3/17/13

So... it comes to a close. It's my last night here in Brazil, and I must say that I feel a wide range of emotions. I'll close this last section with some final thoughts, but first, as usual, I'll go into detail about how life's been treating us here in Rio.

We got in on Thursday after a final goodbye to the Eco Hostel. I realized I never posted a picture of it, but that lime green building above is the place we lived. Can't say I miss the building itself, but obviously I have plenty of memories and stories from there.

We got in, got our bags, and then took an aeroporter to the Sol Ipanema Hotel. On the way in, my jaw just dropped at the number of favelas there were through the outskirts of Rio. Like, dear God, that was a lot of poverty. This was on an entirely different level than any of the ones we saw in POA or other locations in Brazil. They stretched on for miles with these gross looking buildings, trash in the streets, stray animals (even horses and pigs, WTF??) and a general sense of dreariness.

On a personal level, I was shocked to hear that there were such things as "favela tours," which are a pretty normal tourist stop here in Rio. Having lived a legitimate third-world lifestyle for an extended duration of time, this upsets me in several ways. One, these people are entitled to their own space and privacy just like anyone else, and if people just devoted as much money and time as they do towards tours and spent it on rebuilding the infrastructure, they would be a much more hospitable place. Two, it's gotta be humiliating to these favelians to have random gringos with tons of money paying to see their lower income living situations. I mean, how would you feel if you were one of them? That leads to my third point, which is that these tours objectify them as less than people. People pay to go on tours of a zoo. And this reeks of that mentality. It honestly disgusts me. Leave these people alone and quit making them feel like fucking animals who are being labeled as an entertainment attraction. The people I know in Nicaragua would take such deep moral offense to that, and I'm sure that lower-class Brazilians do too.

Sorry about that rant, I'll go back to the story. It was just on my mind.

Our hotel is pretty kick ass. It's right on the water overlooking the middle of Ipanema Beach. The rooftop pool area is everything we wanted it to be... sweet view, nice pool, bar service, cool people to meet, etc. and has made the extra money totally worth spending. We've been out on that deck every night (except tonight due to rain) and it's probably been the highlight of Rio for me at least.

Ipanema is simply a gorgeous beach. Even though it was pretty cloudy most of the time we were here, it was still easy to appreciate the beauty of this place. The beach was still pretty packed all weekend too. We didn't spend as much time as I would have liked on it due to weather, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm very satisfied and absolutely plan on returning someday.

These pictures were taken on Saturday when the sun decided to come out for a few hours, so we indulged accordingly. So happy to have had the treat of being on Ipanema, great times.

On Friday, Kal, Coby, Dallas and I went to go see the famous Cristo Redentor statue that overlooks the  city. WOW. It was even more than I was expecting... simply an incredible location. I can see why Jesus decided to hang out there for the last 80 years... gotta hand it to the guy, he picked a cool spot. It's obviously the one touristy thing that everyone should do while in Rio, no question. So incredibly cool, and we took some very goofy, touristy photos to go along with it. I'm glad that the sun came out for a while to permit us to see the views and get a good look at the statue, it was seriously phenomenal.

 ^ an otherwise great picture but photobombed by the old lady on the right

^^^That's what Jesus sees, and more

 ^Easily my favorite bro pic of the trip. People were cracking up all around us, and I think Jesus liked it too.

Other than that, we've eaten at some cool restaurants, had some solid drinks, and made the most of each day and badass free breakfast provided by the hotel.

Speaking of which! Friday night, we went out to Lapa, the famous party district of Rio on Friday nights. WOW it was nuts! I have never seen such long lines for clubs in all my life, I swear one went for a quarter mile... in both directions! We ended up having just a random, fun, interesting night out on the town with me, Dallas, Mitch, Kal, Coby, Kasey, and her friend Kate. It was a hell of a good time. The streets were packed with thousands of people, it was like Bourbon Street but with less wasted people and more randomness/sketchiness. I only got one picture, and you can barely tell how crazy it was, but it was not a moment meant to be captured by camera. It was epic though.

The end of that night was possibly one of the most fun of my trip though. The rest of the crew retired early (around 3 or 330) but Dallas, Kate and I stayed at this club we were at for a while longer. After some good times and interesting moments, we took a cab back to Ipanema and got in around 515. This is where it got funny, however. Kate was a little... under the weather, so we put her to bed but Dallas and I were determined to stay up until the 6am breakfast opened up. So, with the help of South Park and trading some face slaps, we managed, and went in to the dining room precisely at 6 still dressed up from the night before, starving and ready to get our grub on. It was an excellent moment in all honesty. The food was great, Dallas' company is always fun, and we were both thriving off the ridiculousness of it all.

