Sunday, October 2, 2011

How to hitchhike from Berlin(Germany) direction to Czech Republic and how I did it after all

Alexander Platz -> Ost Creuz ->
 Treptower -> Flughafen Shonefeld
S5->S8->S9
So,my dears :)
I have was in Germany on the beginning of the last month and I went hitchhiking as well. I would like to write you hear how I got out of Berlin,as its quite complicated and how I really reached Prague afterwards.
So,wherever you are in Berlin you still have to get to Ostcreuz by some S-Bahn or U-Bahn.
There is no direct connection to the south from Ostcreuz and they made some change which is not in the plans of Berlin Metro.
So you have to jump on some train which is going direction Treptower (stairtower),its just one station with S8 and then change for the train which is going to the Airport. There by some other manuals u can get out on Altgleinicke or Grunbergalle - where u are still far away from the highway and from the main junction. I havent tried these exits,so I cant tell.
I went to Flughafen Shonefelfd (I am sorry,I dont have the o with 2 punkts for german readers) - what is the airport.
From here you just follow the sign to the highway saying Dressden.
When u get there you will see a ramp heading directly to highway. I dont have to remind you,that there is no speed limit in Germany,so you will be directly in the hitzone of starting rockets for the 200km/hour run on the highway. But at that point the cars are not going too fast. Here I made a video for you,where I am explaining everything.


Metro plan of Berlin
Hitchhiking on this ramp is quite complicated as there is not much space to stop and even though they will stop for you,you have to be quick to get in. Be carefull as there is just further on like 10 km from this junction,another junction which is to the highway leading to Leipzig and then one leading to Poland. And its connection to Big Berliner Ring - the huge highway ring which is going all around berlin with a distance of 20-50 km out of the city - so you could be taken anywhere. Anyway Liepzing could work for going to CZ,just it will take you bit longer time. Many people will refused to take you to different direction (I had a stop for Leipzing,but somehow they claimed that there is no way how to get from over there direction to CZ,not everybody is carrying the map in the head and I have already done that track before trough Leipzing from Prague - took me 4 hours. I was really lucky that time.)
And maybe you would do better to take the Leipzig way,as going around Dressden is quite complicated.Big city with its ring and a lot of traffic and too many junctions,which can take you anywhere. From Leipzig they are just pushing up to the north or down to the south- meaning Czech Republic.
Anyway I picked up the Dressden way to mae it differently this time. But it was a fight. Firsly to find someone who takes you further on the entrance of the highway in Germany is difficult. If they already take you and as I dont carry a map with me from the time I lost one long long time ago (didnt carry any even in South America,I somehow always scan the road to my head and if I forget,then the driver would help out).


My first ride was lady which was going from a Market,where she was selling clothes. She was going home - direction Polish border. That I found out in the moment we passed the exit for Leipzing and she said that the next one is hers. Great,standing on a highway again with these racers. Cool,who is more suicidal? I would still have to write how I got ot Berlin ;)
Anyway,I jumped out and lifted my thumb. (In germany you can wait for police quite a long time to come and take you to some safe place). Anyway,I was lucky,in few minutes stopped a car. The mister was working on building new railways for S and U-bahns,funny chap and I had something like 4 hours of german conversation for free :) He really made my day. We hit around 50 km away from the Dressden one Stau - traffickjam,because of some accident,so I had the chance to see the part of Germany which is close to Poland with its funny Polish names written in the part of Germany. The part called Klatzko.
And then he decided to drive trough Dressden as I have never been there before and show me around with a car. I would really need to come back one day as it really seemed wonderful! And I have finaly new camera,so the photos shouldnt be that rubbish as it was with my old phone ;)
As he was going about 20 km behind Dressden my direction,I was lucky to hit the highway going down to Prague. The sun was already falling and the rest of the light left to me. I had half an hour to catch someone. But the third or the fourth car stopped and took me to Prague. The guy was going to Austria - this way is a passage from Germany to Austria,so there is some traffic (in comparation with some czech roads on the north).Not much to say,just that the person who I was sitting next to really hated people from East Block and poverty and the poor countries and the developing countries,something like talking again with some people from Sao Paulo,but he was more arogant and so sure with his own situation in life and his own wealth.Even though he knew that I am slovak and its the part of east,he wasnt arogant to me,but to the people on the gasstation who were from Slovakia and as well the negative horrified talks about how the people live in Romania just simply made me feel very uncofortable. Anyway,there should be always someone "chato" (boring,bothering,annoying) on the way,shouldnt it? ;)
The pure time of travel: 5 hours (even with a traffick jam)
I left at 3 pm and arrived at 8 to the perifery of Prague.




