Climbing The Walls

Having had my first canoeing experience on the last bank holiday weekend, two things became immediately apparent. Firstly, I loved it (even in the pouring rain!) and secondly, I needed more dry bags. The two 1 litre dry bags are great but a little limited in terms of what they can carry.

So even though I haven't planned my next trip, I have started looking at gear! Since dry bags come in many sizes the only real criteria is that it keeps everything dry...obviously.

I'm a big fan of Alpkit's range of kit (and a varied range it is to!), they often put a great deal of thought into their design and the materials used. They currently offer 3 ranges; the Airlok, the Airlok Xtra and Gourdon. Since it was my money on the line, I wanted to make sure that what I bought was perfect...there was only one thing for it, visit their newly opened showroom!

Airlok; a standard dry bag with a roll top, the material (30D siliconised cordura) is different to most dry bags (such as the LifeVenture or TrekMates) but having handled it, whilst it seems lighter I have no reason to doubt that the material is strong and durable.
Airlok Xtra; a standard dry bag with a roll top, but the key difference is that it comes with additional attachment points at the bottom, top and sides. There is also a dual version that opens at each end.
Gourdon; a dry bag will proper rucksack straps, they have also released an updated model with a mesh pocket on the side and front mesh panel made up of elasticated cord.

Regardless of your requirements, you should be able to find a bag that matches. My choice came down to either the Airlok Xtra or new Gourdon. Handling them in the shop revealed both to be well made, I'd have little doubt in recommending either product.
The Gourdon's straps seem thick enough as not to provide discomfort during prolonged periods of use, but not too big to bulky and in the way when not in use.
My primary use for this bag is going to be canoeing or camping, I opted for the Airlok Xtra 35 Litre in Chili (Red). Whilst the rucksack straps of the Gourdon would be useful I won't be using this as a main bag, it will be chucked in my tent or in the bottom of the boat. In the case of the later, I don't want to worry about the straps soaking up the bilge water. The Airlok Xtra does come with a single simple strap that is removable. The extra attachment points will make securing it to the boat or anywhere else simple. Whilst the elasticated mesh on the front would be useful for stowing things like a jacket my concern would be it catching on branches etc during use.

Expect a more detailed review when I've taken it outside!

After years of planning, I finally took the plunge and sorted out a trip to Brazil to see an old friend (note that's a friend who I've known for a long time, not a friend who is old...although...).
Since it was my first international trip alone, I made an effort to keep a log of what I got upto whilst out there. I've written up a couple of extracts below. I can't promise it'll make fascinating reading but I'm hoping it might provide a look into how I spent my holiday. Suffice to say I won't be taking up travel writing as a permanent vocation!

Day 1: The Outward Journey

So here I am, it's been a month in the planning and four years in the bucket list. But I am now sat in Heathrow 5 hours before my flight is due to leave.
I feel excited (obviously) but nervous. It's been 7 years since I last flew (and that was to Malta). I don't really know what to do. I've done e-checkin so I figure it's two hours till I can drop my bag off.

The trains ran smoothly, my single ticket took me from Rugby right to Heathrow through all barriers. [The London] Underground was dispatched easily courtesy of the TFL [Transport For London] app.

Day 2: Still On The Outward Journey

A lot has happened since I last wrote whilst waiting for checkin.
[...TL:DR...]
All in all, I've come to the conclusion that there is bog all to do at checkin bar saying good-bye to people and waiting for it to open.
Nevermind, the departures lounge is much more interesting! There are certainly more shops and seats. Disappointingly the prices [at Duty Free] really do not differ from the high street. The "World Duty Free" prophesy of "More than you expected" was remarkably accurage [Ed: Though probably not in the way they intended].
I looked for a Lancome compact for [a friend] - but of the three that were there only one had a selection of colours and it was sold out!
They did have some interesting whisky's though - particularly "Snow Grouse" of the "Famous Grouse" family - it might make a good Christmas present for Dad.
The gate opened and I breezed through with only one customs officer completing a body pat down. Wish I knew what had set off the metal detector.
The flight was long although the onboard entertainment was well stocked it was not polished. I watched Die Hard 4 and a few tv episodes of House M.D and the Big Bang Theory. Aside from that I tried to sleep...no easy task.

