Difficult journey

So day four was a travelling day.
My day started with me going to the beach and enjoy my final moments on Cobacabana beach. I love that place.

After lunch I took a taxi to the Rio bus station. My plan was to take a 2 hour ride to Angra De Rais, a small harbor town between Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. From there I took a ferry, a very interesting old boat, to a small island called Ilha Grande. Its the paradise Island that took 2 hours to get to by the ferry.
I arrived there at 9 PM, tired, hungry and needed to pee. Not so good situation.

So I take my HUGE luggage to go to the Hostel I was supposed to stay at. It was so hard since the Island doesnt have roads, no cars ( exept for police, firetruck and ambulance ), and only way to get to the hostel was to walk over the beach. SHIT.. I had to drag my luggage for 20 min. and it was SO difficult.

So when I got to the hostel, the lady told me there was no free space. I'm like WHAT!!
I had a reservation, I had already paid part of the amount and I had dragged the suitcase all this way!!
So the lady found me another place to stay at, she asked her son ( or some young dude ) to take my luggage to the new hostel and I got refunded the money had already paid.
I was so ANGRY.

So I came to this other hostel, got my room and then went to eat. Had to get my mind of this frustration.
Then I turned back to the hostel to sleep.
So nice.
-with love-

Seven hours in a tour :)

So it's been a while since I posted something here but it's been for good reasons. But here is further info on my holidays in Brazil.

Day 3 in Rio was very good.
I started the day with taking a 5 hour tour around the most important things in Rio. I went to Pedra Bonita, that has great view over Rio and it's coast lines.
Then the we went to a national park of Tijuca just to see the nature and how beautiful it is.
Next step in the tour was to go to see the Christ statue - or the "Big Dude" as it was called in the tour guide ;)
Oh man, seeing that statue was AMAZING. It's so HUGE, so elegant and so powerful. I spent an hour there and I only looked at the statue and then the stunning view over Rio De Janeiro that the statue has every day and enjoyied the lovely weather that we had that day.

I actually found out something very interesting at the Christ statue. It as a small chapel inside where people are invited to pray and/or even get married there. ( that would be very expensive but possible )
I went in there, sat for a while and just embraced the peace and power that I felt from that statue.
I highly recommend to everyone that are on their way to Brazil - GO TO RIO :)

Last step in the tour was to visit this neighbourhood in Rio called Santa Tereza. It is supposed to be very old, nice town. So we sat down there and had lunch.
I got Black beans, rice and pork ( typical Brazilian dish ) and I have to admit it was better then it looked like ;)
When I finally got back to the hostel it was already 17:00, so it ment I spent 7 hours on a tour... not so shabby :P

In the evening I went for dinner, read a book and prepared some work I had to do. YEAH..
Then I went early to sleep because I had to wake up early the next morning.
So that's day 3 in Rio... I loved it!!

- with love -

Day 2 in Rio :)

ok. Day 2 in Rio was like this ;)



I woke up to get great coffee and bread. Then I went to the beach to enjoy some sun since the day was much better then before.



I spent good time there sunbathing, then I went for lunch and had a very expensive sandwitch.

After lunch me and Tomas went to a Favella tour under the name "be a local". I had to ride a motorcycle up to the place because that is faster.
So what is a Favella?
Its a neigbourhood of poor people where they have made their homes in order to have a place to stay. Favellas are supposed to be dangerous place to live, under gang laws and people dont have honest jobs.
OK... most of this above is not true. Favella is a place for people to live that can not afford to live in the cities. And it can be dangerous but only if you do not follow the "laws".
people do have honest jobs, mostly in Rio. And they are trying hard to provide for their babies.
In Favellas, girls as young as 12 years old are starting to have their own families. Thats why the favellas are growing in a fast paste in Brazil.
Favella tour was very interesting for me to see that peoples lifes are not the same even though the live in the same city. People really do have to struggle.

The tour took around 3 hours and when we got back to the hostel we sat down to watch some TV with other hostel guests.

In the evening there were more AIESECers in the hostel from AIESEC Colombia.
They were really cool so I spent the evening playing UNO with them in spanish ( note to you - I dont speak spanish )
That was a very interesting experience hehe.

But I did go early to sleep because I had booked another tour in the morning and I wanted to be Fresh for that one.
COOL ah?
-with love-

Living on a paradise Island

its 22.23 and Im sitting outside, Im tired and I want to go to sleep.

Im currently on a small island called Ilha Grande and its a paradise island between Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. I can not say at this point if its beautiful or not since its been dark the whole time here.

My holidays have been super cool.
I arrived early sunday to Rio De Janeiro and took a taxi to the hostel, called walk on the beach in Cobacabana. So cool.
I checked in and went to sleep since I didnt sleep well in the bus to Rio.

When I woke up I decided I couldnt waste more time so I ran to the beach..even though it was not sunny outside, and I staid there for 2 hours.
Then I got back and did more sleep until Tomas came back from a soccer game.
Then we went out for dinner with English couple to a restaurant called Bagdad. The food was good and it was a nice experience.
After this exotic food Tomas invited us for a shisha. So we sat there for few minutes smoking Cappochino Sisha. Very nice.
Then i went back to sleep :)

I have lots more to say what I have been doing in Rio but I just wanted to let you know I was still alive.
Now Im planning on getting some sleep. Its been a long travelling day.

-with love from Ilha Grande, Brazil -

end of the conference

This is the last day of the conference.
I'm tired and I have to admit I'm ready to leave. Somehow I just want to get back to Europe.

Tonight I'm going to Rio de Janeiro with bunch of people. I'm looking forward to that. I really want to see the statue of Christ there and then be on the beach and just relax and not do anything.

My flight back to Europe is on 8th September, I'll be flying to Portugal and then to London. So my arrival time in London is on 9th September. What a long trip.
But that's life of an AIESECer I guess.

this conference has given my a different insight into the organization, so I guess that the saying is true " you live, you learn".
Some has been great, some has been frustrating and some has been just painful.
But overall feelings of this conference is great. I enjoy my work and I enjoy the company of my team.
We are really a cool one !!
-with love-

F**king Freezing

I am now sitting in the AI office, Again, and this time I'm Freezing.
The AC is on and it seems like they are trying to get the whole delgetations at the conference sick in one way or another.. and they are doing a great job.

I'm feeling not so great and therefore I'm having a hard time focus on my work, and believe you me - I can not afford that during this conference.

There are only 2 and half day left at the conference but what I will do next is a little unclear. I might go to Rio for few days and then end up in Sao Paulo. I think that will be something that I want.
I want to see the statue of Christ in Rio, stay at Cobacabana beach and enjoy my holidays.

So I will keep you updated.
- with love -

killing myself partying

Oh man.
Another Crazy night of partying. This time with part of the GN board family. I staied up until 04:00 and woke up at 07:30 to attend my first meeting of the day.

The day was good. I had two company meetings, one with DHL and one with PwC. I got great insight into some possibilities I can work on over the year. So that's great.
I also met up with Mieke and Lyuba from AIESEC in Iceland, they attended my DHL meeting to enhance their learning and then I gave them some insight into my experience with AIESEC in Iceland and what I could see as potentials for them to capitalize on.

I'm still not sure where I will stay after IC, most likely France. Nothing has been decided but I hope to get some answers soon so I can book my travels from London when I'm back.

I miss my family, I miss my friends but in a way that I appriciate them more but not in away that I'm crying for coming home.
So now I'm trying to look into investments banks in Europe and then prepare to go to the CEE party where the theme is VODKA :P
So I'm not expecting very active morning tomorrow.. but lets see ;)

- with love -