Saturday, October 1, 2011

How to make Halusky (typical slovakian food) if u are outside of Slovakia

This is how it should look like
I have got many questions on this topic lately and thanks to my friend Paterson from Salvador I pushed myself to write a recipe to all the world to  know the Magical formula ;)
My halusky is bit different than original ones,but I have never met anybody who wouldn't like them,so here it comes ;)

Firstly,bryndza exists just in Slovakia and the countries where are Karpaty mountains - Means Ukraine and Romania (Yes,they know it as well in Romania,it said that our bačas originaly came from these lands walking with sheep looking for better grass,walking trough the mountains and remeber the history,this teritory was long long time one,not "billion"states like it is now)

So now,what u will need for Halusky itself:
Potatoes: Count for one person one potatoe (if they are the big once,if smaller,count one and half,always is enough and even more than it should be)
2 types of flour (wheet flour - no mandioca,no corn one,wheet one)If they dont have it,just take which they have,normaly is the one which they make bread with,so it means its not for cakes one ;) Anyway,maybe closer to the ecuatorial line you will be,more problems u will have to find such a thing like wheet flour.
1 egg (depands on how many people will be - but I would say for like max  6 people 1 egg, if u have to cook for 12 - make it 2)
pinch of salt
1 butter

The special sauce I invented once upon a time in stead of Bryndza (as u cant really get brindza anywhere outside of Karpaty region)
You will need:
Butter
Onion
Garlic
Milk or cream (if there is no cream,use milk)
Flour
Salt
Sugar
Beer and/or wine
Some green spices (I use anything which is green in general and not spicy in it - depands what I find in the kitchen and what smells good ;)

   How to make halusky itself:
Sometimes you can end up making halusky looking like this! ;)
Grate a potatoes on a side of cutter which is the thiniest one that it will make just kind of watery mass.(no slices or something like that. I know its a lot of work,but its the best that way)Do NOT spill the water from the mass out. Add 2 types of flour and bit of salt and egg in it. Just to make the mass sticky and bit running - f u put too much of flour,dont worry,u can put a bit of water in it as well. The mass should be something between sticky and running.
Put water in a big pot. Put a bit of salt in it.Make it boil. Put a bit of your dough on a chopping board. And u can start to "throw" (how we say) Halusky to the boiling salty water.
When the halusky will be swimming on the surface of the water for a little while (for exact people it could be like 2-3 minutes),you can take them out with a strainer and put them on a side to prepared bowl. After fishing several times of halusky,you can put a butter on them,to melt on them and dont make them to stick together.

How to make a sauce:
As I am alergic or better said I have some problems with clasical oil,I use instead butter and I think it tastes later better than if u made it on oil. But its your choice. Pur a butter on a saucepan. Make it melt.
Meanwhile chopp the onion on really small pieces. Put them to fry.Put a pinch of salt. During the time,pour a bit water after few minutes - to dont get dry. Till then u can be throwing halusky. When the onion gets a bit dryer and still doesnt have a color,pour a bit of beer. When it gets dryer,if u have some wine for cooking u can pour it there as well. All the alcohol will avaporate and there will just stay the better taste of onion. When the opion will be getting the nice golden color,cut the one piece of garlic to very small pieces,u can even smash it if u want and put it inside (than it again depands for how many people are u cooking).
Fry it a bit with another piece of butter and with the onion.. Put all the spices you found in the kitchen and thinking that it could taste good - I recommend the green one and not spicy ones (sorry I dont remeber which one should it be - but by the smell mayoran and some others).
Mix it. Now we are getting to making a real sauce :)
In a meanwhile you could make on a side to a small glass (2dcl) the mixture of milk and 2-3 spoons of sugar and 2-3 spoons of flour.Start pouring a normal milk to an onion and garlic on a saucepan - do max 2-3 dcl. Mix it.  Then pour the mixture you made aside to already the mixture on a saucepan - keep mixing it till it will go thicker and thicker. If its not getting thicker,just put there a bit more flour,but a little bit. When its warm,its more liquid than when it get colder ;) So dont worry. U can try it and put more salt or spices or sugar if u want. But this is normally it ;) Not a big magic ;)
  This is how it will look like

About Oškvarky (in english it should be burnt cinders),which normally in slovakia goes on the top.
Well,in south america I had a quite problems to find in different places bacon alike as in Slovakia. U can use english bacon or something which could be good bacon. But in general,please in Chile or on this side of Corillera,do not buy the bacon for Chicharones! And in general all the bacon I got in touch with its too salty for making Oškvarky. So its just up to u.

In general to halušky we use to eat at home (original place where I come from in Slovakia in our family) the cucumber salad. Easy to make easy to eat.
U will need:
It should look like this,don't worry,it's eatable ;)
Cucumbers (depending on how many people will be there,I would count 2 for one person,but not many people like this type of salad around the world. In north of Brazil once I made it for bigger presentation party the people were amazed and ate it sooner than halusky,in Marocco I had to eat it afterwards on my own ;)
Salt,Sugar,Vinegar.
Grate cucumbers on the second thickest part of the cutter,put inside a pinch of salt,a pinch of sugar and one small cap of the bottle u have vinegar from with vinegar. Mix and taste ;) It should just taste fine,if not,put more sugar or salt.
Anyway - my granny puts there peper to make it spicy and cutted pieces of tomatoes and peppers.But its not a necesity and I like it more without. Its just up to your taste ;)

And then I just can wish u anywhere you are on this planet: Bon Appetit!, Buen Provecho! or Dobrú Chuť!:)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

