Tsminda church and the fantastic views back to Tbilisi city centre and Mtatsminda mountain. Spring is a great time to visit Tbilisi, both for the nice temperature and the amount of greenery in and around the city. It can be uncomfortably hot mid summer.
Back on the English South Coast for a few days, visiting Mum and Dad, where the weather is delightful. A brief pit stop, before I return to Georgia. Despite wonderful recent adventures, Georgia is somewhere I haven’t stopped thinking about. Excited to return to my home from home.
I’ve spent the weekend at a stag do in the Scottish Highlands. It included a visit & tour of the Cairn Whisky Distillery near Aviemore - very impressive set-up, with beautiful views across the River Spey
Brazilian islands to Scottish Highlands transfer complete. That was a long few days - 4 flights in total, rounded off with a 5am departure from Lisbon to Inverness, via Amsterdam today.
Landed in Lisbon in the early hours of this morning & have 48 hours to kill in Lisbon, before my next flight to Scotland. It’s a city I’ve been to quite a few times before, but always enjoy how many pretty sites you can see in easy walking distance.
The approach to São Paulo. A heck of a lot of concrete & a very big place - a population of 11.8 million, with Greater São Paulo increasing to more than 20 million.
Cheers Florianopolis, thank you for being wonderful. Quite a commute I have ahead for my sister’s fiancé’s stag do - Florianopolis to Inverness isn’t quite the easiest route. Flight one of four.
Brazil it’s been a blast. The people here simply seem to have a joy for life, their natural disposition is to smile, to laugh & be friendly. A lot live actively, but let their hair down at any opportunity. Lots of folk live their lives outside, but easy when it’s this beautiful.
My final sunset on the surfing coast of Santa Catarina Island in Brazil really delivered. My first South American stint is nearly over, highlights include Argentine Patagonia, Chile as a full package (particularly the surfing coast near Pichilemu) & this current Brazilian island. Europe bound soon.
I spent the afternoon hiking through the rainforest surrounding Lagoa da Conceição, to a village which is only accessible by hiking 2 hours or by boat. Seriously impressive place, with a number of waterfalls along the route & plenty of wildlife/birdlife, including many monkeys.
A little edit from the past 4 weeks in Brazil. I planned to only be on Santa Catarina Island/Floripa for 2, but it will be closer to 5 when I leave on Friday. Really enjoyed my time here.
Last few days in Brazil. I’ve had a wonderful time here, but done much less exploring about than I usually do while travelling. I found a spot, loved it & focused on surfing. Looking forward to new adventures now, heading to Europe briefly, then on to my home from home - Georgia.
I had a bit of a shock when this fella walked towards me in a rural part of Santa Catarina island. My slight panic reduced when he marched over to a tree & started chopping off fruit.
On my way to dinner last night in Florianopolis, I heard music in the distance. I followed to find a house/techno rave kicking off at 6pm in the city streets, which went on throughout the night. Highly unexpected, fantastically wild & I’ve taken mild kicking as a result today.
I always carry mine in a holster.
In Brazil they’re fond of a buffet restaurant. You weigh your plate after serving it & your bill is decided by the weight. This particular spot in my small surf town is owned by a butcher’s family, so there is always fantastic meat options (which change daily). A steal at £4.50.
It’s rather moist in this part of Brazil at the moment. It has been torrential rain for the majority of the past 48 hours. It made for quite a surreal surf yesterday - monsoon style rain, large waves brought by the storm, howling winds & fish leaping out the water everywhere.
It has been torrential rain here on Flopria today, however, this chap had it all figured out - a new use for a large sun parasol from an ice cream stand.
Decided to extend my stay on Santa Catarina island. The scenery is phenomenal and it’s proving to be great value for money - £19 a night for a nice private room with en-suite, next to one of the main surf beaches & mountain views. A pint of craft beer costs £2 & a big meal at a restaurant £6-£8.
Snaps from today’s hike near Barra da Lagoa - spectacular views from the top. However, the Atlantic Rainforest is a tough place, it felt like everything was attacking me - spiky plants everywhere, bugs mullering me, punishingly humid & warnings for venomous snakes/creatures.
The Praia da Joaquina sand dunes on Santa Catarina island in Brazil. The scale of these are enormous and I had to remind myself I wasn’t in North Africa.
Santa Catarina Island is proving to be a very lovely place. Thick forested hills, sharply dropping down to fantastic beaches or lagoons. It’s a haven for water sports too, with lots of surf spots, great wind & kite surfing elsewhere, plus calmer areas for paddle boarding etc.
The approach to Florianópolis & my first proper glimpse of Brazil. Beautiful area, with mountains down to the sea, really long expanses of white sandy beaches, plus large inland lagoons. I’m here to surf for a few weeks & the water was warm enough for no wetsuit today.
Spending a night further up the coast from Montevideo city centre, ahead of tomorrow’s flight to Brazil. Beautiful beaches in this part of Uruguay.
Both Montevideo & Buenos Aires are annoyingly nocturnal. Unless you go out super late at night, there is a lack of atmosphere. A wander around Montevideo on Saturday morning/lunch - dead, brunch spots opening at noon, pubs at 6pm, dinner 9pm +. Santiago had a vibe all the time.
I’ve got such a lot of time for this Danubio fan, who watched the game up a tree behind the ultras & got involved with the songs. He must be about 40-50ft up the thing & wafting the branches along to the tune.
Danubio 1 - 1 Defensor Sporting - a slice of Uruguayan Premier League action on a Thursday. For a small crowd it had a lively atmosphere & it was good to see away fans (they are banned from attending games in Argentina). Both Cavani & Forlan spent time at Danubio early in their careers.
Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, where the first ever World Cup Final was held in 1930. Great to have a snoop around today & I had it to myself, apart from a few workers taking down some staging after a recent gig.
There is an aged charm to Montevideo, which reminds me a little of Porto. There are a lot of characterful older properties throughout the city, in varying states of upkeep. It’s a pleasant place to be, especially with the outlet of a coastline & beaches.
I adored Chile. Santiago, the surrounding mountains & coastline near Pichilemu, delivered enormously. It’s a full package - beautiful nature (vast mountains & coast), lively cities, creative, good weather & food, friendly people, it feels free spirited & fun. So much more to see too. Now to Uruguay.
