Welcome to Brasil

Gabriel, our Brazilian classmate and puppetmaster behind an exciting week of activities in Rio.

Our first meal in a romantic jungle treehouse restaurant overlooking the city.

Fish, grilled plantain and coconut rice.

Samba School

A purely Brazilian experience. We arrive at 1 am to a huge pink and green building that looks like a stadium of sorts in a seedy part of town that I would defiantly not venture to without locals. After buying our blue tickets, we go through metal detectors and heavy security to enter the Samba School. The crowd is a mix of old and young, men and women, men dressed as women, and children. We are clearly the only tourists there. It is a huge gymnasium with a balcony all around stuffed with people watching. On one end in the balcony is a band of drummers with drums of all shapes and sizes, in another balcony are the guitars and the rest of the instruments, and in a smaller balcony booth are 4 guys with microphones singing and starting the music sort of karaoke style. Everyone is wearing pink and green and waving the pink and green flags of the samba school. The dance floor is surrounded by pink and green card tables with older women and young children watching. On the dance floor there are old men in pink and green aloha shirts handing out the words to the songs and everyone sings along. The old men periodically blow their green whistles for the dancers to keep moving in a big circle and to push us back when we got too close to the middle.
The music starts, and people start to move. When the drums come in people really start to shake and all in a general circle direction. SAMBA. CRAZY.

So evidently this family party is a rehearsal for the samba club to prepare to march in the parade at Carnival in February. This rehearsal and similar parties at other samba schools in town are repeated weekly until the parade so the samba school becomes the neighborhood gathering place.

the karaoke song leaders.

An aloha shirted whistle blower and me in the Congo-ish line.

a welcome rest between songs.

The track on a Sunday afternoon. Beautiful horses, beautiful scenery, beautiful people.

You've likely had the experience at some European bakery of seeing delicate, tantalizing, exquisitely displayed cakes and pastries in the window and going in to buy a dozen only to find out that they are dry, tasteless and really disappointing.

We decided that everything in Brazil tastes better than it looks. Everything. The juice shops have glass counters filled with ordinary looking pastries and sandwiches, but everything we tried was absolutely spectacular. One of our favorites - a ham and cheese filled butter roll, incredible.

The GSB group in Rio de Janeiro, complete with cheesy matching Tshirts!

Real Football

Botofogo vs. Internacional in the largest soccer stadium in the world.

After arriving and getting settled in our seats we noticed the two team mascots on the video board. Botofogo's mascot was a pantless boy wearing a striped jersey, soccer cleats and peeing on his own logo (on the left). Internacional's mascot was a one-legged black boy (this one with pants) wearing a soccer cleat. Hmmm, crippled and obscene...Not quite the ferocious and intimidating mascots we're used to in the U.S. but then we saw that when Botofogo scores, the little pantless boy turns around to aim his stream at Internacional's logo.

We found it particularly ironic that while discussing the bizarre choice for Internacional to have a crippled child as their mascot, we came across this person outside the concessions stand - A one-legged black boy. Even more ironic, he was wearing a Botofogo jersey and cheering for the other team. Go figure.

Chants, signs, songs, brawls, goals...it was everything we'd hoped it would be and more.

Brazilian Jungle

We showered in these natural waterfalls coming out of the rock.
Very romantic concept... cold and goosebumpy reality.

Our trusty open jeep for the rain forest tour.

The Girl from Ipanema

Breakfast on the roof of our hotel overlooking the beach on one side, and the mountains of rain forest on the other. Rio was breathtaking! Built around a natural lagoon, surrounded on 2 sides by beach, and the other by Sugarloaf, rain forest and mountains.

The view from the Christ statue overlooking the lagoon and Copacabana.

A view of Sugarloaf and Ipanema

The Rio Staples

Cheesebacon and Asai with Strawberry. This became a choice daily snack. A savory take on a bacon cheese sirloin burger and a rich fruit smoothie that the locals would eat as a meal replacement like a protein shake. I found the following description of the Asai berry online...and now I understand what the Brazilians were trying to explain in Portuguese about the smoothies.

' Highly nutritious Açaí Fruit is sometimes called the Amazon's perfect "super berry" and is believed to be an exceptional antioxidant, which helps to build the body's natural defenses against infection and disease and protect the body from free radicals that can attack and destroy cells. Its fatty acids are believed to help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, improve blood circulation and reduce the risk of arteriosclerosis, stroke and heart attack. Often referred to as the "Fountain of Youth," Açaí Fruit is reputed to restore the stamina and vitality of our younger days.'

I knew I was feeling carefree, vibrant and young...and to think I naively attributed it to sleeping in, laying for hours on a peaceful beach with my sweetheart sipping the milk from a coconut, and the absence of a certain one year old...who'd have thought it was simply the asai berry smoothies?

Although cheesebacons and fruit juices could be found on literally every corner,
BB Lanches became a quick favorite.

Logan and I felt like we were speaking Portuguese (and most locals humored us) when we slurred our Spanish words together with kind of a European flair. So to order the Cheesebacon, we simply slurred, Chessssbaaaaacan and then smiled sheepishly (see evidence of sheepish smile and another successful order below.)

Teeth

Eva may not have a mouthful yet

but she thoroughly appreciates the three she has

And already understands the importance of oral hygiene

Her new favorite toy...a toothbrush!

Saturday Morning

Fresh crepes with Auntie Liz and Lindsay Moore

And now our toddler

really toddles!

How Romantic

To celebrate their wedding anniversary, Mom and Dad went to dinner and then on a long ride. Seeing as how Dad hasn't had a bike since their 2nd wedding anniversary, this was Mom's first ride in a long time. She gave us the quick rundown on the will and which daughter got what jewelry, and as they rode off into the sunset, we wondered if we'd ever see them again.

We decided it would be a good way to go.

A Visit from the Moores!

We got to spend a day with the Moores during their 'long route' move to D.C.

Bike Ride and picnic on the Greenbelt.

Posing with Lindsay, Ella and Miss Lauren Moore.

Kim and the Moore sisters survived a freak bike accident and trailer flip with not even a scratch!