How to hitchhike from Prague direction to Germany (Dressden,Berlin)


I did this way twice,last time 2 weeks ago from this moment and it always worked.
To get out of the Prague direction north to the Germany,you should take the metro to Letnany - the line C (red line) and then try to take anything what is going to Čakovice (especially the bus going to Cakovice Shopping Center would be great option). From there is going just one Bus to Ďáblice (little devils place ;)
where you can enter on highway. But walking distance is about 200meters from this shopping center. As the bus goes every 40 minutes its easier and better to walk down there.  When u will be approaching to highway - you will see that the traffic is getting very dense. I would recommend you rather to go to gasstation,as trying to catch someone  directly on the exit  to the highway is a bit complicated (even though there is one place where they can stop,they simply wouldnt do that).
And I found my ride on gasstation in 5 minutes. As there are comming as well the people for MC Donalds,there are lot of people stopping to get some meal ;)
I used this way twice and always was very successful and I have never waited longer than few minutes.
From this place this time I went directly to Usti nad Labem,but you can be lucky and find someone going directly to Berlin,Leipzing or anywhere you want to go. Just look on the number plates and make your pick ů0

Monday, August 29, 2011

Hitchhiking story - Being in the car with psychopat or How I got to/from Registro to Rio de Janeiro

Just last 630 km!...Main road,the most frequented road...
It was almost one of my last rides. U know how it goes,or everybody who ever lifted a his or his thumb. In 1 billion of cars there is always one of them,or maybe two. But this time,I was somehow following the hints and my heart and didn't realised in one point,when I was getting out of Curitiba direction to Rio de Janeiro,that probably that maybe this could be my last one,that  I wouldn't be able to make it to Rio safe,if its get a dark.


The story starts like this. I got out of Curitiba to first gas station - Santa Rosa or what was the mame of the gasstation (I should make a manual for it,as the curitiba is quite unconquarable place and quite difficult to get out as well). 
It was abour 1 pm,still nice and a light and   was walking around the gas station when someone saw me and asked me where I am going (this doesnt happen very often,believe me) and the answer was that they could take me about 160 kilometers on the road. This distance in South America means well,pretty nothing. But anyway,the person seemed to be nice guy with a kid,then I was invited to see the finca and at the end meet the family members - well,will tell u the story somehow later on maybe one day.
The thing was,that the person who took me on finca (big isolated farm),couldn't leave from there,as he didnt told me that his father os going to move somewhere else and he need to pack and say everybody goodbye. 
And a take a shot with everybody as well,u know hot it goes. 

Cachaça here, cachaça there and in between the beer at the house which was working like a bar for all this small 8 fincas congregation. (I wasnt drinking and still hoping and trying to push the driver to somehow return me to the main road,to can continue).

U know how Brazilians could be amazingly hospitable,nice and frendly and you just simply can't be bad to them,u cant even be asertively bad to them,
as they just wanted to show u around and invited you for a lunch,and cut the gigantic Jaca for u (I have never ate jaca before from,cutted down from a tree by machete just in front of u, I have just seen Jacas near the road or the street already fallen and full of ants and various insect which came for the sweet feast) and changed your wet socks and promissed to bring u back to main road.
What if they promise,they do it,u can put a hand in fire for it.


And u know,that that was the reason why I ended up at 7 pm - already brazilian night (northern you go,sooner it gets darker) on some not very frequented gasstation,where they sworn me for their souls that they know the owner and he ,for sure have or at least know some trucks (as he was from spedition company) going to Rio. Very unprobable,as we were just behind the frontier with state Paraná and Sao Paulo close to Registro. But I didn't have any other option, just to trust them.
We got there and I already knew that it wouldn't be that easy - as normaly the spedition from Sao Paulo,stays in Sao Paulo,which would be much worse option. I needed to get behind this "Giant".
And there is furthermore,especially in this state of Brazil the thing,that the trucks are monitored. And they cant stop where they want or need. Mostly the doors gets locked from outer place and being monitored trough satelite,having rails on their windows on trucks and people are increadibly paranoid and suspicious. So its quite difficult to get a ride over there (I was once almost kicked out from Gas station,which was guarded for asking the people where they are going,for making the place seem to be unsecure - as I am not employee of the gas station and I am doing something the Brazilian wouldnt do,makes me untrustable individual).


Anyway -back to the gas station. Almost no trafic,clocks passing by,me getting nervous. I dont like to stay awake whole night and then I would have to go in 36 hours again back to Sao Paulo,which would mean for me a huge nonsense going to Rio for several hours. I needed to resolve some things over there. I needed to get there right in the morning.
I was still about 650km from there.Trough the mountains (well,brazilians claim that they dont have any mountains,but something around 1500m over sea level is quite a mountain for me. Nao temos montanhas so temos cerras - I was told on university of Paraiba,when I studied there :D Then I brought the list of Mountains for the next class. Gosh,I am vicious ;)) 
And if anyone of u would be interested in the list of mountains in Brazil which are just getting to the hight of 3000 m over sea level here comes the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mountains_in_Brazil


