Trading Brazil's wonderful heat for Cincinnati's 9" snow -- I'm back

Day 1 - Leaving Cincinnati
Worked a half day, way hectic (you know how THE most important things always seems to happen 1 min before you leave for vacation?), then Sals graciously picked us all up and off we go to the airport. Meet my wonderful friend Kyle in Dallas airport -- she's been waiting there for over 3 hours. Yes, she's already drunk off of margaritas. Buys me a birthday drink, we take another shot, and oops, we're probably past the allowable intoxication level to get on a plane. It works out well and we pass out...

Day 2 - 10 min layover in Sao Paolo, arrive in Rio, go to Niteroi...and wake up in Sao Paolo, where we have literally about 10 min til our next flight leaves. Miraculously, we make it after the lady at the gate screams at us to RUUUUUUN! Land in Rio -- all is well so far :) Get outside... it's HOOOOOT! Our skins begin to glisten, but there's something wonderful about this feeling of heat. Took a bus to Niteroi -- about an hour from Rio. SPEAKING OF BUS: the bus drivers are CRAZY in Brazil! Well, drivers in general really. Lanes? imaginary. speed UP for pedestrians. those damn gate things on the bus are impossible for big backpacks and suitcases. buses always win the chicken game. Anyhoo, meet our delightful couchsurfer host Daniel at the mall (note: shopping mall visit #1 in Brazil) after a few hours and make our way to his mom's house. Go for a hike in the neighborhood with Daniel and Carol to do some groceries and eat some acai before heading back. Pack out 5 of us on the floor upstairs and pass out after a long day... (Welcome, first night of many mosquito bites. Sally got eaten alive.)


Day 3 - Out to Copacabana beach day, Sugar Loaf-ing it up
Alright, we have it down. First full day of Rio -- bring on the cliche tourist sightings! It takes about 1 hr 40 min to get to the beach, but so worth it. Hmm... where are all these hot people we always hear off? They must all be rehearsing for the Carnaval parade... Also! Our introduction to caipirinhas! The lady who sells them tells me that after 3 of these, I'll be fluent in Portuguese. I kinda believe her. We do our scoping -- feast our non-subtle eyes on Diogo (Diago?), our first Brazilian phone number, ha. After a good tanning session, we're off to Sugar Loaf. Yeahhh, views are totally worth it. It's a fun ride up too!

Day 4 - Moving to Rio, getting a bus ticket, seeing Christ, watching the Carnaval rehearsal
Full day ahead of us: decided to move to Daniel's apt in Rio instead (closer!), then Daniel sets up a deal with 2 cab drivers to cart us around the city fo R$70 (~$35)and take us to the bus station and the Christ statue. Works for the most part until a van company convinces our cab driver he's not allowed up the mountain even partially for the statue and we get ripped off an additional R$45 to take his stupid van. Oh and surprise, at the top of the mountain we see TAXI CABS -- somehow they WERE allowed up? Ugh. Whatevs. Tourists getting ripped off happens. The statue was pretty neat. We pondered how the hell they built the thing and how they got the materials up that mount. Oh and by the way, cab #2 broke down by now, so we make a deal with cab #1 to take all of us to the Sambodromo for the Carnaval rehearsal (which is free!) for R$30. MADNESS at the rehearsal! The parades themselves will consist of 12 samba schools, each with like 3000 members, but this last rehearsal is for Salguiero, last year's winning samba school. It's incredible how fast the dancers feet move. And their costumes! How can they even move in those? Long night... we had back to Daniel's after finding the metro.

