I know you all will laugh but the life of a globetrotter is really busy. You are continously traveling - sometimes 1000km in a day, sitting in a bus, sleeping, reading & going on toilet. The day you arrive you normally are exhausted, you have to find a place were to stay, what to see and check out the place. Later you have to socialize with other people, telling where you come from & where you will go & last but not least the reason why you are travelling, making excursions and culture studies in every respect - culinary, partying, etc. - so you nearly found any time to public regularly posts but at least I want to fullfil my monthly's plegde of 2 posts and process my yesteryear.
Traveling more and more from the east to the west of North Brazil I also stopped on the 11th Jan for 2 days in Sao Luis. Sao Luis is the capital of the state Maranhao, has about a million inhabitants but despite of that number the city centre kept an enjoyable small-town atmosphere. The hostel was situated in a historical colonial building in the historical part of the town which strongly reminds me to Pelourinho, Salvador de Bahia's historical centre. Since I didn't made in Salvador any fotos of that you cn get an idea from my fotos from Sao Luis how it's look like. But unfortunetly I stepped in the Sunday trap again...I arrived there at midday; the city were totally empty again.
When I went out on the street at about 2 p.m. to stroll a bit around, a staff member from the hostel ran after me shouting I should take care. I hate that when people create fear in me. It was a sunny day...I can't stay the whole day inside only because it's sunday and the streets are empty. Everyone went to the beach, so the only person I met on the street were a pregnant prostitute.So I said, better to be with her than alone...so the probability decrease that I will get robbed. also I had time so I shouted a drink for her and she told me that her "platonic" Dutch friend will take her in to the Netherlands in short time - so "finger's crossed" he will rememeber her. 
Luckily my night was the total different of lonesomeness. I met up with Isabel, a really girl from Sao Luis with who I spend New Year's Eve in Praia da Pipa in one room, and we went to a Reggea Party at the beach. Sao Luis is the heart of Reggea in Brazil. She asked if I know how to dance reggea, I looked a bit mazed at her what she was talking about because in my imagination dancing reggea there aren't any special dancng steps needed. But apparently I was wrong. Reggea here you dance in couple, slowly, closely together but furthermore there are some steps which I couldn't catch up. So at latest after 2 dances with me my dance partners were very thirsty and went off. So, next thing on my to do list: LEARNING REGGEA DANCING! But apart from that we had really fun, drinking lot's of ice cold beers (slowly I get used to it, it's less strong than in Germany, so Isabel drove me pretty fine at home after how many litres?) and I was impressed, how crowded a place can be on a Sunday night.
Next day at night I took a overnight to the 800km far city Belem, the capital of the state Para and access to the Amazonas. Surprisigly I arrived exactly on the day of Belem's 394.anniversary where several interesting events were going on in town. After a long nap in the bus and a fresh shower at 7 a.m. in my hostal I war really excited to discover the city since my guide tald me there are planty stuff to see. The guy of the hostel seemed really kind. After I told him that I am interested in booking a boat trip into the Amazonas, which he sells to hostel tourists as a kind of a secret business without knowing by the hostel, he offered me a free braekfast in the hostel which they would charge normally apart. As a budget traveller quiet hungry the early morning, of course, I didn't reject his offer and tried from everything - the fresh juice, the scrambled eggs, the fruits and cheese and went to the town afterwards. First and last sightseeing point was the theatre place where a several metres long cake was placed which the mayor of Belem personally cut. So another tick on my famous Brazilian person list I met ;). Every one was gearing for cake, it was so crowded and slowly my stomach made strange noises. Back to the hostel I start vomiting and got squitts and stomach cramps, so my day was done and for me no Sambadromo at night watching at national Samba stars...KOTZ, but in the truest sense of the word...I think it was the "fresh" Cupuacu-juice =(. 
After so much time in bed I waked up the following morning already at 3 a.m., felt better again and so went to Belem's famous fish and meat market "Ver-o-Peso". The ships arrive in the habour at 4 a.m. and the fishermen start to sell there stuff. It's really busy atmosphere, people shouting and you can "see the weight" of meat you buy. Than I made a mini-sightseeing throw the town but since not every day a boat to Santarem in the Amazonas where leaving I had to catch one at the same day and used the rest of the day to buy my survival pack for 3 days ship trip into the Amazonas...basically a Hammock (I choos a Nylon one since it's very small and light for travelling), a closable tupperware bow for eating musli, etc., and of course some crackers, biscuits, juice mix, noodle snacks and soaps nad most important fruits. My guide warned me about the foot of the ship, so I got better prepared. But my Boat trip is an own stroy and will be told in the next blog...stay tuned!