I just felt in the air the feeling that something could happen,something very wrong and in my head appeared
the tought:"Sue,this is a good night to die." Strange thinking for a hitchhiker,strange thing which just got so real as when u know that something will be very very wrong and u cant do anything about it,as it's going to get u sooner or later.
So calm,so dark,just *Mata Atlantica (something which looks ike rain forest) around with lot of animals. Place where u get lost and never found. Something smelled terribly wrong over there and I started to be scared from no reason...
To make quiet my conscious I just switched to idea: "Sue,we need to get to Rio,if they kill us,good. Then the problem is solved itself,if not,good,we will make it there anyhow."
As I am quite deterministic and believe that what should happen will happen anyhow and it has it's reason. Positive thinking :)
Then suddenly there stopped 2 trucks. They looked empty,that means normally that they will be fast. They looked shabby and old. Just to explain u in Brazil in some point they are no controls on the roads for speed or drugs,alcohol whatever. That means that the driver just a make small manipulation with retarder on a speedmeter or better said switch it off and hurray - here we go 120!
And in any case of being caught they pay themselves out. Though - good thing such an empty truck without retarder. I went to ask.
The first guy looked like serial killer so I was happy that he just answered arogantly that he is not heading to Rio. I asked just for fun,another one. They seemed going together,but well.. U never know. Time was ticking ..
Usualy I use to walk around,make jokes and just for fun ask "And what about u,not even bit further on? To the next gas station,hopefully more frequented?"(In Spain I got with this method one petrol station to another one trough Critical unhitchhikable part - Between Murcia after several kilometers from Valencia, definitely worst places to get stuck!)
This guy was suspicious type with the maniacal look,but whatever. Anyway,the another one just put me down, so I thought,what I will loose if I ask. There was noone else and I didnt have much to do. I did ask,trying to make him smile and wondering where they are heading. They were going somewhere to Petropolis (which would mean for me to get like 60 kms just in front of the Rio soon in the morning!). That would be great!Another thing was that he looked dangerous ... And it was a night. But the chance that someone will stop there were quite low. It was getting almost 9 pm. At 10 they will close the gasstation and there will stay the eternal silence and the scream of monkeys from the nearest hills and forests.
And furthermore it was cold. The Brazil was in winter (mid june is like that),quite chilly especially on the south...
I asked if I can come with and he looked at me with that suspicious look,as if I am a bate or something. (Many times in South America in general they put a nice girl to get in a car or a truck and then in one point - having the localization and the person in,they come to rob it)
So I started to explain my situation very quickly and that I really need to get to Rio as I have a plane next day at night etc etc. Just to flood the brain of the person with information and explanaitions.
And at the end,he accepted to take me with.


I knew that there could be trouble,but as soon as I got all information,I knew that they wouldnt have time to create one, as they were made to drive nonstop (36 hours in a round)
Yeah,another crazy thing about brazilian drivers - sometimes they are made by company or they have their own bussiness bulit like that,that they are obliged to drive nonstop for 3-4 days (no stop for sleep,rest,just food and water)
You would ask "How they do it?" right? :) Magical pills called Arebich - just for medical prescription easyly buyable anywhere in the farmacy especially on the north and northeast of the country without any prescription. The people are so nice that they want to help u and dont want to make u trouble with going to doctor,so they will sell them to u,just saying "I really need them,madam."
Cheap thing causing insomnia,kills the need for food or drinks and as a negative effect sexual impotence, itchy skin and many others.
Many people there are living on this for years and years.
I will try to write about this maybe later.


