Final days in Brazil

DAY 3 BRAZIL:

Today we decided to explore all of Ipanema and Copacabana by bicycle.  We rented bikes at the far end of the Ipanema beach and cruised all the way to the other end of the Copacabana beach (about 4 miles away) stopping to look at sand sculptures and beach-volleyball games.  We got lunch in Copacabana, shopped around at the street vendors and enjoyed the atmosphere.  It was a holiday so the street was closed and the beaches were packed.  Families strolled the boardwalk, couples rollerbladed, and friends soaked up the sun in itsy-bitsy bikinis.

For our last dinner in Rio de Janeiro we decided to go out for a nice meal at a traditional Brazilian Barbeque restaurant.  I had never been to a restaurant like this before, but the way it works is that there is a salad bar then you have a card that is green on one side and red on the other.  Once you are ready for meats you flip the card to green and suddenly waiters with different types of meat ranging from filet mignon to chicken hearts appear at your table asking if you would like a serving.  Specialty drinks are even served from a cart.  We all ordered the famous Caipirinha drink made of Brazilian liquor from sugarcane, lime, sugar, and ice.  Everything was delicious!  The food is endless- the American mentality of having to finish everything on your plate doesn’t work too well here.  We all left completely stuffed.

For our last night out we went to a popular local reggae, hip-hop area called Lapa.  The streets were packed with people our age and bars had live performers with music blasting out the doors.  There were also prostitutes everywhere.  Women dressed in next to nothing tried to sell themselves to our guy friends as we walked by.  We had learned about the problem of prostitution in Brazil before arriving but didn’t fully recognize it until tonight.  It was disgusting and saddening to see how the women carried themselves, but it was a matter of life and something that I saw in other developing countries as well.  Tomorrow is our last day in Rio before we head back to Salvador. 

DAY 4 BRAZIL:

We woke up in Rio this morning and it was pouring rain!  The beaches and streets were empty- a stark contrast to yesterday’s crowds.   We spent the last morning at the Leblon shopping mall near our hotel and all made a few good purchases with our remaining Reals (Brazilian currency).  Our 2-hour flight back to Salvador went just as planned and we got back in time for a last local Brazilian dinner.  We sat at a picnic bench table in an outdoor roofed restaurant as it down poured outside.  Our traditional, shrimp stew and rice meal was fantastic.  It came in a huge wok with several side dishes and seasonings to compliment the stew.  After, we took a taxi to the local reggae area in the center of town for some music and casual atmosphere.  Since it was raining we ended up sitting in another outdoor covered bar and enjoying beers together for hours while reminiscing about the last three months together.  It was a bitter-sweet night because it was our last in a foreign country, which marked the beginning of the end of our voyage. 


DAY 5 BRAZIL:

Our last day in Salvador was designating for site seeing and shopping.  In the morning we went to the old-town area where we had been the night before and visited a beautiful church while mass was being held and also walked the cobblestone streets. The town had a distinctly Portuguese style with ornate architecture and brightly colored buildings.  Everything was densely built but beautiful.  We stopped in this one tourist store and they had a Michael Jackson music video playing which was filmed on the very streets we were walking outside the store.  We were all mesmerized by the film and had to go to the music store to buy some local Brazilian tunes after.

For lunch we went back to our favorite beach area, Playa de Barra, and had a long meal at an outdoor patio restaurant.  We walked over to the Salvador lighthouse and sat in the grass for a while just watching the locals.  With just a few hours remaining in our journey we headed back to the market area near the ship to spend our final Reals on artisan souvenirs.  We were at a local bar enjoying Brazilian beers and cigars when it suddenly started pouring again.  We enjoyed the rain from under the awning but had to dash back to the ship with just 10 minutes to spare.  Running with our bags of souvenirs, wearing our new Brazilian shoes (which I had to throw out because they smelled like the urine streets the next day) and soaking wet we made it back on the ship just in time!  They had a barbeque for us to celebrate the final port.  

Now we are headed back to America.  It will be an interesting week of reflection as we all get closer to reality and recognize our changed perspectives.