Fortunately I had the whole middle row to myself (a luxury I doubt I'll have next time) so I was able to awkwardly lay across 3 seats with an arm rest at my knees. It served it's purpose and I probably caught 3 - 5 hours sleep. I was markedly impressed that I didn't use my phone, tablet or Kindle at all. I did carge my phone for a short spell though.

I might try and upgrade to business class on the way back - it can't hurt to see how much it is! [Ed: the seats looked much more comfortable especially the almost horizontal reclining!] God help the poor bastards doing that trip for the world cup or olympics!

Once landed I followed the obvious route to immigration and collected my bags (that's right Dial-A-Flight I did need to collect my bag - as confirmed by TAM at Heathrow), and asked where Terminal 2 was...apparently Rio works differently to Heathrow. All the checkins are at Terminal 1 then you go to different places for domestic vs. international.
The domestic departure is functional and has a cracking view across the way (or it would if the smog lifted). Pretty sure I can see Sugarloaf Mountain.

So what now? Well I sit here wearing my microfleece because the air conditioners are working and I'm a little apprehensive of the impending heat & humidity I'm subjecting myself too.
Or...am I just apprehensive of my flight? or seeing [my friends] after so many years? 6 years! Which means it's probably been the same amount of time since they tried to convince me to go on holiday. Hilarious.

It's 07:18 in Brazil and checkin for my flight has opened...glad I did the eCheckin!
"DESPACHO ABERTO" - Checkin Open

Only an hour or so till the gate opens!

Day 2: The Final Leg of the Outward Journey

The flight from Rio to Fortaleza was RAMMED! Numerous seat issues made it feel more like a bus than a plane. But still I arrived safe so all is good. My bag was second or third off the line! [ED: The small plane I travelled was carrying on to Sao Luis, Fortaleza was just a stop over]
The lift back to my friends house was hot, an Escort with no air conditioning is hot!
Fortaleza is a bit of a dump but I bet there are some nice areas. After arriving it wasn't long before it was time to crack on with dinner.
Dinner was BBQ chicken with a dry seasoning along with a fresh salad.
There are three dogs and strangely one kitten (with no name).
Despite being built like a brick shit house and scary as a shit to look at, one of the dogs is an absolutely coward. He slobbers everywhere too. Nice.

Day 3: Well at least I'm not traveling today!

I got up about 07:00 this morning, hot & sticky allready. The cold shower took my breath away though.
After breakfast I visited the beach-side town of Taiba (pronounced Ti-eba) where we sat in a beach front bar and watched the Fortalezans and surfers on the beach. My friend was out with his camera, though being paranoid about having my camera stolen, my stayed resolutely in my bag. Candid photography is one of my favourites with out a doubt, I'm very self conscious with my camera.
After a simple lunch we sat around talking till dinner, there was a lot to catch up on. I've been bitten six times by damn mosquitoes. Bastards.
I coped well in the heat I think, a little headache this morning but that soon cleared. My friend remains convinced that I should have an adventure holiday, possible with an organised group. Essentially it's not a bad idea,time will tell if it's just an idea though.

Day 4: Hot & Biting

Slow start to the morning following a lot of rain overnight. Very hot. Very humid. And oh dear god, I've been eaten alive.
In the after we walked round the scrubland at the rear of the property and took some photos. Black and white photography is interesting and produces dramatic photos. But for some things colour will be preferred. Tourist shots for example.
I tried net fishing for little tilapia that hang around in the shallows. I caught 15 or so - up to an inch in length. I also walked through/round/about the "lake" at it's deepest it was just over my knee.
Since I'm writing this on Day 5 I can't remember if there is anything else. Although starting up my Utility Warehouse reseller account is becoming tempting.

