Rio de This Place Is Awesome!

Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I am back and posting. My apologies for the delay. I spoke to my mom for 8 minutes and 3 seconds on the phone this evening and for 7 minutes and 38 seconds she told me that I need to post again. She said that Hannah's party this weekend was wonderful, but everyone is reading the blog, and they are bored. So, my apologies. For the next week we will have constant internet access, so we may go a little posting crazy. Watch out!

Now to the good stuff... let's talk about Rio! First of all, many thanks to Cameron! He kindly lent us his apartment while he was out of town, only to come home after 2 1/2 weeks of traveling and entertain us all weekend long! We had an amazing time and he was a fabulous host.

We arrived in Rio at 4:50 in the morning and immediately jumped into a cab with a very chatty driver. The driver proceeded to tell us all of the places that we should absolutely not go to. He told us of the dangers of being on the beach at night, walking along the streets at night, walking the streets during the days, getting into the wrong taxi cabs, going anywhere near the favelas, etc. By the time we arrived to Cameron's apartment I was exhausted and scared. Being in a new city is always intimidating, but I was exceptionally nervous. I had heard Uncle Tom say that Rio was his favorite city, but he isn't a 21 year old blonde girl with a gringo brother with a red beard! Garvey and I napped until the afternoon when we finally ventured out. We went to a nearby grocery store, excited not to have to eat out for every single meal.

By the next day things improved dramatically. We spent the day exploring the city. We went to Sugar Loaf and saw the picture perfect view of the city. The sky was crystal clear, the breeze was cool, and we were able to sit and watch the city for hours. After Sugar Loaf we ventured toward Ipanema where Garvey looked for a place to rent a surfboard. The next day was our beach day. By about 10 we had found just the right place to rent a surfboard, as not everyone rents to a beginner. Garvey found a beat up long board with duct tape and all, and we were off. Almost. Just as we were leaving the owner, who spoke little english, said very clearly, "don't break it." Well, Garvey's confidence dropped dramatically. A broken board would definitely put a financial burden on the penny pincher, and I could see it in his eyes. I decided to ignore his fear, and focused on buying myself a kanga, or a sarong, which are used instead of towels by the women on the beach. We found a nice spot on Ipanema and I started tanning. Garvey sat for a while, and observed. He eventually made his way to the water, and boy, he put forth quite an effort. I can't say that he was very successful, but he sure put up a good fight. He came away with a rash on his chest, a rented longboard in one piece, a very sore body, and a huge smile on his face. And better yet, the two of us had something new to talk about!

Cameron arrived back at his apartment later that evening and gave us an insider's look at the city. For the following few days we did a lot of eating. Garvey loved every second of it! We went to one restaurant that was all you can eat meat. When we walked in they gave us each a chip to put on the table by our plates. One side was green and the other was red. When the green side faced up, we were fair game. People constantly came to our table with piping hot skewers of meat that they sliced directly onto your plate. It was incredible. The craziest thing we tried was chicken hearts. The flavor was pretty good, but the texture was less than desirable. It wasn't my favorite of the night. Garvey, the boy who was a vegetarian until this trip began, ate until I thought he was going to explode. If there is one thing he loves to do, it is eat. He eats when he is hungry, when he is tired, when he is bored, when he is cranky, when he is full, when he has a sunburn, or when something smells good. He eats constantly. After he stuffed himself with the salad bar and meat he drank his beer and ordered dessert. By the time we walked the 6 blocks back to the apartment, Garvey ate a few cookies and a piece of bread with Nutella.

The next all you can eat stop was a pizza place. And once again, Garvey was impressive. He was bored in the airport yesterday and decided to add up all of the dessert pizza he had. Only counting the chocolate, strawberry and banana covered pizza, Garvey thinks he had 7 slices. Ridiculous.

As for the drinks, Rio has by far been the best. The caipirinhas were delicious and the beer was surprisingly good, and everything is delivered right to you! Whether on the beach, or in the restaurant, we didn't have to move a muscle.

Beyond the food, I can't speak more highly of Rio. While yes, crime is an issue, and something that I never forgot about, the overall feeling of the city is intoxicating. The way the city spills into the ocean is beautiful. As you walk the city streets there are people in speedos, people with surf boards and others with sandy butts. And as you walk along the beach there are people in business suits and high heels. The city life and beach life are intertwined, creating a very laid back feeling. All of the restaurants, bars and grocery stores spill onto the sidewalks. At night the restaurants and bars are filled and exploding with people all enjoying each other's company. Restaurants in the US are filled with families earlier in the evening and dominated by couples later on. In Rio, there is no way to tell how the groups are related, or even where one ends and another begins. There are friends, families, co workers, neighbors, strangers and lovers all laughing, smiling, eating and drinking. As Cameron said, "they just love to enjoy themselves." And I loved being part of it.