Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ran across a flyer for a cooking course in Copacabana when I first got to Rio and finally had time to take it. It was a perfect day for it as it was overcast and cloudy and rainy all day (it`s officially winter here). The course was R$120 per person (about $60 USD), and was from 2pm until a little after 6pm. There was a couple from Canada, Texas, a woman from Australia and myself so a very small intimate group. The class is held in a restaurant and is taught by Simone, who is a very good teacher. She taught us not only about cooking but about it`s role in Brazilian culture. The course was very hands on and everyone got a chance to participate.

We started out by making fried manioc as an appetizer. This root is very much a part of Brazilian cooking and present at almost every meal (in different forms). The way that we prepared it was by slicing it in strips (like steak fries) and then frying it in soy oil. Once done a little salt was added and a bit of Brazilian dry cheese. It did taste a bit like potato.

At the same time that the manioc was being made some adult beverages were also prepared. We made the popular drink called caipirinha. It`s made of lime, sugar, and cachaca (sugar cane alcohol) and is served over ice. It was quite tasty. Later we made another batch but used passionfruit, I liked this one better even though the seeds kept getting caught in the straw. A virgin (non-alcoholic) version can be made simply by using soda water instead of cachaca.

For the main dishes there was rice, farofa, and seafood moqueca. The farofa also made from the manoic root but this time in the meal form. It is quite common to see the manoic meal at most restaurants as it is used as a topper for many dishes. First some onions were sauted in soy oil, then a lot of the manioc meal was added and lastly we added some slices of banana. Farofa is a common side dish in Brazil. I`m used to making rice in a rice cooker (I`m part asian), but this rice was made in a pot. First we sauted some minced garlic in soy oil and then added the rice. Once the side dishes were done it was time for the main course, seafood moqueca.

Red and green bell peppers and onions we cut into rings and placed in the pan with soy oil. Once they were down pieces of whitefish were added along with large shrimps (how big does a shrimp have to be before you can`t call it a shrimp?) and some crawfish. The hole thing simmered for about 20 minutes and then it was time to eat.

Everything was really good and I was really surprised how good the farofa with banana was, of course it was a little tastier knowing I had helped make it.

For my stay in Rio I decided to move around a little to see some of the many sides of this city. My plan was to stay the farthest from the airport and gradually get closer, but always staying within easy reach of the many beaches.

The first hostel I stayed was called Leblon Spot Design. It was a very new, modern and clean hostel. I felt bad because I seemed to walk on the floors right after they had just mopped them, which they seemed to be doing all the time. I stayed in a 6 bed female dorm, but was the only person in it the entire time. The room cost $14 USD per night (I got a discount since I`m a Hostelling International member), this did not include breakfast, but did include really fast internet. It had a very nice kitchen that I could cook in and there were at least 3 grocery stores within a 5-10 minute walk. There were even 2 branches of my bank within walking distance. The neighborhood was very safe and the beach was 3 blocks away. There was a very nice shopping mall as well as many high end (Louis Vuitton) stores in the area. I stayed here prior to going out and visiting other parts of Brazil.

The second place I stayed was called Che Lagarto located in Copacabana, right in the heart of all the action. There were various sizes of all male or all female dorms, as well as mixed dorms. The larger dorms were just beds with shared bathroom facilities outside the rooms. I stayed in a 6 bed all female dorm with a bathroom inside. There were 3 bunk-beds and I think they took mercy on my and assigned me a lower bunk. Most nights I was the only person in the room as my roommates stayed out all evening. For each bed there was a medium size storage area to lock up personnel belongings. The cost was around $12 USD and this included breakfast and free internet (although the connection was really bad). This was a place ideal for the younger generation, the backpacker types. There was a bar in the hostel and late night activities planned for most nights, there were also activities planned for the daytime. The staff at the hostel was really nice and very helpful. While there were at least 2 ladies constantly cleaning the hostel it was still a bit dirty. However in their defense I imagine it`s hard to keep a place clean when there are always people around and a good portion of these people aren`t great about cleaning up after themselves. One of the memorable moments at this hostel was the morning I woke up to find a sign on the door stating that all baggage would need to be removed from the room for what they were calling plague control. I of course went to get clarification on this plague and found out the it was really pest control spraying that needed to be done, however I don`t think this was normal. We could`nt get back into our rooms until 7pm. Between the lack of cleanliness and the constant party this wasn`t really my scene. I moved to my next hostel in Rio the next afternoon.