Day 5 - Trekking down to Angra dos Reis
Head on over back to the hectic bus station (it's getting busierrrrr) for our bus trip to Angra. The bus must have been the first airconditioned thing we'd sat in for days and it was niiiiiice! About 3 hrs later we make it there and realize we really haven't eaten much on this trip. Silly us. So we hoist our bags and wander the ~30 min (p.s. Brazilian time is fluid. Helpful tip? Usually double the amount they tell you it takes to get somewhere. And remember that it's blistering hot) to a recommended restaurant WHICH CLOSES RIGHT INFRONT OF US! Sadness. Enter: Erika and Cass -- a couple living there that runs a bed, breakfast, and boat business. Erika's originally from Angra, Cass from Mississippi. They make an awesome pair. They tell us about their awesome boat and how for R$200 they take us to 4 islands, cook us bbq, and provide us drinks. There are no real nice beaches in Angra, but the 365 island that are around it are worth checking out. Funnily, we run into them again later and they give us a ride to our couchsurfer's place (Kelvin) after picking up his keys. And then... run into them again during grocery shopping. We cave and splurge the R$200 for what sounds like an amazing boat trip the next day. We eat dinner with Kelvin and his neighbor Tuan (right?) and then call it a night. I spend my first night ever in a hammock -- surprisingly comfortable!

Day 6 - Boating around the Angra isles
Okay, so looking back on it... we might have gotten ripped off by Erika... R$200 for 7 hrs among 3 islands, a broken down boat, no bbq, paying for our own lunch and drinks. But you know what? For some reason we can't hate her. She's just cool. Getting to know her, she mentioned her apt in Rio on Ipanema beach that we should stay at next time we're in Rio. We sneakily insert cues about how we'll be back in Rio in about 3 days... but no dice. Her mom will be there during Carnaval. Oh well, maybe next time? The islands are gorgeous. SO much green and clear deep waters. We went snorkeling, got surrounded by various fish, and felt like the posh and famous jetting around on the boat, music blasting, past the tourist packed fishermen boats. Stopped off at Ilha Grande (the biggest of the islands) for a wee bit and decided we should get back there some day to spend a few days on it to discover all its beauties and waterfalls. End off with rinsing off in a ritzy hotel's pool before Cass picks us up again and we eat dinner at the mall (shopping mall #3). What a beautiful day. End the night with Kelvin and some of his friends in a poker game. Who won? Psh, I did. Surprised? You shouldn't be (ok, maybe a little.) Luck was on my side that night.


Day 7 - Paraty time!
Ha, I just noticed the unintentional pun I made. ~giggles~ Take another bus (this one, not air conditioned) from Angra to Paraty. We've heard a lot of good things about it -- all turned out true. Quaint little town with an adorable center filled with artisan's shops, restaurants, bars, and souvenirs. We get to our Blue Jungle Hostel, where it's R$20 a night, and are greeted by Phelia, a wonderful German girl who's lived there for about half a year and already speaks fluent Portuguese (there's hope!). Head out to discover the town's center and get back in time to the hostel for our free drinks and for dinner. It starts to storm badly, we attempt to make it out for the night, but after the giant puddles taking up all the streets, we turn back around. So we stay in for a night -- bonding with the other hostel guests, playing music, singing, playing cards, and ridiculous "puzzle" games Matt had up his sleeve that involved "what can be found on Bob's Island" and saying "Johnny Johhny Whoop" correctly. Ridiculous. 9 bunks to a room, no electricity that night, but it wasn't all that bad.Day 8 - Waterfalls and night out in Paraty
Instead of taking the overpriced tours of R$50, we each cough up R$3 for a local bus ride to the waterfalls. Awe. some. Such clear water and running rapids! We slide off of the natural rock slide, that other people are foot sliding down! I would land flat on my face if I did that. We go behind some waterfalls, Kyle jumps off a high cliff (which, btw, she only had 10 seconds of hesitation for whereas it took a group of guys 20 min to get the courage to jump off). Back to Paraty for some shopping and dinner. Man, Brazilians love the "pay for how much your food weighs" style. I think it's awesome -- you get to determine your amount buffet style and choose what you want to eat. They weigh it. You pay. We then head over to Paraty 33 for some live music and finally getting a taste of Cachaca con Miel (caramelized cachaca). Okay, maybe not a "taste"... I got drunk off of 5 shots of those. They are deeeelicious. And so we start wandering the streets, run into some more hostel people, and keep up partying by ending the night in a dance club with some samba and then Lady Gaga, hah. Long night. Went home around 4.


