12. Off to Brazil for a week or two (BA, Argentina)

The last few days have been busy... on Tuesday a group from my university invited me to go to Brazil with them for a week. Here's an email I wrote to a friend yesterday

Sounds good but today's really not good for me. I have to finish off a speech I'm writing for Spanish school now, apply for the visa for Brazil and buy the bus ticket this morning, do my homework, have lunch, have a private spanish lesson for an hour at 1.30, and then my class at UBA from 3 - 6pm.

another email, later:

I booked the bus ticket today and my visa - well after filling out the form and queuing behind 30 elderly americans off a cruise liner it turns out NZers don't need a visa for Brazil - I guess the Lonely Planet was wrong on that one.

Today is the final day of my 4 week Spanish course at UBA, I was telling a friend that yesterday I finally felt like I had a handle on what was going on in the classroom - at the end of the course! The first week I hardly understood a word. A Chinese lady in my class has been here for like 7 years so that was what I was up against. The Chinese and their corner stores are in every country, Argentina is no exception!
Anyway, since today is the final day we have our exam this afternoon which I should be studying for now but instead I'm typing this. After that there's a party at a guy's house, and then tomorrow at 7am I have to catch our bus to Brazil - a 30 hour non-stop trip, to Florianópolis, for some beach action.

I should really be spending the week heading to the South of Argentina while it's still summer, but right now is Carnaval week in Brazil, which is pretty much a week of partying and shouldn't be missed. The best spots to go to are Rio de Janeiro and Salvador but that's even further so we'll settle for Florianópolis. Accomodation could be hard to find though...