know what they are demonstrating for/against. I don’t understand Spanish. We also have difficulty reading text because the banners are folded right now.

One sign that it is winter, dogs in sweaters on Plaza Zabala.

Protesters with unclear purpose have gathered on the Plaza Independencia.

Uruguay has many fine old cars still in operation.

15.20 More of the neighborhood has been observed and documented. We bought postcards in a small shop on the Plaza Independencia and I bought a souvenir in another shop. We also made a visit down at the port market (Mercado Puerto), a place with expensive and good restaurants. Now we are back in the cold room again. It's pretty tough when it's cold outside and when you come in it´s cold there too.

16.47 It's time to head out on the city to study. Next a menu will be studied. We must have food.

17.30 Today we eat at La Pasiva. It is a restaurant chain that appears elsewhere in the city. We sit in the most important of them, the central one. We will be ordering one of the daily specials, grilled chicken with salad or whatever it says in the menu.

18.48 It was grilled filet of chicken and salad. Now we have bought something to consume at a grocery store in the neighborhood and are waiting for the computer here at the hostel to be available. It's always nice to have contact with the outside world.

Perez Castellanos, the street that leads down to the Mercado Puerto (Port Market).

Fresh fruit in wintertime.

20.15 The computer hasn’t become available. We hear voices and thuds from the other side of a stone wall in our room. Is someone about to pay us a visit?

20.54 "You're the beat of my heart" was sung at the radio. I do not know who the singer is. I'll check it on the computer as soon as it becomes available. The computer is next to a stove. It is perhaps the main reason why there are so many people there.

22.03 The stove was like a magnet. People who used the computer and people who were just generally freezing nested around the PC and the stove. The computer was finally free and I have taken the opportunity to send some e-mails and checked things. I wasn’t able to straighten out the name of the artist. Can I have heard wrong regarding the song title? Now Christer sits by the computer.

22.52 We hear live music from the lobby downstairs. We're in our room and will soon take an evening beer. Tomorrow we will see more of Montevideo. Today was just the day of arrival, but we have still seen a lot.

Peter is using the computer outside our room.