South America 2014 - a tour "diary"

[GypsySoul]

And the tour diary is about your coffee breaks.

I, of course, really enjoy and appreciate all the updates n' pics Jarmo shares with us from the shows but I also really enjoy reading his tour diary too. I don't get to travel so it's nice to get this kind of perspective. 

Instead we get the same line that he basically knows nothing more than we do. 

To be fair, even the other band members give us the same line that they basically know nothing more than we do, too. 

[Mr. Redman]

Are we going to get a LV tour diary also? Lol. I'd love to see what could be said about the month.

[jarmo]

The purpose of this isn't to give insight to Axl's, or the band's life on tour. If you're looking for that, I'm sorry, you won't find it here.

I traveled with the crew. The first people to arrive at the venue, and the last to leave. Also the first ones to move on to the next city after the show is done.





/jarmo

[jarmo]

March 28 - Show day in Sao Paulo, Brazil

The usual morning routine. Breakfast at this nice hotel.

Then off to the venue, which is outside. And it's a hot day.
There's a stream of people walking through the backstage area. One of the entrances is behind the stage. To get from our offices to the local production offices, you gotta cross this river of people.
Lots of people are taking part in the backstage tour today. But it goes smoothly.

After the show, what was our catering tent is now the "party tent". A bunch of guests are there and outside waiting for somebody. Possibly a band member to make an appearance.

Hang out with my friends and girlfriend. Before it's time to go back to the hotel.


March 29 - Travel day to Curitiba

Back to Congonhas to fly to Curitiba. A city I've never been to. Always nice to see new places.
Unfortunately I'm not on the same flight as my girlfriend. She's flying about an hour later than us.

Once we arrive in Curitiba, we take vans to our hotel in the city. It takes a while. Along the road I see a bunch of barbecue (churrasco) places. You know you're in the south.

We arrive at the hotel, and apparently Roberto Carlos (famous Brazilian singer) is also staying there. The hotel itself isn't anything special.
There's pretty much no hot water in the shower. I guess having a bunch of GN'R crew check in does that to certain hotels. The location is nice though.



Walk around a bit before taking a cab to the market.
Since it's Saturday, and we're in Brazil, I have to get some Feijoada. We manage to find a place and get some lunch.

After the food coma, we head out for a walk. End up in a German restaurant. Or possibly a Brazilian version of a German restaurant. The beer is good though.





/jarmo

[14 Yrs Of Silence]

The purpose of this isn't to give insight to Axl's, or the band's life on tour. If you're looking for that, I'm sorry, you won't find it here.

I traveled with the crew. The first people to arrive at the venue, and the last to leave. Also the first ones to move on to the next city after the show is done.





/jarmo

I realize its your forum and you can certainly do whatever you like, but wouldn't it make more sense to put this blog into the jungle or something else since its not really GN'R related? I get that the pretext is traveling with the Gn'R crew from place to place, but other than that its your personal blog and excludes any insight into GN'R, whether it be the band or the crew. 

[jarmo]

You're free to ignore it.
No one's making you read it. 




/jarmo

[RnT]

Jarmo, next time you guys take a walk on Avenida Paulista here in S?o Paulo (famous street here). I live there (in fact, almost in front of Maskoud Plaza hotel, where our boy did this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ABlfOXVqtus/TkO_lV5ftMI/AAAAAAAAB68/LYNwkIRcxhQ/s1600/789.jpg )  and you, the band and the crew are all invited to come to my apartament. I could make some hamburguers for all of you. Tell Axl this 

[alcapone_dudu]

March 29 - Travel day to Curitiba


After the food coma, we head out for a walk. End up in a German restaurant. Or possibly a Brazilian version of a German restaurant. The beer is good though.

/jarmo

I think I know this German restaurant... Bier Hoff, maybe?

[jarmo]

Bar do Alemao.





/jarmo

[spgunner]

That's cool ! Hope to read more soon!!

[Mysteron]

I'm enjoying the diary. I read a lot of travel blogs and diaries.

I especially like to see photos of local food and that. Brazilian food looks interesting

[raindogs70]

Jarmo, how many countries have you been to with the band? Bet you never thought you'd be on these journeys when you put together the message board.

[jarmo]

Jarmo, how many countries have you been to with the band? Bet you never thought you'd be on these journeys when you put together the message board.

No, I didn't think of anything like that when I started the site almost 18 years ago...

40+ countries.


Moving on......

March 30 - show day in Curitiba

Rainy day in Curitiba. And an outdoor show. At least there's no hurricanes....
The venue is an old football stadium. Not the one they're building in the city for the World Cup. The floors inside the offices are wet and slippery. Especially with my sneakers. Until they put down some carpet.

As the show starts, everybody can see the conditions. The stage is slippery as well. Welcome To The Jungle has an extended intro to deal with the conditions. Estranged is stopped and played later on in the set.

Hang out with some of my girlfriend's relatives after the show and then back to the hotel for a nap.


March 31 - travel day to Florianopolis

Wake up early to check out from the hotel and leave for the next city. The next two travel days we won't be flying. We're taking buses. Curitiba to Florianopolis to Porto Alegre are all within driving distance from each other. I guess it also makes sense to sleep on a bus rather than get up early to fly via Sao Paulo to Florinopolis, since there are no direct flights.

Outside the hotel, there are two coaches. Put my luggage in the bay and get on board. Fall asleep and wake up somewhere in Santa Catarina state. Another new state for me. Never been here before.
We arrive in Florianopolis, or floria nipples like auto correct suggests.

The crew is staying at a resort outside the actual city. It's walking distance to the beach.
Head out for a walk on the beach and find a restaurant to get some lunch. A Caipirinha before the food arrives. Why not?