So we started the engine,switched on the front lights and we set on the journey. Dark night,lot of the stars and mountains in state of Sao Paulo - it should be very nice route during the day.**
I have noticed that he is going very fast and his speedmeter doesnt work. Asking with a voice of very happy naive talkative person,starting the conversation about typical issues: Where is he comming from,what do we carry and where and why etc. In one moment there just happened to be silence,silence and the darkness,just the red lights from the speedmeter and other gadgets. And we running crazyly down the hill,to turns. I tried to switch of my brain and put the dull mode: not accepting,transmitting or getting out any thought or feelings.
He, in all of the sudden, asked me :" Have u ever been to prison?"
Me: "No,not yet and u?:)" Smiling,keep smiling and sound merry! Question of a silly little child like if we were playing some "guess,what game" during the sunny warm day .
He said with a wild smile on his lips: "Yes,I did."
Nodding with his head,moving here and there with eyes wide opened.
In that moment my brain started to run on the hyperhighway with full of junction trying to recalculate all the possible options what could happen. Hush! Switch to dull silly happy tone!:" And what have u done?" Like a little kid, asking where is the dog gone. (when someone smashed him in front of the house with a new shiny car) And nobody want to hear the truth.
He:"Well,u know ... I did something"
Me: "What was it if I may ask?"
He: "U know,something ...."
My brain started to work much faster: something something,rapes?killings?kidnaps?no ... we are not in area of kidnapping ... Calm down,if he doesnt want to tell u himself,dont ask. He will come to it. Thats why he started,didnt he?
Still playing sweet stupid optimistic little child:"O.K... But how much did u spent in prison?"
Started to be curious,as we were talking about nuclear fusion (well,I am wierd,I know,but I like science ;)
He:"Not much,just 4 years."
Me thinking more positively.
Well for 4 years he shouldnt have done something really wrong,something,really bad and vicous... Something creepy. Even though that justice system in Brazil is quite funny and sometimes somehow the people who would go in USA on a electric chair for the same crimes,in Brazil they get away with nothing or a little. But this pays for higher class society or someone who has a lot of connections or enough money to get out. And he didnt seemed to be something like that,but who knows... U never know who knows who and where. And what he had to do to get out.
Me:'"Well,4 years its not that much,even though I have no idea what have you done,but maybe u would like to tell me."
He:"But,u know ... hmm... I did, u know ..." Thinking. Then he finally spit it out "I was shooting."
Me:"O.K. Shootings happen every day in Brazil and what happened? Did anybody got hurt?"
He: "Yeah,well,I killed them!"
Me:"Oh, right and how many of them."
He: "U know,I killed them both!My wife and him,her lover. That bitch was cheating on me." (as if they all havent been cheating on their wives,girlfriends etc.? appeared in my mind)
Me: "Well,that happenes,when someone gets angry." Consolating word always works. And he calmed down. Didnt seem anymore stressed and nervous.And I have changed the subject.
Asking about his origin,past,family,present etc.
It was a guy from very poor with a quite difficult family background - out of 9 kids of mixed race indians and whatever living in small village in forests of Parana (he had the Guarani's face,what was obvious for me,especially because I just came few days ago from Paraguay - where 90 percent of the inhabitants are Guaranis -Indians and who isnt there would be always some drop of the bloodline from Guarani ;).
People over there have the special dark cicles around the eyes,with huge shiny dark eyes,which could be recognized in origin of some brazilains as well.
The guy's parents were alcoholic and they used to torture them and abuse. He ran away from home when he was about 14 and fell in love with that  girl when he was about 17. Then later on,working late he just found her with someone else and killed them. O.K. the story was clear for me and he seemed to feel better having someone there who he can tell all this. It was half past 10. The estimated arrival to Rio to junction when I had to go out - around 6:30 am. Whole night ahead of us. I got somehow too nervous and cautius to go to sleep.
Then we suddenly stopped...
He needed to take the pill,the magical pill,to keep driving. Right away he got alergic reaction.
He was scratching everywhere and very nervous. So as I am bringing always with me the antihistaminics(the pills against the alergy) I gave him one or two. And till then for the itchy skin I gave him a lotion against mosquitos,which left me jewish couple from Izrael and Mexico who I met in  Buenos Aires and we used to live in the same hostel. 
So I gave that to him. He didnt trust me at first,especially about antialergic pill,but at the end I explained him everything,how it will react in his body,what will it cause etc. and he took it. In that moment I knew that I am safe and that he wouldnt try to hurt me. I went to sleep,waking up in intervals of 1,5 hour or when the truck slowed a bit down.
U always wake up when the car is slowing down.U always feel it,especially when u are sleeping.
When I woke up the radio was silently playing and he was gone. Good. I jumped out and went for a toilet.
When I came  back he was already waiting there,with these wild eyes.
So I innocently appologised and we started the engine again. He wanted,he needed to talk.
This time again with this naive tone of a kid playing on a playground telling me: "I will tell you a story,do u want"
Me: "Yes,why not :) I am one big ear."
He started to tell the story:" I used to work during one time like a mechanic in some place. And I used to have  a lot of friends.We were doing a lot of parties,barbecues and so on. 
Once,I was asked by one friends,who were neighbours,one couple,with a woman,u know,hot and sexy,great cook,great cook with these huge bongo-mongo tits. Uff,how she was delicous.
Well,I was asked by her husband to come for a barbecue. We were drinking,one glass after another and I was getting tipsy. It was very hot outside,very hot. The lady of the house,damn too pretty to be truth!,was making us the steaks and how she was pretty that day. In that dress.
We were sitting with this friend,neighbour and drinking and suddenly he tells me. U know, I would really love to see someone else fucking my wife.(Anyway - the truckdriver was married that time with 3 kids already)
So as I was tipsy and she was so hot and I dont know why... I just came there and I did it.I did it without asking her permission. She didnt know about that he asked me. Fucking her hard and she seemed to like it at the end. For sure,she did! And he was watching us,oh yeah,he was watching us. How I am doing it to his wife.
(The description could go on and on - for several pages. These kinds of topics are forbidden and u try to avoid it,but Brazilians simply love talk about sex with all the spicy details and openly:)
Me thinking in my head that this story smells by rape somehow.
He continued:"U know,then they never asked me to come again,we never met again and they actually moved away. Pity,she was really very pretty."
After that I fell asleep again,we were approaching to state of Rio. It was about 3 am. Sometimes I just close my eyes,put the ignore mode or face that I havent heared anything and fall asleep with this alarm set on if any unappropriate movement or whatsoever was happening to wake up. My heart was pumping from fear,but its better to seem that u ignore what u have been told than to accept the reality that this person is really very dangerous. And noone will hurt to sleeping child,right?
I woke up again,5:30,we were on Serra already in state of Rio,passed Volta Redonda. The sun had to rise very soon. All the sky was the mixture of pink,violet and blue,as if someone put the feather in the different painting collors and made a strokes on the sky.Tiny,light strokes with a feather, the new day was borning. The hope was up,I made it. I am still alive and in state of Rio and in few hours I will see Laura and Mathieu. My sweet Laura (we used to live in the same house in Joao Pessoa).I was really looking forward to it. I wouldnt miss it for anything.And I had a lot of stuff to arrange in Rio.Lot of unsolved questions which I left behind.
Keeping thinking of the million and one thing the guy wanted to talk and talk.
And this time as usual he picked the topic of the sex. He wanted to know how does the things work in Slovakia,how are the people and what are our ideas of everything (U know I am shy kid from Cristain base state, that even here I am quite radical and generaly I never talk about these things).
But it was morning and I was trying to explain my curlture as cultivated and nonsexual way as I know. Talking about sex without mentioning anything which would expose that,yes,we do it as well ;))
This makes me laugh again and again when I remeber,how he was amazed and surpried. That not everything and not everybody is like is in Brazil. Not all the things works the same way over there as here and so on. He seemed like a little boy on class of a subject which really interested him. So we spent last hour talking about us Slovaks and the culture,the way of life and death,our opinions etc. (Maybe someone would say its a pity,that if the only person,who the foreigners meet is me and I am making the image of the country,but well, when u travel and who travels knows : The country is the person.)
This way we descened from the Serra to theValley. It was already bright morning and the sun was starting to shine. The wam weather was approaching like a boomerang thrown to kill the kengoroo. The sky was promissing amazing warm sunny day. (After several months of autumn/winter time in Argentina and Chile),I felt like the happiest person on the planet and everything was so amazing. As if I would never left. The smell,the vegetation,the road...
We were approaching to the junction. He called with radio to a collegue,that he will drop me on the closest petrol station. He slowed down and finally stopped.
He told me: "I am really glad I took u with,it was very interesting :)"
Me:"I am glad as well :)"
I got out of the truck and he helped me out with the backpack. As he was giving me it,holding with another hand the doors to close
"U know,u are the first person,with whom happened anything.And I am glad.":)
Me: "How do u mean it,havent happened anything? What had happen to whom?" But he already closed the door,waved me and used the hooter to say goodbye and he was driving away.
I stayed like we would say "as if someone would spill the hot water on me". Keep thinking what had happened with the others,who are the others and where they are now .... 