The last hostel I stayed in was called Chill Hostel, which is exactly what I wanted to do my last couple of days in South America. The hostel was in the Leme neighborhood. The area the hostel was located in is called a favela, which is the Brazilian term for a shanty town. Favelas are generally the poorer parts of a neighborhood and can be very unsafe to visit (day or night). Last year this particular favela was cleaned up by the police (I`m told that a bit of gunfire was involved). The hostel is located near the top of a very steep hill and there are cops located at the bottom and the midway mark, also there is a police trailer about 2 doors down from the hostel. Trust me it is a very safe area. The most dangerous thing was the very steep hill, it killed my knees every time I walked down. It was so steep that there is a motorcycle taxi stop dedicated to taking people up the hill. I`m proud to stay I never used their services.

While the area is now safe it is still a somewhat poor area. This was made clear to me when I saw people washing themselves and brushing their teeth from water that is constantly running out of a pipe on hill. I think this was partly due to the fact that occasionally houses would temporarily run out of water.

The only space in this hostel was in a mixed dorm. The cost was $14 USD and did not include breakfast but I had access to a full kitchen and it did include free internet. The hostel was a bit different then anything I have stayed in so far in South America. The mixed dorm was quite roomy. There were 4 bunk-beds spread over two large rooms, plenty of room for all eight of us and all our junk. My roommates were 2 kids (early 20`s) from France, 2 kids from Norway, 2 guys from Portugal, and a strange couple also from Portugal (they shared one tiny top bunk and slept all day and night for 3 days straight). I thought the poor Frenchmen underneath them would end up like Flat Stanley as I don`t think the beds were made to hold 2 grown adults. I took the only bed left which was a top bunk (it`s a wonder I didn`t hurt my self) I could see the ocean from my bed. The view from the roof patio was amazing, I could see almost all of Leme as well as an amazing view of the ocean. I was told there are monkeys that in some of the surrounding trees, but I did not see any.

Early on in my stay I suspected that most of the group were suffering from very serious cases of glaucoma and that their doctors had prescribed daily doses of marijuana, which they were very good about doing. Having just had my eyes checked and told that my 20/20 vision was still intact I did not participate in the daily sessions.

Staying in the hostel was more like being a guest at someones house then staying at an hostel. Upon arrival Luiz gave me a key to the gate so I could come and go as I please. One evening I came back and no one else was there so it was nice that I could just go right in.There was a 5 month old bit bull puppy named Jahn. The other house guest were about 8 kids from France, their business school donates money to a school outside of the Rio area and they were here to visit the school and help with some maintenance. There were the guys from Portugal that had bought a van here and are planning on driving through South America all the way to Central America (perhaps farther). There are also a couple of Australians now living and working in Brazil and are living here.

I`ll be honest the hostel was not clean by my standards but everything else it had made up for this (for the most part). I think partly because of the steep hill most of us did not go out at night. This gave us a chance to interact with each other, probably more so than at other hostels. Most of us were soccer fans and so we would watch world cup matches together in the morning before heading our separate ways for the day. In the evenings there were movies, games of pool, and always there were discussions with various topics. Even though there were 5 different countries represented it turns out we all were big fans of the tv show Family Guy and had a marathon nights since Luiz had some DVD`s. The second night there Luiz did a BBQ (or as we say in Portuguese churrasco). He took care of everything (at no extra cost), there was salad, hard-boiled quail eggs, chicken, beef, sausage, and bread with a cream cheese like spread that was grilled. There was about 15 of us and there was plenty of food. My last night we had pizza night and watch Avatar.

