From the streets of Brazil...

[sucuri]

Hey fellas. I've been meaning to join Squattheplanet for like, 4 years now. I just kinda remembered about it randomly a second ago so here I am.

I'm Pat, from Texas, and I bum around mostly Brazil these days. Sometimes the streets, sometimes the interior. If anybody is heading down here or is here I can give some good advice about hitching around and scrumming up cash and food on the streets. Also have some limited knowledge of the trains and a pretty good understanding of the boats in the Amazon. I've been here for about three years now so I know some areas pretty well.

Also I meant to join because I'm going to have to go home someday and I wonder if my tricks will work back home...So yeah. Nice to meet yall!

Pat

 

[wizehop]

Also have some limited knowledge of the trains

Hey man, have you ridden any lines? I was down there recently.

 

[Tude]

Very cool!! Welcome! And do feel free to post any of your info in our destination section for your area - like cool places to see and your pics. There are occasional people here who do inquire about your area. Welcome!!

 

[sucuri]

Hey man, have you ridden any lines? I was down there recently.

Yeah just one in Western Minas Gerais, from Uberlândia to Araguaría...I was trying to go all the way to Brasília but they caught me and threw me off. No boxcars either, just gas cars. And they stop a lot, randomly, in the middle of nowhere. Messes with your head.

Very cool!! Welcome! And do feel free to post any of your info in our destination section for your area - like cool places to see and your pics. There are occasional people here who do inquire about your area. Welcome!!

OK will do. I've got a lot of info on my spot on the web too, hitch the world, link right there to the left. I'll try and put some stuff here on StP as well.

 

[Tude]

nice! There are a few people here who have some great blogs going on about their travels - one that comes to mind is kate westcoast - a solo bicyclist traveler - if you search for her - her site is listed with her name - very interesting travels! Good luck!!

 

[sucuri]

Oh, I know Kate Wild Wild Westcoast...hahaha....hungry bicycle cowgirl...she should be reaching my old stomping grounds in a month or two

 

[Matt Derrick]

she's staying at the artist collective i used to live at in slab city right now, east jesus.

 

[sucuri]

Nice. I saw on her FB pics of Slab City. Must go somemday

 

[wizehop]

Yeah just one in Western Minas Gerais, from Uberlândia to Araguaría...I was trying to go all the way to Brasília but they caught me and threw me off. No boxcars either, just gas cars. And they stop a lot, randomly, in the middle of nowhere. Messes with your head.
.

Ya man I know what you mean. We caught out of Praia Grande and the train stopped ever couple miles it seems. We'd go for 10 minutes then stop for an hour. It was crazy. It was strange because it was all double triple track, but the lines were busy. I was already sick of seeing trains two hours in.

We rode in empty units. I found other than gravel cars there isn't very many good rides.

 

[sucuri]

Ya man I know what you mean. We caught out of Praia Grande and the train stopped ever couple miles it seems. We'd go for 10 minutes then stop for an hour. It was crazy. It was strange because it was all double triple track, but the lines were busy. I was already sick of seeing trains two hours in.

We rode in empty units. I found other than gravel cars there isn't very many good rides.

View attachment 17513

Yeah man it just doesn't seem too practial down here. Get some excellent views through. We went over these super high bridges with nothing but a few feet of space between me and like a 1000 foot drop.
The one I was on wasn't double track. We would wait at these old abandoned stations for hours sometimes until another train passed. That was where they eventually pulled me off. Also they were always working on the tunnels and there was a rail crew at the mouth of one and I'm pretty sure it was them who radioed me in to the bulls, I had nowhere to hide, really.
Where is Praia Grande? There's a lot of Praia Grandes. Looks like the Mata Atlântica. Beautiful.

 

[wizehop]

Where is Praia Grande? There's a lot of Praia Grandes. Looks like the Mata Atlântica. Beautiful.

Just south of Sao Paulo. the boats come into Santos which is just to the east. From there they are taken over to just north west of Praia Grande where the road crew takes it. But from what I had seen they only have one guy driving the train.

And ya man there were a shit load of crews working along the way. A few of them we didn't get out of sight fast enough and just ended up waving. They waved back, but every time they stopped for one of these long as stops we thought that was it. Did get chased off eventually but we got away.

Funny cause I was always like Ill just play the stupid tourist card if we get nailed, maybe pay a little bribe and all would be good. But when they eventually stopped the train and came for us, I was so worn out and thoughts of Brazilian Prisons, and bad cops got me pretty freaked so we ran like never before. I dont think my feet even touched the ground.
One second were rolling through rough neighbourhoods at 1am and I'm thinking fuck Id hate to be in there, the next Im running through them looking for salvation!

 

[Will Dernis]

Oh man that pic is so surreal, that's amazing. I've only hopped across Nevada. Don't get me wrong that was a gorgeous ride. But the jungle! Ahhh someday

 

[sucuri]

Funny cause I was always like Ill just play the stupid tourist card if we get nailed, maybe pay a little bribe and all would be good. But when they eventually stopped the train and came for us, I was so worn out and thoughts of Brazilian Prisons, and bad cops got me pretty freaked so we ran like never before. I dont think my feet even touched the ground.

Good job you ran for it. I played the idiot tourist card, all it got me was a bloody nose. They used my own rope to tie my hands up, drove me back to Araguaría, and left me at the military police station tied to a chair. The fuzz released me a few hours later after some apathetic proceedings in a dingy courtroom. To quote the judge, "Now...I know you're not going to show up, but....court date on the 20th." (it was the 1st).

He was right, I didn't show up.

I had better luck in Peru and Chile. But it was just too fucking cold and dry there.