First days on the trip full of adventure

Hi everyone,

Our first days on the trip have been pretty hectic. It all began with a journey to Frankfurt where we spent a short time before leaving to our first destination within our round the world trip. In the morning we started from Trutno located in the north-east of Bohemia in the Giant Mountains. The snow was falling all night so the road was quite hurdle. But after 2,5 hours we reached Prague. There we met with the rest of the family and several friends. Saying goodbye was really weird. But we were not going for two weeks holiday. But finally we got on the bus to Germany.

Couchsurfing in Frankfurt am Main

After about 3 hours of a ride to Nuremberg by bus we decided to explore the surroundings of the beautiful train station. Then we jumped on a 2-hour train heading towards Frankfurt. There we slept at our first couchsurfer Sun from India. We would really like to thank him again to let us stay in his place for that one night although it was a really bad timing from our side because of his work issues. Sun was kinda eccentric guy trying to live in a metropolis out of India, more precisely trying to get along with Germans and their culture while his family in India zealously waited for him to get married. 😉

Couchsurfing is a super thing to do and we truly recommend everyone who hasn’t heard or has heard but is not able to move on to become a part of this community. Sun cook a very delicious indian meal for us, tol dus so many interesting things and we really enjoy our short stay with him very much.

The other day we headed to our second CS Jochen. Originally we should have stayed both nights at his place but he had a small accident and broke his leg. Our meeting was abnormal. We picked Jochen up at the hospital and went with him to his apartment where we helped him a little bit. He had grotches so he wasn’t really able to do everything on his own. We would also like to give a big thanks to Jochen for accepting us in his difficult situation. Jochen is a big fan of public transportation like trams and buses made and operated in former Soviet Union countries.

Flight from Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro for a carnival

Waking up early in the morning and travelling to the airport. Everything was alright of course but the journey took unbelievable 18 hours where we spent 13 hours in the place. Well trans-atlantic flights are not easy but it is the fastest way how to get there. The biggest shock and surprise was definitely the climate change. From cca 2°C (35 °F) we got into a place with 40°C (104 °F). We felt like a chicken you get out of the freezer and put it to the microwave. A real massacre for us!

Taxi in Rio – that’s a ride

After our arrival at the airport we tried to find the ATM. Shock number 1 – almost no-one spoke English but the luck was on our side. Fortune smiled on us also when we made a withdrawal. It worked for the first time and we got the money but other backpackers travelling with us from Frankfurt weren’t so lucky. We were wondering when even Germans weren’t able to withdraw from their debit card.So there we got the piece of knowledge number 1 – the bank card system is on quite a good level in the Czech Republic 😉

After we bought something to eat we went in front of the airport hall to the taxi station. The language barrier was a problém for a while but then we made a deal for a fixed price 78 R$. We used a yellow taxi our Brazilian friends recommended. Never take taxi offers in the stalls nearby the carousel, they are overpriced. Travelling by taxi in Rio is an adventure. There comes a shock number 2. The driver look like 80 years old and our speed never got lower than 80 km/h. Maybe it all seemed so hectic because of our fatigue. But we finally got back to our accommodation.

Accommodation in Rio de Janeiro

In Rio we stay via Airbnb at the elder lady that advises us and helps us with everything we need. Our accommodation if very nice and on a perfect place and reasonable price. Making a reservation in advance paid off. It’s only 200 m to one of the most famous beaches in the world Copacabana. If you are looking for a nice and cheap place to stay in Rio for sure consider staying at Ruth. We can recommend this place.

We’ve been here for two days only but managed to do and see many attractions and things. We went twice on the beach, made a trip to favela Rocinha, visited local fruit market, had traditional brazilian Feijoada and gained knowledge on a local Free Tour from an interesting girl who gave up on her career and now guides people around the city. Rio has mesmerized us, it is full of colors, temperament and surprisingly is far safer than we expected. Soon we’ll perhaps feel like local Cariocas. But maybe after we enjoy carnival in Rio first.

And if you want to see what we’ve visited, watch our photos in Rio.

Tento příspěvek je také k dispozici v jazyce: Czech