10 latest experiences http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol en-us When my boyfriend and I headed off to Rio de Janeiro, we had no idea what to expect. We spoke no Portuguese, had very little money, and no real promise of work when we got there. Yet, probably more through luck than judgement, we landed a job in a hostel and managed to stay here for six months. Our hostel was in beautiful Ipanema, known as one of the wealthiest and safest areas in this stunning but crime-ridden city. Just minutes from the beach, we worked three afternoon shifts a week each, giving us plenty of time for sunbathing and exploring the city. And what a city it is. Quite apart from the most dramatically magnificent natural landscape you could ever imagine, there is the year-round hot sunny weather, the music, the friendly people, the festival atmosphere...I could go on and on. We were here for the world cup, when the whole city erupted in impromptu street parties (sadly the partying came to an end all too soon for us, with Brazil and England knocked out on the s... Rio de Janeiro, Brazil CocaColaAguaSkol Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:45:13 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol/experience/755 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/755 Parque Tayrona is famed for its beautiful beaches, and we went here intending to relax on the sands for a couple of days. Maybe splash around in the clear blue Caribbean seas a bit...nothing more strenuous than that. Somehow we ended up clambering uphill over treacherous mountain paths that had me fearing for my life. How did that happen?? The beaches in Parque Tayrona are gorgeous, there's no question about that. We rented a hammock on Arrecifes, the first big beach you come to. The sands back straight onto sheer jungle, so if you are scared of insects you will be terrified by some of the sights and sounds here. As night falls you will see and hear unimaginably strange things...try not to dwell too much on what they might be! With only one full day here, we decided to try and fit in a trek up to some ancient ruins in the mountains. Informed that it was a walk of 'about an hour and a half' , off we went, with me in my skirt and flip flops. Oops. This wasn't so much a walk as an as... Santa Marta, Colombia CocaColaAguaSkol Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:22:13 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol/experience/753 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/753 I arrived in Taganga, on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, at the very end of a 10-month trip to South America. I don't think we really intended to stay for five weeks, but as soon as we put our backpacks down we seemed to be unable to move!! Taganga is a quiet fishing village just a few minutes' bus ride from the small city of Santa Marta. The beach in the centre of the village is a bit ropey, but if you scramble round the mountain for a few minutes you'll find a number of lovely places to swim, snorkle and sunbathe. Taganga is also a fantastic place to learn to scubadive - apparently one of the cheapest places in the world to do so, and scuba schools are everywhere. We managed to rent a small 'house' (it was a little hut with a big concrete extension that soaked up all the water when the tropical rains came) and had a great time here when we weren't boiling to death thanks to the insane heat and poor air con. We shared our house with all kinds of crawling things, and our ... Taganga, Colombia CocaColaAguaSkol Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:45:22 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol/experience/752 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/752 For football fans visiting Rio, making a trip to the enormous Maracana stadium is as vital as seeing the Christ statue or taking the cable car up Sugar Loaf mountain. But even if you're not interested in 'futebol', you should really make time in your itinerary to take in a game at the world famous stadium. We were sitting in the 'cheap seats', and I was blown away by the energy of the fans - my adopted Brazilian team, Flamengo, lost against visitors from the South of Brazil, but the atmosphere was still electric. Samba drums, huge flags, dancing, singing and fireworks were all part of the experience, and we didn't have to miss a second of the action as everything we might want to buy – from beer to soft drinks and snacks - was on hand thanks to the plentiful vendors who wind their way through the seats offering their wares. I first went to a match as part of a tourist trip organised by the hostel where I was working, but it's easy enough to get there by yourself on ... Rio de Janeiro, Brazil CocaColaAguaSkol Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:59:24 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol/experience/751 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/751 When I arrived in Ilha Grande, I had already been in Rio de Janeiro for two weeks, and this blissful island provides the perfect chilled-out getaway from that crazy/beautiful city. We took the bus from Rio to the town of Angra dos Reis, a journey which took around three hours. After a great deal of fuss trying to find a cashpoint (vital as there are none on Ilha Grande itself) we found we had missed the afternoon ferry, but hitched a ride on a fishing boat. Although we were slightly unnerved by the skull and crossbones flag and the driver's incessant smoking of pot, the presence of a couple of Brazilian tourists reassured us against the likelihood of being robbed at sea. The boat bounced along the gentle waves for just over two hours, and we were able to appreciate the scale of this enormous island, most of which is designated as a nature reserve and out of bounds to tourists. As the time passed, the sky grew darker and darker until it was almost pitch black. What with our po... Ilha Grande, Brazil CocaColaAguaSkol Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:12:32 +0100 http://www.hereorthere.com/members/cocacolaaguaskol/experience/749 http://www.hereorthere.com/experiences/749