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* Brazil *
8 days 3 soccer match / 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup 2013 in Brazil. Getting a wheelchair seat is sometimes only by tel. Today, just click on FIFA website wheelchair seat mark. Easy to book and buy it. FIFA world cup Korea-Japan 2002, no system to book wheelchair seats though they made many wheelchair seats in the stadium. It was so sad and tragedy. Now world accessibility is getting better and better !
I saw the match in Maracanan Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Yes, Brazilan soccer sacred place.
Geat soccer match "Italy 4 - 3 Japan" in Recife. Almost all Brazilian in the stadium supported Japan team. So happy to be there, but I lost my digital camera before the game. That is why no photo in Brazil. Just good memory in my heart. Missing luggage (lost baggage when I came to Brazil through Lima from Bogota) also did not return to me. I hope it will be sent to my home in Japan. Bad things happen, and good things happen. This is our life !!
New soccer stadiums in Brasilia and Recife are outstanding ! The wheelchair accessibility are both excellent !! So many wheelchair seats each section. Many Brazilian wheelchairs came to see the game. I saw 2 wheelchair volunteers worked at Recife stadium. So happy to see and talk with them.
Curitiba is the city famous for first bus rail transit system. May be the most clean city in Brazil. Many nice gardens. Museu Oscar Niemeyer was so interesting.
Rio de Janeiro is the most beautiful landscape city in the world in my opinion. Rio has a nice beach and lakes, All year nice weather. Strange balance between nature scenery and noisy density. Lost baggage is not so bad because I feel freedom. Traveling with only 1 small bag was so fan. Famous tourist spots in Brazil were wheelchair friendly. Corcovado Christ statue is OK to visit on wheelchair. Lamp to access to tram and train workers put on a board between tram and platform. There are lifts to Christ statue. Final access is only stairs or escalator. I went to the viewing spot under the statue by escalator.
Another famous tourist spot in Rio. Sugar mountain (Pao de Acucar). Ropeway was wheelchair accessible. No problem to go on wheelchair. But Metro in Rio was not all wheelchair accessible. Only a few stations had lifts. I guess the situation will change better until world cup 2014 or Olympic games 2016. Ships and ports between Rio and Niteroi were good accessible.
Finally, my luggage came to me on the next day I was back to Japan from 4 weeks South America trip. It was missing for 18 days. My luggage arrived in Japan on the same day through Frankfurt Germany from Brazil. Different way. I came back thorough Mexico. I bought this pink backpack in Italy. I have used it since 15 years ago. Always with me in world wheelchair travel. Brazilian staff at Sao Paulo airport was so kind. We contacted by e-mail and tried to find the solution. Sometime we talked about soccer. Yes, Brazilian are soccer crazy.
4 days / 2003 The world biggest water fall "Iguasu". The fall is located in National park. Not allowed to access by private car. The public access bus was wheelchair accessible. Non step and easy to enter.
The fall is huge. Impossible to see all the falls from the view spots.
We tried to go "Macuta tour" a boat tour under the falls. No special equipment and facility for wheelchair, but the staff were incredible kind. They carried me down a long stairs to the pier.
Tourist looked so exciting. We were ready for go !!
Many rainbow near the falls. After this photo, we were completely wet. Not like a shower. Like jumping into a pool. Brazilian group on the same boat were joyful. The leader gave the tip to the boat operator. We went under the falls again and again with a screaming. These Brazilians helped me on the back way to the road. They carried me and wheelchair. We became friends.
Beef party at Japanese Brazilian firm. Beef is excellent, but other Brazilian food at restaurants are not good actually....
Nice party and foods with local people.
Kids played soccer in the garden.
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