Before leaving Cape Town, he visited Boulders Beach, a favorite mating spot for African penguins. “There’s nothing like going swimming in a beach that is entirely covered with huge boulders and then having a penguin shoot past you in the water. Not to mention all the other ones just wandering around the beach,” posted Alex in his blog.

After a couple months in Africa, Alex flew into Sao Paulo, exploring the beaches along the Brazilian coast, and then headed to Rio de Janeiro for Carnival. He stayed two blocks from Impanema beach, participated in the carnival festivities, was a spectator at a Brazilian soccer game, and made friends from all over the world. After Rio, Alex traveled into Bahia, and then back to Sao Paulo, before returning home.

"In the end," said Alex, "I learned as much about the world from the people I met during the trip as I did from the places I visited...More than anything, it's inspired me to make seeing the rest of the world a high priority in the future." Though he would "rather keep on traveling," Alex is currently seeking employment as an IT Systems Analyst in California.

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