December 6, 2009 at 3:59 am (Brazil, Photos, Seeing the world, Travel)
With a last-minute invitation to join a friend and his family in Rio, we headed off to Barra for the weekend. We had a fantastic Italian dinner in the mall (where most of the upscale restaurants are, and the safest place in the whole city to be) and spent the next morning strolling the beach front and holding hands, trying not to think about my flight back to the states that night. We thought once I flew home that we wouldn’t see each other again for over two months.
Little did we know I’d be back in 5 days.
They say you can tell which beach you’re on in Rio by looking at the sidewalks, and it’s true.
We found an incredible farmer’s market by accident, and wished we had not just finished breakfast!
Barra was beautiful, as is every other beach I’ve been to there, but too much of a city beach for me. I’m glad we went, and I have good memories from here, but give me a nice rustic beach away from town any day.
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December 4, 2009 at 12:22 pm (Brazil, Photos, Seeing the world, Travel)
Arraial do Cabo, this time it’s just the two of us.
Our own paths to walk, our own day to spend, our own pace to keep.
Our own hidden path, our own hidden beach.
Our own day to spend as we liked.
It was one of my best days there. Just the two of us with the world left behind.
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December 2, 2009 at 10:20 am (Brazil, Friendship, Language barriers, Seeing the world, Travel)
Once back home in the apartment, I had three days to fill by myself. One day being completely lazy, and one day wandering the town left me with not much to do on the third day. At dinner with friends, I was invited to spend the day with Selso and his family while they took their boat out on the river.
I love this old broken bridge, and have tried to get good pictures from the car as we drive into town, but never quite got it. From the water? Much, much better shot! Driving the boat under one of those crumbly arches was not something I expected, but loved!
On one side of the river is the “Poor Beach”, and the other side had the “Rich Beach”. The poor beach looked WAY more fun! I wish I could have been one of those kids jumping off the boat.
Instead, we cruised and explored and waved at the fishermen as we wondered why it took six men to land a 10″ catfish. They were all shouting directions at each other, and pointing out the best way to bring it in. The laughing and cheering probably had something to do with the beer, but I’m sure the warm beautiful day had something to do with it.
After we docked the boat, they took me out to lunch, then to their house for ice cream. I can’t thank them enough! An unexpected, lovely day with new friends was a very nice surprise. It didn’t seem to matter that they spoke no English at all, and I was totally on my own with my basic Portuguese. We worked it out, and talked about the river, children, life, food and love. What could be better? Only to have my heart there with me, instead of stuck at his desk at work while I played.
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November 30, 2009 at 1:18 am (Brazil, Seeing the world, Travel)
They were not kidding. The road between Teresopolis and Rio Das Ostras, through Friburgo, was narrow, packed with curves, steep, and had almost no guard rails. Three hours of that and I was very thankful for dramamine.
And I think our wheels actually did leave the road a few times.
But – it was beautiful, and I would drive it again in a heartbeat.
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November 21, 2009 at 11:55 am (Brazil, Home, Seeing the world, Travel, international relationship, long distance, long distance relationship)
There is a thing about us that I love. Whenever we are together, we are home. Wherever we are.
For four days in October home was here in Teresopolis. Here where we ate breakfast and drank our coffee on the patio each morning. Where we swam in the freezing pool and made new friends with other guests’ children when we were the only adults who would play frisbee. Where we kicked each other’s asses at ping pong, and fought off the resident psycho kitty. Where we spent as much time as possible together, while that time lasted, and where I tried my best to not let him out of my sight.
And if he did leave my sight, I knew this thing was watching out for us.
I’m still not sure if we were supposed to be protected by it, or afraid of it.
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November 16, 2009 at 11:01 am (Brazil, Photos, Seeing the world, Travel)
I stood in this spot for 5 minutes, just looking at it all.
It’s possible that my mouth was open while I was staring.
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November 14, 2009 at 12:47 pm (Brazil, Seeing the world, Travel)
Houses, neighborhoods, favelas, shacks, teetering stacks of homes. It’s like someone threw a jugsaw puzzle in the air and this is how it landed. I wish I could go walk around and explore, looking inside to see how these people make it a home.
But first, coffee. Tasty, tasty Brazilian coffee. I only wish the cups were bigger. And I wish for a to-go cup. Or maybe not. I kind of like the way it feels to slow down and have a face to face chat while we stop to sip our drinks.
I saw this, and already loved Petropolis! I wonder if those are big enough to hold a tall American woman, who may or may not be about four times the size of these kids.
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November 11, 2009 at 11:33 am (Brazil, Seeing the world, Travel)
What happens when you follow a sketchy tourist map, a few rickety signs and a road that is only just barely a road through a part of town that makes you think you might not come out alive if you got a flat tire?
You find the most impressively dangerous waterfall you have ever seen. This huge wall of water slid right off a sheet of rock down into a crack barely 4 feet wide, where it made a sharp 90 degree turn and gushed out the side into a narrow channel at the bottom.
Judging by the number of shrines and candles scattered all over the area, I’m guessing quite a few people got swept down this river and over the falls. There is no way anyone has ever survived that. Wow.
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November 10, 2009 at 11:34 am (Brazil, My new life, Seeing the world, Travel)
Serra dos Orgaos National Park. Our day, which started with the intention of driving out to see the grand views, quickly fell back on alternate plans.
I’m glad it did. This place was stunning in the mist!
This man. How could I spend a day in the mist and rain with him and not smile? This park holds that memory close, and it will always make me smile.
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November 9, 2009 at 10:56 am (Brazil, Seeing the world, Travel)
A walk. A morning of early exploration to see what the town holds for us.
But first, coffee! A little hole-in-the wall coffee shop where we (two big gringos) got sideways glances by the regulars until we ordered in Portuguese. Then, a “Good morning, how are you? Enjoy!”.
Then a dog.
Which was the funniest thing I saw all day.
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