Paraguay

Paraguay was a lot different to everywhere else I'd been, it seemed very poor and rough all around the border and everyone was suddenly speaking Portuguese. I got a bus from Iguazù to the border of Paraguay, where I was abandoned by the bus and left on my own. No questions asked from customs, a quick stamp and I was thru. Having not planned where I was going to stay I decided I'd walk in and try and spot a few places. After half an hour of walking I'd only been able to find one 50$ hotel. I'd the name of a hostel with half an address and none of the taxi drivers knew where it was or understood me. Finally I was talking to a bike guy and he was going to drive me to the hostel, or possibly .4km outside the centre, I wasn't quite sure and neither was he. Luckily a guy walked past, just before I got on the bike and offered to help, when I told him where my hostel was he told me I should stay in the centre and he knew a cheap hotel he'd take me too. Turned out it was his family's hotel or so he told me. The hotel was grim, damp and had a sketchy feel to it, but I'd no other choice, I'd stick it for one night. I headed down to reception to grab dinner and have a wander around the city. The guy was sat waiting for me at reception and suggested I should go to this new shopping mall. I decided ya that's a good idea, asked how to get there and he said he'd show me because he wanted to see the mall too. Alarm bells ringing, but I'd no idea how I could suddenly change my mind, so I went for it. We jumped in a taxi around the corner and it was the first time on my trip I genuinely felt scared. The ride was half an hour long and I was very relieved when we arrived at a brand new looking shopping mall. We wandered around, shops were more expensive than Ireland so nothing was bought. We got ice creams, then headed back to the hotel on a public bus. On the bus I got some strange looks I'm not sure the locals saw many gringos on the local buses. Back to the hotel, diner less but still alive I headed for the safety of my damp room. Next morning I woke up and went down for my free breakfast, it was surprisingly good. I decided it was time for me to get to Rio as there was nothing but markets all around selling everything and anything but not very cheap and nothing I needed. I walked down to the border, stamped out of Paraguay and was going to trap a bus, but as always adventure Mark thought it would be cooler to go on the back of a bike. Bartered with a bike guy and he agreed to take me for the rest of my Paraguay money and 5$, totalling just less than 10$. I'd showed him the money and he seemed happy enough to do it, it wasn't very far. Over the bridge we went, through Brazilian customs no hassles, got the stamp. At the bus station when I attempted to pay him he spotted a blue stamp on the 5$ bill and said it was no good, the only other money I had was a 5€ and he just laughed when I tried to pay with that. The cash machines were going to charge me to take money out, so I told him my card wasn't working. The 5€ was swapped for Brazilian reis by one of the bus companies but the rate wasn't as good as dollar conversions, so the driver was not happy, I emptied my wallet of all my coins and eventually he left. I then managed to book myself on a 24 hour direct bus to Rio, having earlier been told that was impossible. Grabbed a quick burger and jumped on the bus. 6hrs into the bus journey I got real bad pains and all of a sudden I was puking in the bathroom for the next 18hrs. The bathroom stunk and it was an absolute nightmare