Out of the 3 places I stayed in Rio chill was my favorite.

Whether your a fan or not most people are aware that the World Cup is going on. Here in Brazil you can`t escape it, which is fine with me. It`s really a big deal here.

Brazil`s first game was against North Korea and I wanted to watch it in Rio and so I plan my trip from Foz do Iguaçu with this in mind. When I mentioned this to the gal at the hostel she said I was going into the eye of the hurricane. It`s a 23 hour bus ride so I left Foz do Iguaçu at 12pm to arrive in Rio at 11am the next day. I wanted to make sure I was back in Rio well before the start of the game as I was pretty sure once the game started taxis would be a bit scarce. I was already warned that banks would probably be closed as the guards may not show up.

Rio (as well as most other areas of Brazil) have been preparing for the World Cup for at least the entire time I`ve been here. Yellow and green streamers hung from most restaurants, bars, shopping stores, grocery stores, houses, schools (ok, you get the picture). Also I`m pretty sure that beer companies increased their production leading up to the games. I`ll have to remember to buy stock in all Brazilian beer companies prior to the 2014 games which will be held in Rio. The sell of new and used televisions also increased at this time so that those that did still have to work would not miss out on the action. Almost everywhere I went I heard people singing and whistling the Wave Your Flags song.

I got back to my hostel with plenty of time prior to the game. Once I was able to check in I headed to the store and then to the beach to watch the game. Walking to the beach most people (and their dogs) wore the yellow and green colors of Brazil (occasionally some blue), regardless of age. I`m pretty sure if parents sent their kids off to school that day in anything but these colors that child services would be called. The excitement could be heard throughout the city. Bus and trucks would honk there horns, fire works would be set off (they really love their fireworks here), and the various noise makers that people had were constantly going. This was a big day for street vendors, selling shirts, jerseys, beads, key chains, you name it. I saw grown men with very serious looks on their faces as they contemplated which noise make they should buy.

The game was to start at 330 and it was still a good 2 hours before the game but a lot of the shops on Copacabana Avenue had already closed, even the McDonald`s. Grocery stores were quite busy as people stocked up on supplies (by supplies I mean beer). Some were buying beer by the cases that they would later sell on the beach. There were also people on the beach collecting the empty cans, which helped keep the beach clean.

Once I reached Atlantic Ave (the street that runs along the beaches) it was in full party mode. There was a stream of people all heading towards the same place. There was a very noticeable security presence all along the avenue, but people were in good spirits and so there were no issues. I think they were there in preparation for any possible after game celebrations (good or bad).

FIFA which is the governing body of soccer had fanfest stadiums in a few select cities around the world (Mexico City, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Sydney, as well as a number throughout South Africa). For Rio`s fanfest there were 2 big-screens set up. The larger of the 2 was in an enclosed area that had activities for the fans to do as well as refreshments places. This was free and the more popular of the 2 areas. The other big-screen was also good size and was in an non-enclosed area.

The enclosed area was already quite packed and so I headed to the other side. There were plenty of people on this side as well. There were helicopters doing fly-overs as the scene was being shown on TV, the crowd went wild every time they passed by. Finally it was game time,at which point everyone stood up and stayed that way for the entire game. The crowd was really into the game (both males and females), although they did get a bit quite when at halftime the score was still 0-0. When Brazil scored their first goal the crowd went absolutely wild. Once the game was over a Brazil had won relief and joy spread throughout the crowds.

As I walked back to my hostel I could hear M-80`s going off throughout the city. Homemade confetti that had been thrown from houses lined the streets. It was almost like they had won the entire World Cup already. I of course was not dumb enough to point out that they still had to play more games. Also I thought to myself if this was the celebration for when they win I wondered what happens if they lose.