Day 5

Is it the last day of April allready?
Up at 06:30 this morning, very dark and overcast. I think it's easier to get up and go to bed earlier here due to the consistent sunrise/sunset times.
Morning was slow to going following (what I would class) as a heavy downpour. But it kept the morning nice and cool.
Did some more net fishing for baby tilapia and caught a few. Then after making some bait up (based on fish food pellets) I was fishing for larger tilapia. I caught one so far this morning, and stopped because it felt like I was beginning to burn - something I'm keen to avoid if I can! Apparently my face was very red.
After lunch (no salami - must remember to buy some when I get home) we went to Taiba to pick up some supplies. Teachers whiskey was around R$90 (£30 or so) and Skyy vodka was R$30 (£10) - very cheap.
Once we returned I resumed fishing...and caught around five. At one point I was casting in and reeling back almost straight away (well for three fishes this worked!). At least the kitten won't go hungry.
My mossie bites are looking pretty horrendous today, a plague victim would be shocked. I was given a cream to apply which should take some of the redness out and might prevent the itching. I've applied it twice today, this evening I've put on the light cotton trousers since it's still night and there are plenty of mossies about.
BBQ lamb for dinner and it's been sold as the best meat around. I'm feeling inspired to buy all my meat from the butchers and do more fresh cooked meals. You always end up with a much better meal as well as sense of accomplishment.

Day 6: Paracuru!

Today we went to Paracuru to a fantastic beach side restaurant, the meal of prawns with potato and carrot served with chips, rice and mash potato (that's a hell of a lot of carbs) was delicious but extremely filling. The trip there passed through some of the poorest areas around. Wattle-and-daub style houses were common place and the roads varied from tarmac littered with pot holes (poor laying, poor maintenance) through to tracks with the usual spine smashing holes upto cobblestones that resemble the MIRA vehicle testing ground than picturesque streets normally associated with cobble streets.
It was a great opportunity for photos that I did not exploit to it's full potential! Part of me felt unsafe waving my camera around out the window, whilst another part was trying to concentrate on the road so I could anticipate the lumps and bumps.
I made for a very obvious tourist out in these little resorts, all white skin and mossie bites! But still as with most things it was all in my head. I don't think I was given a second glance to be honest.
On the trip back we stopped at a locals house to organise some labour to move a water well from one side of my friends property to the other.
By the time we returned to base, it was late afternoon so I spent the remaining daylight fishing.

Day 7: Dench

Slow day today, after a late rise (around 7am - I know, normally I'd class this as quite early or at least normal!) I spent the morning taking more photos around my friends property. After seeing the results it's possible to get with the 18-135mm kit lens that came with my camera I've started using it much more, it's taking some practice but a couple of simple tricks makes all the difference.
I also had to begin preparing more fish bait today, the big black bastard of a dog Hunter stole what was left yesterday when my back was turned!
One thing that I have found here in the rural areas of Brazil is that iron hooks protrude from every wall. And I do mean every wall. These hooks are primarily used for hammocks, which most people sleep in. I spent the remainder of the morning lying/dozing in the hammock whilst I finished reading the tragic (?) tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. It's a good read, though initially it took some getting into.
This afternoon was a good opportunity to try out the Canon 70-200mm F4 L lens that I have been looking at. It's one of the cheaper L-series lenses, however it can produce some excellent quality photos. A tripod is a necessity, or at least something to lean against. Hand-holding this lens would require a very fast shutter speed. There are faster versions as well as an IS version, but these can sky rocket in terms of price!

