This was my first visit inland to South America, before cruising near it while working on cruise-ships. Visiting Sao Paulo AND Rio de Janeiro was such a treat, not to mention the drive in between the two metropolises, and the overnight stop to the dreamy Paraty. And so was the company of my newly made friend who was my guide, advisor and banter partner.
One thing that I will always remember and now associate with the Brazilian culture and way of living would be the vibrant energy that I’ve felt all throughout my visit. The zest of life and fun loving nature of the Brazilians are so evident and got me out my reserved shell that I call personal space. And the best way to enjoy this was going out in the Vila Madalena neighborhood, this hip district filled with bistros and bars where (more often live) samba music is blasted from bars left and right. Did I mention that even the sound of their language reminded my of songs being sung, compared to any other Latin language that I’ve heard before?
The food is simple, honest and delicious (I could eat feijoada and pão de queijo anytime, and sprinkle farofa on anything) and can be washed down often with a great caipirinha (just chose your flavor if you want variety, but if you are like me you stay with the world famous traditional recipe with lime and cachaça), or more often with a cold and fresh chopp (pronounced “shope”) – almost any light (lager/light) draft beer served cold and in a small glass to keep its cold temperature. And by the way, Brazilians will not like you very much if the chopp you pour for them has more than a touch of foam.
I’ve spent 2 days in Sao Paulo, drove one afternoon which turned into evening to Paraty for one night rest and one day visit, and then spent 3 nights in Rio de Janeiro. The highlights of the trip, other than the food and drinks were visiting Paulista avenue in the evening, visiting the cobblestone streets and romantic old town of Paraty, seeing the sun setting overlooking the Copacabana beach, admiring the statue of Jesus the Savior on Mount Corcovado, watching a live futebol game between Fluminense and Vasco do Gama (Marcelo was on the pitch and played a great first half!), and last but not least walking on any and every beach I was able to dip my toes in.
One thought that came to mind that if I ever decided to take a simple job and retire in Brazil, that would be a pool cleaner in Paraty. 🙂
