South America 2014 - a tour "diary"

[willow]

Always love too see your pics!!

[jarmo]

Thanks!

April 8  - day off Asunci?n, Paraguay

Head on over to the football museum next to our hotel. It's for the South American football federation. Our guide is a local, so everything is in Spanish.
It's a hot day, so walking indoors in the air conditioned museum for a bit is kinda refreshing.



Later on we go downtown to see the old town.
Walk around and decide not to walk into a sketchy looking neighborhood.




After lunch we end up at some kind of little market at a square. Walk around more and see the weirdest looking record store I've seen in a long time. It's amazing that record stores exist, but this one looks... A bit chaotic.



Head back to the hotel and have drinks at the pool bar a the top floor. See Bumblefoot and fans gather at the main entrance downstairs.

April 9 - show day in Asunci?n, Paraguay

Same venue as in 2011. I think it's a (horse) race track. As we get closer to the show, dark clouds start to gather. Then a thunderstorm hits the concert site just when GN'R are supposed to start. Winds, rain and lightning all making sure the show has to wait. The storm passes and it's hard to believe the fans would still be there. But they are. Quite amazing.

Show photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/sets/72157643770691294/




/jarmo

[jarmo]

April 10 - travel day to La Paz, Bolivia

Get ready to leave for airport. News flash, we're staying here for the day. Leaving in the evening instead.
Watch a Gremio game while we are waiting to depart.

The airport is quiet and deserted. I guess not many flights depart at around 11pm.
Buy a water, and then have to drink it before security. Oh well. Gotta make sure to be hydrated before getting to the high altitude.
Walk through and look in Duty Free. Not much there. Can't find anything worth spending my local currency on. So time for a coffee.

Walk on the tarmac to our chartered plane. It's quite small.




As I head towards the stairs to the plane, I notice the thunder and lightning in the sky in the distance. That can't be good....
Sit down at the back.



The plane is full of GN'R crew and the flight crew.

We take off, and fly into a thunderstorm. Worst turbulence I've ever experienced. We're going up and down, sideways and who knows what other directions.
Not my idea of a calm flight. There goes my chance of getting some sleep.

Eventually it calms down and we are served a sandwich. But that sure woke me up, I definitely can forget any thoughts about taking a nap during the flight.

April 11 - day off La Paz, Bolivia

We land in La Paz, Bolivia. Most of us have never been here before. It's now the 11th since our flight was so late.
As soon as the plane's door opens, I notice the altitude.The air is dry and it's more difficult to breathe. And I'm still on the plane!

The walk to the terminal building seems like it's uphill. Even though it's flat. It's chilly as well. We're the only ones at immigration, and it takes a while for all of us to pass. Then a walk to the vans that wlil take us towards downtown La Paz.

Get to the vans and there's oxygen there for those who might need it. As we start the journey, it's clear the central La Paz is downhill. Downtown is down the hill!

Breakfast is served once we make it to the hotel. Have something to eat. Their tea selection is a bit different from what we got at home. "Té de Coca" is on their tea menu. Coca leaf tea for those who don't know.

After my coffee (no tea for me), I go to my room to take a nap.

Wake up, exchange some money and wander outside. Buy water (remember to stay hydrated in this dry air) and making sure that I'm not being overly active today. Taking it easy. Still feeling ok despite the altitude. But as soon as you walk a little, you do notice the altitude.






/jarmo

[jarmo]

April 12 - show day in La Paz, Bolivia

First ever GN'R show in Bolivia. It'll definitely be memorable.
Get to the venue and this is probably the only place I've been there where there's oxygen bottles for us at venue.

You don't see that at every venue.

It gets chilly here as the sun set, and it gets even chillier later at night. The show starts with You Could Be Mine and it's kinda hard to imagine that we are pretty high up in the mountains. The band plays for a long time consider the conditions.

Show photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/sets/72157643877995744/

After the show, in the early morning I get back to our hotel, shower, upload some photos from the show, close my suitcase and then go down to the lobby.




/jarmo

[jarmo]

April 13 - Travel day to Brazil

In the lobby, we get into vans and drive up the mountain to the airport.

The lines at check in are amazing. Organized chaos. More paper work to fill out. Once you get to the counter, they want to make copies of your passport and the paperwork. Then those papers are stapled together and you get your boarding card.

Then off to the line for the security. One person checks your boarding card and another puts a sticker on it. Then the line continues for a bit before you come to three people who check your passport, your carry on (manually) before you're allowed to put the carry on through the x ray. Considering the exports out of Bolivia, it makes sense to have this kind of security.

I eventually make it to the gate and watch others fall asleep. I stay awake and wait. Once I get on the plane, I fall asleep.

Wake up and we are landing in Santa Cruz. Everyone is getting off the place. Into the terminal for more security checks and then back to the gate area.

Get a coffee and burn my tongue. Hottest coffee I've had in ages!

Back to the place. Sit and watch as a security person pats down the baggage handlers as they come out of the plane's cargo hold.

Arrive at Guarulhos airport outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil and go staright to the check in counter for the next flight to Recife.

This airport is pretty familiar to me by now. I go eat a coxinha, a Brazilian chicken pastry snack.

Then through security, and downstairs to get on a bus. Arrive at the gate, and wait.

Land in Recife in the evening. Off to find food.

April 14 - day off Recife







Day off in Recife. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Have some coconut water at the beach.

There's a bunch of fans outside the hotel.

Go to a mall and see a crowd outside a store. Turns out it's the Bumblefoot Meet & Greet. Go and have Acai flavored frozen yoghurt....



/jarmo

[w.david rose]

Thanks for sharing these moments with us

[jarmo]

No worries.
It's just for fun.


April 15 - Show day in Recife

We are in a suburb (?) outside Recife itself. The band's first show in Brazil's northeast and a nice change to the high altitude of La Paz. 

There's no coffee until dinner time. How's that possible? But there's cake since there's a birthday to be celebrated!


April 16 - Travel day to Fortaleza

Take a short flight to Fortaleza. Our hotel is right on the beach. There's a fish market to the right, and restaurants to the left of the entrance.

Head out for some food. Eat some local food and for some reason they can't seem to get the Caipirinha right. It's not just me being difficult. My local friends think it's not good either. It's not supposed to be that sour...



I guess they focused too much on the presentation.


Walk along the beach in the evening.



April 17 - Show day in Fortaleza

Last show of the tour. It's in a convention center, and it's pretty modern. Catering is huge and they have coffee.

There's a flash mob during Sweet Child. A nice surprise.

After the show people are hurrying packing up. Go back to hotel and wake up in the morning to go say bye to some friends. I'll be staying here for a few days with my girlfriend and some friends.

Holidays in the sun!





It was one hell of a tour again. Looking back, it's always amazing how insanely passionate the crowds are there. Very cool to go visit Bolivia for the first time too.

Thanks to everybody who made it possible and who made it the great experience it was.


Thanks for reading this little "diary".



/jarmo

[w.david rose]

Fun Fun Fun!!!
Never been in South America

[jarmo]

I definitely recommend going if you get a chance.




/jarmo