Day 8: Tropical

Up at 6am today, time to hit the road. Destination: Pecoti & Guaramiranga. Estimated travel time: 3 hours. Er. 3 hours in a Kombi with rough seating, leaf sprung suspension and roads that make a teenagers face look smooth....great.
Actually, the dig about the roads turned out to be a little false. Sure, in the little villages the roads are indeed rough (no patchwork is done until after the rainy season) however as you get on to main roads and closer to Fortaleza the roads are better. Since Guaramiranga is a popular weekend destination for the rich people in the city the roads have just been finished - well in some places they are still adding the finishing touches.
We reached Canide in good time and began the long uphill slog towards Pecoti. I'm not sure of the actual climb ratio but it is pretty high and we certainly down to 2nd or 3rd gear quite often!
The views on the road up were fantastic, you look back and down across the road you've come along and up. Once you're out of these foot hills, Ceara is mostly flat. It's pretty barren at the moment since the wet season hasn't really kicked in [ED: It turns out it was just late...it's meant to be over now and it's still pissing it down!].
Aside from the views the other thing you notice is the distinct lack of safety barriers. If this road was in the UK it would be one long safety barrier from bottom to top. However, it appears that only the most dangerous of bends receive that motorway style barrier.
All of the kerbs are concrete poured by hand into moulds. No pre cast. And very little kerb below the surface. I think they would only serve to launch your car over the edge! They certainly wouldn't stop you.
After arriving in Pecoti we meant up with a friend and had coffee on his balcony over looking the town, the birds whistling in and out of trees it was very relaxing. Whilst chatting, I discovered that the local nickname for Taiba during the dry season is the inferno. Apparently the heat really does become oppressive!
The next destination was a up a short cobbled street with a gradient of around 1 in 5. Fundamentally, this sounds fine. However, the trees that grow on either side have provided a lot of shade to the road and the humidity meant that the smooth cobbles had become extremely slippery from a fine layer of moss and lichen. Driving a rear-wheel drive car up this road when there is no weight on the back proved to be a little difficult! We got within a metre or two of the top before grip ran out and we had no choice but to reverse down. Good job it was only a short walk to the top of the hill.
The house we were visiting is set within three hectares of rainforest-esque environment, it's around 28 years old and is currently up for sale for around 550,000 R$ (around £200K).
Out local guide took us to a very tucked away restaurant for lunch. When I say tucked away I mean...if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't have a chance of finding it! Up a winding track it suddenly opens up into a big car park with a pousada and small restaurant. This place fills up very quickly when the local jazz/blues festival starts up.
The meal of steak in red wine sauce with rice and salad for sides was cracking. At around 130 $R (around £10 per head) you can't knock the price either!
It was time to head home after this, the descent road would not have been fun in the dark. Though we did stop in Guaramiranga - definitely a town I'd like to go back to.

Day 9 & 10: The Journey Home.

Nothing really of note happened on this day. I spent the morning packing my bags, cramming in a little fishing and trying to imagine the horrors of airline food that awaited.
My return journey started with a domestic flight from Fortaleza to Rio. On the trip out this flight was rammed, on the way back it was blissfully clear. Strangely enough, the inflight entertainment was showing one of Chris Sharma's climbing video, this came as a great surprise. I had been watching some episodes of Doctor Who when one of his big dyno's caught my eye! [I believe the video was centered around Clark Mountain]
The international flight that had been fine on the way out was a nightmare on the way back. Absolutely rammed, that upgrade to business class would've been welcome if I could've found a TAM information desk!

So opinions on Brazil?
Well I knew the north of Brazil was a poor area, having not seen any of the south (beyond Rio airport) I can't make a direct comparison. However, seeing how poor it is did come as a shock. In order to fully appreciate the towns in the north I think you need to be fluent in Portugese, English speaking people are few and far between (although they do crop in some strange places!).
I was disappointed with how little of the language I picked up, however considering I was staying with English speaking people who acted as my guides, it's not really that surprising though.
Probably the most annoying thing about Brazil? Rio airport - it's too hot for a jumper, but too cold to sit there in just a shirt! All in all a great trip and I can't wait to go back.

Climbing The Walls

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