Prize Offer!

To the first person who correctly identifies the object in this photo.

Using proper wine making jargon, of course.

Chilean Customs Form

The Chilean Customs and Immigrations form specifically states that you have to declare semen. That´s all I have to say.

Camping

Now that we´ve entered Argentina and Chile, countries where it´s normal and heard of to camp, we decided to purchase a tent and start experiencing nature first-hand.

Unfortunately, our tent was the worst tent ever made, and it broke. In this photo Matt is pointing out the broken tent whilst slapping a fly that has landed on his cheek. Ahhh, the joys of experiencing nature first-hand.

It´s Springtime in Chile

And it´s really pretty with wildflowers everywhere. And I love this photo.

Iguassu Falls

There are few things that could make a 27 hour bus ride that ended up in a humid land of 100 plus degree heat worth it, but these falls were. I just can not come up with words to explain how incredible they were. And I am certain that the picture does them no justice. If you get the chance definitely check them out.

Which of these things are all of the same?

Guess the theme amongst the cities on this sign....

Pulling Teeth

Fountain in Tiradentes.

In the mountains a few hundred miles north of Rio de Janeiro a gold rush almost as big as the California one took place in the 17th and 18th century. Portugal taxed this gold to finance their empire, and through trade, the Industrial Revolution in England.

However, near the end of the 1700s, as the gold started to run out the Portugese, discontent with a lower take, raised the tax rate. This was around the same time as the American and French revolutions, and low and behold, the people of Brazil followed international sentiment and rebelled.

Unfortunatly, unlike the US and France, the revolution failed. One of the leaders of the revolution, Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, took full responsibility for the revolution, and was hung in Rio de Janeiro, in the plaza today named Praça Tiradentes.

His body was quartered and with his blood, a document was written declaring his memory infamous. His head was publicly displayed in Vila Rica, the town at the heart of the gold rush. Pieces of his body were put on display in the cities between Vila Rica and Rio, in an attempt to intimidate other would-be rebellions.

Today, the square of his death is named Tiradentes in his honor. It seems that in Joaquim´s life prior to being revolutionary thinker and General, he had been a dentist. Tiradentes is Portuguese for teeth-puller. Thus, all of Brazil refers to him as Tiradentes, and his home town in the gold rush mountains has now been renamed Tiradentes after him.