My time in Brasil is coming to an end -- Rio.
Well, I've been here for almost two weeks. I guess the one thing that comes to mind is that 2 weeks in Brazil is NOT enough time at all. It's seriously been nuts. Unfortunately, this is how all my future trips will be like. Gone are the summers where I would spend 6 weeks in the motherland -- plenty of time to hang out with my family and do some sightseeing. But yeah, this time I really could do much sightseeing. I will only end up spending about 5 days in my mom's hometown -- which is nothing at all since I have so much family. Hell, I only had 2 home-cooked meals -- that's a travesty.
My time in Rio couldve been better. I went to Rio and what do I get? Rain and clouds for most of my time there. What does that mean? No beaches. It also means that I couldnt go to any of the sites like Pao de Acucar or the Christ Statue. Oh and what do you do when there is a bad day and you're a tourist? Well, you usually go to a museum, right? Well, I really wanted to go to the National History Musuem. We get there and guess what? The fucking museum is on STRIKE! In fact, pretty much all of the musuems in Rio were on strike. How fucking ridiculous is that? Well, since the weather sucks and all the musuems are on strike, why not enjoy the Pan-American games that are going on. Well guess what? All the tickets are sold out because scalpers bought them all and are ripping everyone off. So, all the good Brazil games on TV (basketball, volleyball) were maybe half-full because no one wanted to pay all that money. Lame lame lame. The only Pan-American event that I did see was sailing, which was ok. Most of the action was pretty far into the Bahia da Guanabara, but that was fine. There was just something special about soaking in the Pao de Acucar and watching the planes land at the airport. Just calm really. I guess this makes me sound bitter, but I'm not really. I guess the trip to Rio couldve been better, but that's fine. What made it awesome was perhaps staying at the best hotel in Rio -- the Copacabana Palace. Yes, getting pampered at the spa and swimming in the amazing courtyard pool were amazing. And the breakfast was easily one of the best I ever had. But I guess what made the trip great was that it was simply Rio de Janeiro. Still one of the best cities on Earth (if you turn your head the other way from all the poverty and crime). Just walking along the beaches, even when it's overcast -- it's something. The samba and axe music flowing from a stage on the beach. Caipirinhas and cold beer. I even won pub trivia at some touristy bar! haha. I didnt cheat this time either! Won like a R$50 gift certificate, which is a pretty good chunk of change for Brazil. Anyways, I met up with some cousins in Rio -- went to this great little italian restaurant on Garcia d'Avila, one if Ipanema's poshest streets. I kinda wished I had gone to this street earlier in my trip, but oh well. Also met up with a Stanford friend of mine, who is studying abroad there. So yes, that is it. I'll write about my other trips in a few days.
This will probably be my last entry from the motherland. So everyone, wish me a safe trip! I also have tons of pictures to post. It is SO COLD here in Sao Paulo. I miss the Brasilia warmth.
My time in Rio couldve been better. I went to Rio and what do I get? Rain and clouds for most of my time there. What does that mean? No beaches. It also means that I couldnt go to any of the sites like Pao de Acucar or the Christ Statue. Oh and what do you do when there is a bad day and you're a tourist? Well, you usually go to a museum, right? Well, I really wanted to go to the National History Musuem. We get there and guess what? The fucking museum is on STRIKE! In fact, pretty much all of the musuems in Rio were on strike. How fucking ridiculous is that? Well, since the weather sucks and all the musuems are on strike, why not enjoy the Pan-American games that are going on. Well guess what? All the tickets are sold out because scalpers bought them all and are ripping everyone off. So, all the good Brazil games on TV (basketball, volleyball) were maybe half-full because no one wanted to pay all that money. Lame lame lame. The only Pan-American event that I did see was sailing, which was ok. Most of the action was pretty far into the Bahia da Guanabara, but that was fine. There was just something special about soaking in the Pao de Acucar and watching the planes land at the airport. Just calm really. I guess this makes me sound bitter, but I'm not really. I guess the trip to Rio couldve been better, but that's fine. What made it awesome was perhaps staying at the best hotel in Rio -- the Copacabana Palace. Yes, getting pampered at the spa and swimming in the amazing courtyard pool were amazing. And the breakfast was easily one of the best I ever had. But I guess what made the trip great was that it was simply Rio de Janeiro. Still one of the best cities on Earth (if you turn your head the other way from all the poverty and crime). Just walking along the beaches, even when it's overcast -- it's something. The samba and axe music flowing from a stage on the beach. Caipirinhas and cold beer. I even won pub trivia at some touristy bar! haha. I didnt cheat this time either! Won like a R$50 gift certificate, which is a pretty good chunk of change for Brazil. Anyways, I met up with some cousins in Rio -- went to this great little italian restaurant on Garcia d'Avila, one if Ipanema's poshest streets. I kinda wished I had gone to this street earlier in my trip, but oh well. Also met up with a Stanford friend of mine, who is studying abroad there. So yes, that is it. I'll write about my other trips in a few days.
This will probably be my last entry from the motherland. So everyone, wish me a safe trip! I also have tons of pictures to post. It is SO COLD here in Sao Paulo. I miss the Brasilia warmth.