* Mata Atlantica
** When I was comming to the south I hit the state of Sao Paulo as well during the night - the coastal way. And as well comming to and from Santos it was just before sunset,so I havent seen much. The interior is not different than the interior of Goiais or Parana. Nothing special.
*** U know,sometimes I make photos of the people who I am driving with for many reasons,I took as well the picture of this person and he still scares the hell out of me when I look on the photo,even though it was taken in morning light ...

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Letni Letná - Prague - New Circus Festival - Walking trough the park at night could be sometimes interesting experience :)

Last time I was in Prague and somehow managed to catch one friend online so we made a meeting in the middle of the night,somewhere in the middle of the park close to Metronom. The place very known in Prague with an amazing view to whole the Prague. As I was approaching to the place I have noticed huge ammount of the people sudden started to gether. There could be seen the lights on behind and some type of strange music.Normaly I would get worried,but this time I got interested and approached to the crowd and was nicely surprised :)



I have just found out that it was the starting concert of the festival of new art type called New Circus. This festival is in Letna Park from 21.8. - 4.9. 2011
Festival full of amazing acrobatic performances with interesting music,poetry,fireworks and much more.
Here is the main page in English with the upcomming program : http://www.letniletna.cz/?ln=en
So dont miss it ;)


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Why did I go first time to Marocco in 2007

