Amazing nature experiences abound. We visited a very cool waterfall where there is a natural slide. Everyone else had fun - I totally panicked and didn't want to go down it, until a cute thirteen year old local kid coaxed me into doing it... The beaches are great and the wildlife wonderful. There really is SO much to explore. And, once again, awesome beaches!
Brazilians are really, really nice. Helpful, fun, and patient with someone who is learning the language! In the little colonial town, we met four wonderful Brazilians, two couples who were vacationing together. They were easily twenty or more years older than us, but we had a blast with them! We started talking when we were in the pool in a total downpoor and then later on, they called us down to the bar to join them. My boyfriend, our friends and I ended up spending the whole evening with them, eating pizza and communicating as best we could. The next day, we ended up having lunch together at the same little island. It was so funny, we were eating our lunch of grilled fish when another small boat pulls up to the waterside restaurant. I notice it is them and go down to greet them - and they were just so excited! We had dinner together again that night.
Portuguese makes me laugh. There is something about that language. I speak Spanish, Italian, and some French, plus I took a CD course before leaving, so I understood a lot, but the intonation and pronounciation just cracks me up! I just loved saying "Where is the hotel Flamengo?" because of the sounds.
Brazilians are beautiful. Men, women, children, old, young. I had heard it and now I can attest that it is true. In addition, Brazilian men have great bodies and Brazilian women have great hair and cool clothes.
The food is GREAT! My favorite might have been the fresh seafood, but they also have great meat (churrascarias or all you can eat meat places are common), wonderful pastries and sweet, delicious fruits, and some of the tastiest rice and beans around (and I know my rice and beans after a few years in Central America - Nicaraguans for instance eat it two or three times a day.)
While I don't really drink, a good caipirinha, their national cocktail made from sugarcane alcohol, sugar, and limes, is really tasty!
Comments (7)
Hi Chiocciola,
Your appreciation of the Brazilian people being "really, really, nice and beautiful" indicates how you feel about embracing their culture as a whole and the people in particular. It takes a special person to do that. Kudos to you!
Posted by Eden | March 22, 2008 5:57 PM
Posted on March 22, 2008 17:57
The more I hear of Brazil, the more intriguing it sounds. I had also heard that Brazilians are all beautiful - how cool to hear that's true!
That cocktail sounds like it would be heaven on a warm sunny day.
Where is the beach in your photo? (not that I'll have a clue where it is, but can always look it up on google earth!)
Posted by Anne | March 22, 2008 6:04 PM
Posted on March 22, 2008 18:04
The beach is on a small island outside of Paraty, which is in the state of Rio de Janeiro (four hours south of the city of Rio de Janeiro.) I will write another post about that!
Posted by Chiocciola | March 22, 2008 6:16 PM
Posted on March 22, 2008 18:16
That beach looks fabulous! Brazil seems so beautiful, and it sounds like you had a wonderful time. But I get the definite impression, Chiocciola, that you enjoy travel so much that you fit in wherever you go. That's a wonderful skill!
Posted by Sandra | March 26, 2008 9:45 PM
Posted on March 26, 2008 21:45
I agree with Anne - you're making me very intrigued with Brazil!
How expensive was it? I'm sure the dollar is probably not doing so well there either, but I have no idea what the cost of living is down there.
Posted by Annie | March 27, 2008 8:43 AM
Posted on March 27, 2008 08:43
Thank you for your sweet comments!
Annie, it is the most expensive country in South America, and hotels in Rio are particularly expensive - around 80 dollars for a very basic double, hundreds and hundreds of dollars for something really nice! A one person pizza in a cute restaurant on the coast was 20 dollars.
Posted by Chiocciola | March 27, 2008 8:59 AM
Posted on March 27, 2008 08:59
I have to get to Brazil one of these days! It is one of the places I most want to visit. Between the people, the music and the food I know I'll love it there. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Posted by Kathy Bray | April 1, 2008 2:56 AM
Posted on April 1, 2008 02:56