modernist brasilia, and the four-day drive across brazil

after the amazon, we flew back to salvador on the east coast to begin the long journey west.  it took us four days to cross brazil alone - now we're at the bolivia border, getting ready to cross. of course we arrived at the border around 3pm yesterday, and in true brazilian fashion, it was closed for the day (people don't work terribly hard here). almost out of brazil, i just realized we've spent the last month in places (brazil, argentina) which have enough white people living in them that we don't attract extra attention, except for in the peruvian-plated VW bug. a lot of people have automatically assumed we speak the language, even. not so here at the border; here we are getting stared down again, which always takes a few days to get used to.  and looking at my current outfit, it's no wonder:
 - the shirt was stitched years ago in india
 - the boots are from argentina
 - tacky hipster michael-approved sunglasses from brazil
 - socks from paraguay
 - jewelry and shorts from D.C.
 - fleece jacket from a thrift store in grass valley, california
... so it is a very international outfit, and of course none of it matches.
anyway, now we are going to attempt the bolivia border crossing again, and hopefully make it to the uyuni salt flats - of course, on the opposite side of the country.  it'll take us at least two days to get to la paz, and then another day to reach the salt flats.  in the meantime, here are photos from crossing brazil.  we spent a day in brasilia, taking pictures of the fantastic modernist (or is it post-modern?) architecture.