Ruler of the world on the childrens playground!
Well,I just got this question several times lately from people from the other side of water flowing in between us (Africa) and the other continet and the I decided to write for u a short story.
Its already a long time and I was much younger full of ideals and I tried to find magic in everything ;)
So,as every summer holiday on university I had to decide where to go to work and as I used to do and I knew that our economy during that time was and still is much more rubbish than on western part of Europe.
In 2005 I was in England,in 2006 I was in Ireland and this time,I stubbornly claimed that I need and want to learn Spanish and I can make it on a street as the streets are the best teacher. The motivation was as well the thing that one of my friends manage to learn spanish in 2 years and I told myself I can make it in shorter time ;)
Well,I packed my things,rose my thumb up and get to Spain. Last hitch that time I had was very long one and we got quite a good friends. We made funny things to people on different parking places - like putting the stickers - Fantomas was here in different color papers and in different languages for Czechs sleeping inside.
Yeah,sometimes I can get funnyly insane :)) And who wouldnt know - Fantomas is old French movie about guy with blue face and appears and disappears :) Well u have to see the movie.
This guy came to me when I was dying from exhaustment on the parking place in Mullhouse going without sleep and being stuck for quite a long time in Germany. German Italian - amazing personality,who crossed the jungle in between colombia to Venezuela just with his backpack and Machette (he used to be a soldier)
Anyway - I got a tip that time that if I go south to Costa del Sol - I wouldnt need that much Spanish and I can learn on the way. That suited me and I just listened to the tip. So I hopped off in Granada (as the guy was going to Cadiz that time to do the tourist guide,moving whole house from Germany to Spain) and pushed for the coast. Anyway - I just wanted to visit several places and there are connected different stories with that,but somehow after a while I made a decision. Why not to try the things in Nerja (they have the place called - Balcony of Europe- which from the name sounded amazingly good - its not that interesting anyway,but well - I used to pick the places where I will stay or see,just from the stars in the map  that time - more stars,bigger chance I come for a visit :p)
So,I jumped out of the car full of teddy bears - the vage memory on this person,who I think was a fire-fighter,but I didnt speak spanish that time and he was talking just spanish,its quite complicated anyway to have some normal conversation if u dont understeand much. And I jumped out in the Hotel district and the end of Nerja. Took my dictionary,created a sentence: Do u have a job for me here? Or do u know where can I find it? And trying to be prepared for any kind of crazy gesticulation :)
I got to know from first bar,that yeah,there is a job,just like hundereds meters direction beach. So that night I pitched a tent with a fear  that some cow will come to eat it,but managed to stay calm.
In the morning I went to ask,didnt understeand anything,just the numbers and I got a place to stay and a bike with my new shiny work. Well,the work at the end wasnt that shiny and there is lot to say about,but maybe some other time.
The work was till late hours and I used to work in Chiringuito - means bar on the beach. We normally finished at midnight or even later and we were lucky with one colleague and friend that time if we managed to get a drink a bit of lamb in another bar which wasnt closed yet :)
And then we sat on the beach,watching the vawes and talking. Yeah,my spanish was getting better. I spoke with andalusian accent,cutted the rest of the ending of teh words,speaking with strong dialect not realising that this is not real spanish :) But word after word I was learning!
So we were on the beach talking with a glass of Orujo in my hand and I asked on something which gave a lot of curiosity to me for a very long time.
What are that lights we see behind that water? What city is over there?
And Antonio replayed: "Thats already Africa." And I got more interested.
 Asking the questions: "How far we are?"Answer: "Like 18 kilometers."
 My heart started to pump faster and faster. I heared about Marocco from another friend who I hitched trough Romania just several months before. Who in one moment told me: If u think that Romania is messy,u should never go to Marocco. Which pissed me on so much,that I told myself,that I will find out what he is talking about.
Anyway,the conversation continued with my question:"Who lives over there and how are the people,have u ever met any of them?" Well,the people are barbarian and cruel and and many many things ...
And in that point I started to be much more interested... Really? U mean it?

And that was when I definitely decided that I have to go that summer to see Marocco and find out! :) 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Common expressions and not that common in Guarani (or whatever my libreta - small notebook) was able to write down in Paraguay

When I arrived after long run trough Argentinian nowhere land crossing from Bolivia to Formosa,Clorinda,where the number of people in the small settlements dont rise up to 800 or 1000 inhabitants in several hundered kilometers or in brazil it would be called cachinga vegetation. I arrived after one day and night to Capital of Paraguay - Asuncion. (I will write about the travel later on - it was quite interesting and I made some videos as well).


I knew that someone is going to be waiting for me over there and I managed to contact the person at the end.
Without any guaranis in my pocket I managed to get to the city to the spot I was indicated to stay and wait.
Well,asking me how I got there for free was - I walked,try to hitch - as I was already in the city and the place seemed to be hell far far away. So I stopped the public transport bus and the driver on my beggings plz plz I dont have any guaranis,can I still go with u? Just vawed with his hand I we went.


As I got to the spot,I managed to call and had to wait for about one hour for the person to appear. At that moment I met the controllers of the busses,who were sitting there where I have put my bag and were making the lines in their small cuadernillos ;) when the bus came and if :)
I got an invitattion for Terere,which I had to courtesly refuse,as I am alergic to matein (anyway,though all my alergies,my curiosity was always stronger and I took a sip later on)
Terere is typical drink from this area and its cold Mate. U just put cold water on Mate and normaly Mate over in Paraguay is mixed with different kind of herbs which should be good for health - like mint.
We got in funnyc onversation with the guys and I started to make my Guarani vocabulary (as I really love to learn new languages and I used to know several people who spoke fluent Guarani and loved this language- which gave me much more curiosity).


