Eu Amo Brasil!

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.

Ipanema - Rio. "Natural" trash.

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

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