Chris Raven & Simon Raven: The Linger Loco: A South American Adventure

British twin brothers and authors of the travel comedy ‘The Linger Loco: In Search of the Real Carnival’, Simon and Chris Raven share stories from their epic journey in South America, traversing Argentina, Chile, Peru, the Trans-Oceanic highway and Brazil to reveal the secret to experiencing carnivals on a shoestring.

Simon: It was an easy decision to make. I mean, who could resist the lure of a continent with snow capped mountains, wild Amazon rainforest, ancient indigenous cultures and a reputation for the sexiest people on the planet?

Chris: We’d been to Ecuador and Colombia a few years before on a photo mission, and were amazed by the beautiful landscape and friendly people. South America gets under your skin; it’s exciting, diverse and you’re guaranteed a real adventure.

Your book opens in Buenos Aires. What were your first impressions of the city?

Chris: Our first few days in Buenos Aires were spent nursing killer hangovers. We’d heard of its reputation as ‘the city that never sleeps’, but nothing could have prepared us for the strength of a Fernet Branca cocktail. I love the architecture in Buenos Aires, the bars and restaurants and the European café culture.

Simon: There are few cities in the world with more energy and style than BA. We spent hours pacing the streets with our cameras and on one occasion tried chinchulines in a restaurant in San Telmo. I remember thinking people here really do eat every part of the cow, with exception of the Moo.

What were the highlights of your trip?

Simon: I think the journey from Cusco (in the Peruvian Andes) to Puerto Maldonado (in the Amazon), stands out in my mind as one of the most thrilling, fascinating journeys of my life. We sat aboard a truck for 35 hours, as the driver battled along steep mountain passes and crossed fast flowing rivers deep in the Madre de Dios in the Peruvian Amazon. I remember glancing out of the window and seeing Macaws flying past and tropical flowers in the thick jungle either side of the road. We crossed a new bridge from Peru into Brazil, and it really felt as though we had arrived at one the last frontiers. It was shocking to see there were no longer any trees on the Brazilian side, just thousands of hectors of green fields and cattle ranches. Only days before our arrival, Brazil’s President Lula had opened the bridge that would lead the way for the construction of a paved highway all the way to Cusco, creating trade between the two countries. It was both fascinating and disturbing to witness the destruction of the Amazon. Progress it appeared was inevitable.

Where did you spend Carnaval in Brazil?

Chris: Right from our first few days in South America, carnival was on our minds. We spoke to a number of tourists travelling South America during our journey, and the general feedback we received was that it was going to be expensive. People kept asking us if we’d pre-booked a hostel for the five days over carnival, or reserved a seat for the parade in the Sambodromo in Rio. I don’t think either of us had really planned on sitting down, and the idea of staying in one place for the entire carnival wasn’t really what we had in mind. We wanted to explore the many carnivals across Brazil. Deciding to risk it, we held back from booking any hotels or seats and quickly found ourselves running around Brazil from carnival to carnival, from Rio to Porto Seguro to Olinda, and living life on the fly. Making it all the way to Olinda in northern Brazil, we found the ultimate carnival. It was a perfect end to an insanely colourful journey.

In your opinion where is the best place in Brazil to spend carnival?

Simon: I think it totally depends on what your idea of carnival is, and your budget. For some people it’s seeing the amazing parade in the Sambodromo with the incredible floats and costumes. For others it’s dancing to Fat Boy Slim on the sticky city streets of Salvador. There is no one specific carnival. If you’re on a tight budget and want to avoid paying a lot for tickets and blocos then head for the cobbled streets of Olinda. There really is nowhere in the world quite like Brazil during the carnival season, it has to be seen to be believed.

‘The Linger Loco: In Search of the Real Carnival’ by Simon Raven and Chris Raven, was published by Samosir Books Ltd in the UK, and is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Buy it on Amazon!

UK (£7.19): The Linger Loco!: In Search of the Real Carnival

USA ($15.99): The Linger Loco! In Search of the Real Carnival