Back to the hotel and then go for a run along the beach. It's quite warm outside but it's nice to get out and run.

Try to figure out where to exchange some money. I end up at a beauty salon behind the hotel. Who knew!

In the evening I walk around the neighborhood and see some of the crew doing the same.


April 1 - show day in Florianopolis

Today's show is in an outdoor venue but there's a roof over the floor. Not too far from our hotel.
The venue is beyond packed. Dj does a little climb up on some scaffolding above the crowd. I manage to get some shots of that.

There's a light drizzle after the show. Back to the hotel in the early morning for a little nap.

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/sets/72157643365266775/


/jarmo

[jarmo]

April 2 - travel day to Porto Alegre

Wake up and get some breakfast. We are leaving early, before breakfast is usually served at our hotel, but the hotel is nice enough to open the buffet earlier for the GN'R crew.
Climb on board the bus, adjust my seat and fall asleep. As I wake up, we're in Rio Grande Do Sul. Just outside the airport in Porto Alegre, which is where our hotel is located. Same one we stayed at in 2010. I remember this place....

There's a bunch of fans hanging out there, just like four years earlier.

Since we only have this afternoon off, we head out to the nearby train station and get the train into Porto Alegre. Arrive at the public market and walk around.
I've been here before, more than once, so I show my friends around. Even though I'm not a local.


You know you're in the south of Brazil when they sell chimarr?o (also known as yerba mate, or cimarr?n) at the market.

Go and get a Xis for lunch. A giant sandwich that's a cross between a hamburger and sandwich.


Walk around more at the market and bump into other crew guys there. Visit the cachaca specialist shop at the market as well as the coffee place (of course).
We keep walking and then catch the train back to the hotel.




Before arriving there, we stop by a guy selling fresh sugar cane juice. He's got his van parked close to our hotel and sells the juice freshly pressed.

Before dinner, I walk back to the train station and take it up north to go pick up my girlfriend. Buy a return ticket only to realize that the new station doesn't require people to have tickets. A single would've been enough. Who knew! The further we get away from Porto Alegre, the less commuters are on the train.

Ride the train back to the hotel and then a cab ride to my favorite local restaurant. We're in the south of Brazil so it's time for meat. Beef to be specific.


April 3 - show day in Porto Alegre

Today's venue is the same place where we had a show in 2010. Except that time the actual stage was out in the parking lot. Now we're all indoors. I notice that there's already a bunch of traffic as we get to the venue. Later on in the day, it doesn't exactly get better. For some reason, there's only one gate to enter the area for everybody. Including people picking up tickets. So apparently people picking up tickets have to stand in line with people who already have their tickets.....

Show time and the place is packed and quite hot. It's the last show in Brazil for a little while, and the last with Tommy on this leg.

Show photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/sets/72157643706974714/

After the show I hang out with my girlfriend's family and some friends before going back to the hotel.

[jarmo]

April 4 - travel day to Buenos Aires

Wake up and head to the airport. It takes no time. The hotel is close by the airport.
Have some breakfast there while waiting for the flight. Been at this airport a "few" times by now.

Fortunately my girlfriend is on the same flight. I recognize some fans on the flight as well.


Flying to Argentina. Porto Alegre from above.

As we get closer to our destination, the city of Buenos Aires appears in the landscape. We land at the airport that's actually in the city.
Hop on the ride to our hotel and notice that we have a police escort. That's something we don't see every day....



Arrive at the hotel, same one we stayed at in 2010, which was my first visit to Argentina.

Walk outside to get dinner. It's not raining. Yet....



Cold beer and empanadas. Nice....


April 5 - day off Buenos Aires

It's a rainy day off in Buenos Aires. But we decide to head out to the Recoleta cemetery. The rain comes and goes.



Walk around the neighborhood and go get lunch in a place that has, you guessed it, empanadas.

Walk back to the hotel. A woman comes up to us as we are walking across the square in front of the hotel and tells us it's a dangerous area....

End the night with great food (steak) and great wine.





/jarmo

[Mr. Redman]

That cemetery shot is awesome!

[jarmo]

Thanks!



/jarmo

[D-GenerationX]

Yeah, that cemetery shot is pretty cool looking.

[brazil66]

great shot...

[jarmo]

Thanks. 


April 6 - show day Buenos Aires

Head to the lobby to go to the venue in the morning. No van arrives.... Wait more. Get in touch with someone and I'm told that the van is on its way. Wait more.

Get to the venue, it's a pretty old looking football stadium. Backstage is pretty much a bunch of rooms just behind the stage. There's a weird staircase to the stage. The steps don't "align" properly so you have to be careful when coming down.

There's a rehearsal with Duff during the day, which fans who are lining up outside the venue can hear.

The catering here is possibly the worst on the tour. Eat sandwiches. Later on for dinner I wander out and get a hot dog.

Show photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnrtour/sets/72157643758915283/


April 7 - travel day

Today we travel to Paraguay. Arrive at the airport and go check in. "No no, you need to go and check in at the machines, all of you. And then come back here to drop off your luggage"... Everybody heads over to the check in machines and types in their info to print the boarding passes. Then over to the counters to drop the bags before heading through security.

End up having a coffee before departure.



Arrive in Asuncion and just like that we're at our hotel. It's right next to the airport.
It's very modern and nice, but the location isn't exactly what I call central. Unless by central you mean "next to the airport". Whoever made the floor in the shower didn't think it was smart to make sure the water would drain into the drain. Instead all the water flows the opposite way. Oh well. 

Walk outside to visit the only store around. A supermarket across the street. See kids fighting or playing. Not sure which, maybe play fighting.

Do some laundry and head out to get some dinner. End up having some pasta and then a cold beer when we bump into some crew guys who had ended up at the same place.




/jarmo