I played soccer as a child and even a bit as an adult so I like watching World Cup matches. In the past I normally only get to see mainly the US games, and I`m watching them with other Americans soccer fans. For this year`s World Cup I`ll be in Brazil and France while the games are on, so my viewing will have an international touch.

For the first US match against England I was sharing the couch with a couple from England. I almost felt bad about celebration the goal that just slipped by their goalie. For other matches I`ve sat next to people from The Netherlands, France, Australia, Argentina, South Korea as their teams played. I was sitting on the couch for the Argentina vs S. Korea match and there was a girl from each country on either side of me. So it`s not just the men that get into this. The women know the schedule of the games, the names of the players (it helps that most are quite good looking) wear their teams jerseys with pride and cheer their teams on in hopes of a win.

Here in Brazil country pride is not just limited to the locals. On the street you see people wearing jerseys from many different countries. So far I`ve seen ones from France, England, The Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Mexico and Italy. While the fanfest is the busiest on the days when Brazil plays there's a good number of people there for the other matches as well. I saw two mother`s with about 5 kids heading there for the France vs Mexico match. The kids had French jerseys on and they were all sporting face paint in the French colors.

Even though it`s a competition everyone has been very friendly through out the matches even if they`re rooting for different teams. I remember during the USA vs Slovenia match the girl from Argentina telling me that she loves our national anthem. That`s one of the things that I love about sports is you can come from different backgrounds and different cultures but sporting events are unique in their ability to unify people.

Of all the things that I will miss about South America, all you insects I will miss the least. As I embarked on this journey I knew that I would be dealing with a certain amount of insects, but you've far exceeded my expectations. I don't know what kind of deal the locals have with you so they are not affected as much as us tourist, but I'm sure some of us would love to get in on it. I'm not saying that in the US there are not issues with insects but it does seem that there is a certain code of conduct that you guys just don't seem to have. Things like the mosquitos mainly are an issue in the evenings, not first thing in the morning. Just so you know it is not alright to lay in wait in the shower when we are most vunerable, have you no shame!

You guys must wear tiny little Swiss watches because you seem to know exactly what time my bug repellant wore off. There are a couple of you that I've placed on my on personal wall of shame:

- the ones that bit me in the center of my hand and the cartilage part of my ear, could you have found a harder place to bite?

- the ones (it happen more than once) that bit me while I was in the shower or on the toilet in places that would be inappropriate to scratch (sorry for the mental image),

- the one that bite me in my nose so that I was walking around twitching my nostrils like a professional cokehead, I mean really have you no limits

- to the wasp (or whatever it was) that drilled a hole in my back, thanks for the free souvenir

I generally am not a person that swears (at least not outloud), but it got to the point where everytime I saw one of you I almost said the word in my head outloud. I would walk around slapping myself at any possible culprits. I'm sure I looked like I had some kind of weird Tourette's Syndrome (not that there's anything wrong with that).

If word of this letter reaches you and you feel even an ounce of remorse and would like to make it up to me feel free to contact your comrades in Southeast Asia and tell them to go easy on me once I get there. I'm not saying all would be forgiven but it would be a good step in mending my views of you.

Brazil is such a large country and so it's hard to see everything that there is to see. I do feel that I got a good glimpse with the places I visited. I would definatly like to visit again and focus on areas like the Amazon.

The people of Brazil are very colorful, it reminded me a little of the US in that it could be hard to determine the locals from the tourist just by site. I was often confused as a local, at least once a day someone would come up and start talking to me in Portuguese. They always seemed quite surprised when I said "no falo Portuguese", one lady gave me a look as if to say "are you sure?".

In describing the Brazilian soccer fans when I first arrived I used the term passionate to describe them, I now know that crazy is the more appropriate term. I can only imagine what in will be like in 2014 when World Cup takes over Rio.

As amazing as Brazil is there is still quite a bit of poverty. Hopefully with some of the projects that will need to be carried out in preparation of the World Cup and the Olympics will create long term opportunities for some of the people in need.