Note: I wrote this back in June 2012. I've just been too embarrassed to post it because I know that it is a simpleminded take on an entire country, but then again, I love to hear other people's first impressions of LA, and the US... so here it is.
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Ipanema - Rio. "Natural" trash.
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There is really nothing like the feeling of walking onto an
international flight in your board shorts and sandals with the sand still
between your toes. It’s the feeling I’ve had a few times now, dehydrated,
slightly sunburned and completely exhausted, with the last week or so already
becoming a blur in your mind. Well, I’ve been trying to get this blog off the
ground for quite a while, so I thought I would give it a fresh start with my
thoughts and impressions of my first visit to Brazil before the finer details
fade into oblivion.
I want to write
about Brazil, but I also want to try to flesh out my own feelings and thoughts
about why I love to travel, and why I love and hate traveling alone.
Traveling alone internationally is something that will
change you forever. And Brazil is the perfect place to try it if you never
have.
Both because it is more
challenging than many other places and because it is more rewarding all at the
same time. As I spent time walking the streets and encountering the people of
Rio, I felt a strong desire to more deeply understand the people and culture of
this city. Not only the language, food and traditions, but the historical
events that have helped shape their way of life, their faith, and the dynamic
of their relationships. I know that one week spent mostly in tourist areas
hardly gives me the ability to speak about an entire group of people, so I can
only share my limited interactions and observations. But still, I hope they are
insightful to you.
What can be said about a deeply religious country that has a
giant 100 foot statue of Christ with his hands held out 2000 feet above the
city? By this observation alone you might arrive at all the wrong conclusions.
As I sat on the beach one afternoon, I came to the realization that Brazilians
are probably some of the most attractive people on the earth, yet they are less
“ridiculous” than we are about it all. They take everything to a whole new
level, both with the speedos and bikinis, as well as the crazy sports they play
like foot volley (volleyball with your head, chest and feet only). On the
beach, there is well-used free exercise equipment everywhere. I watched young
and old people play fresco ball, volley ball, soccer and foot volley on the
beach. I watched a little kid (not more than 10 or 13 yrs old) jump up and do a
hand stand and spike a volley ball across the net with his feet. There is a
strong beach culture in Rio, and it is very different from our Los Angeles beaches.
Here in LA, the goal is to find a spot away from everyone else and set up camp
so as to make it your own little home away from home with all the trimmings.
It’s not uncommon for people in the US to bring large tents, tables, BBQ grills
and half a grocery store’s worth of food and equipment. It seems in Rio that
people enjoy the community of beach culture in a way that we are unfamiliar
with. People of various races and status will mingle on the beach. When it is
crowded, it seems very natural for everyone to be close and chatty. Also, there
are always plenty of vendors to take care of your beach needs, be it chairs,
umbrellas, light beer, snacks or jewelry. I was worried about finding the
family some gifts, till I sat on the beach and an entire shopping mall came to
me! For just a few dollars, you can have your beach chair, snack and a great
view without the hassle of lugging a bunch of junk out.
Geography
The geography of the city is nothing like any US city. There
are small islands and large rock formations
all around the city, with beautiful little
beaches in between.
There are lagoons
and coves everywhere. Sunset is always amazing because the land formations
always provide beautiful silhouettes. The pollution also helps the sunset look
nice!
Samba
Samba is the music of Rio. Wherever you go, you will hear
this music in many varieties. It’s nice because you only need 1 or 2 additional
instruments of your choosing and a singer, so the ensembles can widely vary
depending on the venue and setup. You can also rock it out or make the sound
very gentle. The thing that I really like about samba is that it’s very cross
generational. People of all ages seem to understand and dance to samba rhythms.
Coming from a country where music is extremely individualistic, it’s nice to
see that just about everyone enjoys and dances to samba. It is the heartbeat of
Brazil, I think. And after watching this for a week, I think it’s healthy for
an entire nation of people to have something like this in common. It is
something that we don’t have or understand.
Economy
Brazil’s economy appears to be strong and stable. They are
probably the wealthiest nation in South America. It appears to me that
Brazilians really know how to have fun, yet they must be hard workers too. They
must be doing something right when most of the world is suffering for major
economic downturn. During my visit I heard many people complain of the high
taxes, but I don’t know if the social services are more or less than here or
Europe. As I was in line getting some acai, I watched a young guy studying what
appeared to be some type of engineering instruction on his kindle. I also
visited the research headquarters of the national Brazilian oil company for my
work. Here you can see the center of the Brazilian economy. Also they have a
lot of agricultural and beef export. I don’t know a lot about these elements of
the economy, but as an analogy, when you have the combination of a smart and
good looking person, it is usually a recipe for success. I think this truth can
be applied to Brazil. A strong tourism economy really puts cash in the hands of
both corporations and street innovators. A beautiful place like Brazil tends to
attract talent (I mean, who really wants to work in places like Detroit or even
China?) However, I suspect that they may be entering an economic bubble similar
to ours. There has been a sharp increase in prices over the last 2 years there.
I can even see this from reading blogs and looking at websites that offer
outdated prices from 1 or 2 years back. But who knows.
The Food
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| Acai!! And epenada (pastel in Brazil) |
Whenever I have visited a Brazilian steakhouse in the US, I
always thought that it was a cheesy tourist trap. How could anyone in South
America consume this much meat? Well, I was dead wrong. Those places are
everywhere, either for a fixed price or by the kg. They made the American
versions look lame! Some of these buffets were incredibly lavish (and not that
expensive!) with guys coming around forcing meet on your plate until you make
them stop. However, there were many strange additions to the Brazilian
steakhouses that I have never seen here. They eat chicken hearts on a skewer as
a delicacy, and they make all types of risotto type dishes and something
similar to calzone pastries covered in cheese. However, the thing I enjoyed the
most is the Acai shakes. Delicious! I have yet to find an equivalent here in
LA. Usually if you ask for acai, they make you a seedy purple shake with a
mixture of berries and fruit.
Rio was a wonderful first experience in South America. I
know that only a week in Brazil’s most touristy city can only scratch the
surface, but I loved it, and can’t wait to go back some day