Day 9 - Travel day back to Rio
So we lost Matt today. Well, not "lost" -- he decided he wanted to stay the rest of his days in Paraty instead of going back to Rio. Totally understandable -- I think we all fell in love with Paraty and something was very appealing about its relaxed ambiance versus Rio's hustle and craziness for Carnaval. But Carnaval in Rio? It's one of those things you HAVE to have done if you had the chance. Bucket list item. So we head back. Traffic is ri-dic-ulous once we get into Rio. It's definitely Carnaval time. We arrive an hour or so late at the bus station, take about an hour to find the bus to take us back home, and when we get there: another night of exhaustion of hauling our backpacks. G'night.

Day 10 - Gill and Emily exist, Ipanema beach parades
We finally FINALLY meet up with Gill and Emily due to lack of communication methods, miscommunications, etc. P&G friends finally believe they exist :) Head out to Ipanema beach. Hot guys? yes. Gay? yes. Haha, awesome though. We lay there until a wave or two engulfs us on the beach, so we decide to walk around. Ipanema boulevard is getting busier, buy beers, and set ourselves down for some people watching. Things we've learned about Carnaval? People are drunk at all times of these days, men love dressing up in women's clothes, and strangers love to randomly kiss people. Your face WILL get attacked. The parade was filllled with people and awesome tranny costumes. That night we eat at Frontera (another "weight your plate" place) and then take the metro home. Oh the metro during Carnaval... herds of people smashing themselves into the trains, some times unwillingly (I got pushed into one and friends had to try hard to pull me back out), lack of AC, chanting carnaval songs, pounding on the walls (and smashing windows on occasion). It's quite an experience. Obviously, left us exhausted once again...

Day 11 - Rio centro, concert, back to Ipanema and Copacabana
We meet Emily and Gill in the city center at noon and find ourselves at a Carnaval concert at a square with Samba music. Once again, lots of drunk people, saw a girl PEE on herself while peeing (we moved shortly after), rando's trying to make out with you, and oh the heat. It was marvelous. Head back to Ipanema, more people watching, more parades, almost lose each other in the crowds once again, and back to Copacabana for Emily and Gill's hotel to dip our feet in their pool water. There's another parade right outside their hotel, but by this point, we're almost paraded out. Split up for dinner, between a Churascaria and a "weigh your plate place" that also has an all-you-can-eat pizza for R$15. Do some shopping at a night bazaar in Copa and head to the hotel to watch some of the Carnaval parade on TV. Baaack home. Another night of crazy metro-ness.

Day 12 - last day in Brazil... back to the cold
Our flight's not 'til 8, but with all this crazy Carnaval-ness, we decide it's smart to leave for the airport at 4 and take it easy for the day. We spend the afternoon in the shopping mall near Daniel's (shopping mall #4), eat our last fast food, hold some fun conversations, drink our last juices (btw, juices or '"sucos" are AMAZING in Brazil -- it's like biting into fresh fruit. We really DO need more juice bars in the US). At 4, grab some cabs, make our way to the airport -- by now I'm pretty proud that I can hold semi-decent conversations with the cab driver :) Just needed to stay in Brazil a little longer... Good bye, Brazil.

Alright. Long entry. Needless to say, I know I've forgotten a lot of events during these days... maybe I'll re-post if I randomly remember them. Everyone took a lot of pics, which is good b/c my camera ended up getting stolen out of my checked luggage (jinxed it when I boasted how no one had been robbed or kidnapped during this trip). Alright, I'm exhausted (sounds familiar) and heading to bed... work tomorrow morning... Good night, Cincinnati.