If u would be interested how the Guarani sounds here comes the video
Its one year old,from my first trip to Foz de Iguazu and as I got translation out of one girl in Buenos Aires who was from Paraguay - The other truck driver is asking him,if he has already conquisted me. And the guy is saying Negative,negative :D


Ok, and now will come the vocabulary which I managed to write down from our conversation with bus controlers:) So dont take this serious,but could be useful for u later on. Anyway,paraguayos are one of the nicest people I have ever met,being even very funny,caring and helpful :)
Please the pronounciation read in Spanish not in English like E is E not I,Sh is like in englis, ö is like hungarian ö,ü is read like russian strong y, h - like in english,ch like in english or spanish cha cha cha :)


Hola - Hi - Baile Porte!
Q tal - How are u? - Pa ete go?
Como se llamas? What's your name? - Pa eisha de leera?
Me llamo - My name is ... She sherera ...
A donde va? - Where are u going? - Poore ho?
Quiero ir contigo - I want to go with u - Che a ha sendive
lejos - far - Mömbürü 
No hablo Guaraní - I don´t speak Guaraní - Che nañi  ei guaraní
No entiendo Guaraní - I dont understeand Guaraní - Che natendei Guaraní 
Cuanto cuesta? - How much is it? - Pou o vale?

agua - water ü
comida - food - tembiu
hambre - hunger - varea
Tengo sed - I am thirsty ü ei
Quiero comprar comida - I want to buy food - Che ato guase tembiu


Me duele ojo - I have an eye ache - Asy se cheresa
diente - tooth - tai  
dedo - fingerünlsa
nariz - nose -
cuelho - neck - ayura
mano - hand - po
boca - mouth - yurú


Yo voy -  I am going  Che a ha
Yo - I - Che 
Vos - U - Nde
El/ella - he/she - ha'e

Nosotros - weñande
Vosotros -You pluralpeẽ
Ellos - Theyha'e kuéra


mio - mine - chembae
de el - his - imbae
nuestro - ours - orembae
de ellos - theirs - imbaecuera


1 - petú
2 - mokeí
3 - pohapö
4 - inundü
5 - potü
Seems that noone can count over there higher then till 5 
(they especially in Praguay speak with mixture of spanish and Guarani - especially the generation which was living during the despotic dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner in Paraguay from 1954 till 1989)


mujer - woman - kuña
hombre - man - ardiero
niño - boy - mitai
niña - girl - mitacuia
un hombre mayor - older man - karaí
una mujer mayor - older womanuñakaraí
joven - youngster - mitakaraí
novio - boyfriend - menarâ

Señor - Mr. - Karaí 
Señora - Mrs - kuñakaraí 
Señorita - Miss - kuñataî 
bebe - baby - mita

gato - cat - parakuya
perro - dog - takua


tarde - evening - ka’aru
manana - morning - Ko’ê
Noche - night - pyhare


Este - this - pea
arriba - up - ihuate
abajo,piso,suelo - down/ground ühuipe


piedra - rock - ita  (lot of places in brazil has name starting with Ita - close to rio there is a place called itacarai - means old's man rock as we already know ;)
doblado - doubled - caré (like Itacare - the doubled stone)
cobijar - walk with a limp - icaré
grand - big - guasu  (Do u know the huge waterfalls of Iguacu? - Its just ü - like water and guacu - big - Bigwater ;)


Paraguayos are in the things of asking the questions on relationships and how many kids or boyfriends u have the same as brazilians ;) I have been though wondering where do they have these questions from and which culture is it from,in Pragauay I found out!


Here are some Personal and sex related frases in Guarani with some coloquial bad words expressions:
No hay nada - There is nothing - En dö 
Que haces? - What are u doing? - De yapo?
Sois fea - U are ugly - Sin Deai
Como es tu hombre? - How is your man? - Pa echa delera?
Me gustas - I like u - Che utai
No me gustas - I dont like u  - Da Che utai
Te amo - I love u - Rohayhu
Eres casada? - Are u married?  -De ere mendava?
Tienes hijo ? - Do u have a child? - De ere ko membü?
Te quiero comer - I want to have sex with u - Che ro use
Cuantos novios tienes? - How many boyfriends do u have? - Bo ünde chico?
Quiero besar tus labios  - I want to kiss your lips - Ausen de derembe
Quiero comer tu boca - I want to eay your mouth - Hausende yuru
follar - to have sex with - tongo
pene - penis - tembo
concha - vagina - itatu
estupido - idiot - plaga, pachito 


Anyway the last package of words I got even without asking :D
Please take this vocabulary as the result of one hour talk with bus controllers waiting for someone to come.
But at least it was fun and in further links u can find out on your own if it was truth or not;)


For more frases:
http://www.e-portalsur.com.ar/guarani/conversacion.htm
For more things from fonetics (how to read what):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guarani_language


* I like more pronouciacion of Me/Yo Še - She - like the people were speaking,
not the english written version which is Che - Če 
So in this text u can find it in both variants Che and She is the same thing




Paraguay is the only country in the world where almost everybody speaks Guarani and Spanish (means about 90 percent both of the languages). Guarani is taught on schools and talked on the streets.U can find books written in Guarani and even the learning texts. For sure u will find more Guarani online if u would be looking for it :) Tupi-Guarani was the basic native language of indians living in Brazil. Nowadays there stayed just the names of the cities and places in this language in Brazil and almost noone understeands. Its a pity :(
** Read r like omething between l and r almost like english r. Thats why in my opinion in the states where were lot of guaranis in Brazil use english R in portuguese,which distiguish them from other regions - like Sao Paolo or Goiais