Borders...

After leaving Igazu Falls I failed to obtain an exit stamp from Brazil during a late night flee to Argentina. After crossing Argentina and Uruguay I had broken international law and would be denied from Brazil in the future and or fined\arrested upon return. So I went to Chuy, Uruguay on the border and explained my situation there. Immigration officials told me I was fine in Uruguay but as soon as I crossed 1km in the other direction I was in Brazil and there was nothing they could do to help me. They gave me directions to the Brazilian immigration office 4km away and wished me luck...

I walked down the side road to get there through a field of cows. Every step I took I got more nervous. When I was 500m away I decided to take out my black pen and use the ink smudge technique to smear out the entry date on my Uruguay stamp so it just read October 2010 not  22 October 2010. This way there was no way of knowing I visited other countries prior. Then I made my way slinking around the line of trucks waiting for inspection. The office was in my view from the other side of the road as I crept along the ditch. I waited for a bus to pull in front of the office blocking their view and distracting the guard. I booked across the road got past the office and onto the other side.

There I waited another 10minutes staying low behind a truck for another opportune time as a second bus pulled up. I ran behind the bus and filed in with the other passengers. Heart thumping I stepped up to the window. They needed to see bus tickets at the window so I quickly said I took a taxi and turned around to thankfully see a vacant taxi and pointed to it. She scanned my passport and I kept her attention by talking. She carefully examined the blotched Uruguay stamp and I almost threw up. Then there it was! She stamped my passport, Exit Brazil 25 October 2010! I grabbed it, thanked her and casually walked in the direction of Uruguay until out of sight when a huge smile spread across my face! Success!