Last night was excellent, too. Our group of fraternity gents (the five of us) met two Irish guys, one Brit, and one Welsh girl, and casually drank out on the roof together for hours. It was so much fun that we ditched our original plans of going out around 11 to go out closer to 130am. And, not to mention, it was St. Patty's Day at midnight, and we couldn't leave our newfound Irish friend hanging! So, naturally, we went to Shenanigans. The guys were super generous and not only bought me two beers, but also paid my ingresso fee (cover) and I didn't have to pay a cent. It was so nice of them, and I feel really bad that I never got the opportunity to get them back for that. I'm sure karma will come around and do something nice for them in the future... great guys.

Funny story about how we had to leave that place, but I'd rather not share here for the sake of decency. It was nothing bad, just a better story told in person. Those are the best kinds though.

We had a casual Sunday here today. Kal, Coby, and I had a fun time checking out this open air market, where we picked up some funky trinkets and what not. After, we walked the beach for a while, got some food, and just hung out. 

Now, the best part of my day was definitely around 6 pm as the sun was setting. As we were on our way back to the hotel, a freak storm rolled in and the rain just started pounding, the wind howling, and people were running for cover. Now, the average person would see this as an inconvenience, but Dallas and I had the same reaction: "Hurry! Put on your trunks, let's go swim in the ocean!" And we did just that. Bodysurfing in the rain was one of the more fun things I've done down here... que otimo.

Later on, Dallas and I went to go get a fabulous dinner with the girls from our group that are here (Kasey, Kari, Faubs, and Rachael), and it was an excellent way to say goodbye to them. It was a pretty high end place that we all just loved, and they served a really cool flaming dessert that was super cool. It was nice to see those girls again before we leave tomorrow... for sure have made some excellent friends in those lovely ladies.

So yeah... I guess that leaves me to where I'm at now. Came back from there, and now I'm just chillin, thinking about all the amazing times I've had and character changes I've gone through these past few months. I don't have words to explain what's going on in my head... but all I know is that I've never felt so positive, headstrong, confident, and relaxed as I do now. I'm really at peace, and I've found ways to conquer my anxieties and fully embody this person I have become. I wouldn't even say that it's even that I've changed all that much since I left Seattle, but more so that I've realized more about who I am, what I stand for, what makes me satisfied, at peace, and excited to be alive. I've learned so much about myself through all of these experiences I've had, people I've met, obstacles I've overcome, and everything else in between. Overall, I'm so happy. If I were to die tomorrow, I would feel satisfied with myself.

I know that these study abroad experiences are supposed to give you just that, and these are the reasons why people say that it is one of the most important things they have ever done, and I totally second that. Despite the fact that I've spent a lot of money I don't really have, made some questionable decisions, and not taken as good of care of myself physically as I normally do, I absolutely have no regrets looking back on this. I am so content with these potential drawbacks simply because of the fact that I did not waste a single day. I met so many wonderful people, learned a new language (eu falo português agora!), and have made memories that will last a lifetime and beyond that. 

I really don't give a shit how corny you may think any of this sounds, it's entirely relevant and deeply seeded in my heart now. On that note, I'm promising now to not become that preachy guy who says "when I was in Brazil..." all the time, etc. I know how stupid that sounds and how annoying it can be. Truth is, at the end of the day, it's my experience, and I'll keep it to myself. Unless, of course, you ask. If you want to hear any story, question my feelings, or hear me talk about my moral journey through this trip, feel free to ask and I would be happy to tell.

Brasil, I will miss you entirely. Eu vou voltar logo. Muito obrigado para tudo.

Catching a long series of flights tomorrow afternoon, and will be landing in the States Tuesday morning around 1030am. I'm really looking forward to getting back to my normal life with all of my normal responsibilities... now I feel equipped to handle it more so than ever before. I am refreshed.

Thank you to all my readers, it makes me so happy to see that people have been consistently interested in what I have to say and the trouble I get myself in to. It really means a lot.

I'm coming home, baby!

~3/17/13

3/15/13

I want to start out by saying that I haven't been putting off writing just for the sake of laziness, but it's just the fact that I've been incredibly busy. In the past two weeks, I've been in two different countries, six different cities, and all kinds of different locations and situations in between. I'll do my best to break it down with all kinds of pictures.

#1: Punta Del Este

Our second night in Punta Del Este was sweet. It wasn't quite as epic as the last night was, but we had a great time chillin at The Trip Hostel. To give an example of how chill the guys were, they made a large communal drink and played raggae for everyone as we all hung out on the patio. It was your basic, fun party night. Except we hung out with people from all over the world, especially people from all around South America. It was nice to speak some Spanish again too. No pics from that night, but memorable, good times for sure.

#2: Montevideo

Kal and I departed from The Trip with the two Aussie girls on Sunday of that weekend for Montevideo via bus. When we got there, we only had a few hours to kill before our overnight bus left for Porto Alegre, so we took a taxi downtown. The city was dead, kinda had some cool places, but it was just... bleh.

Not to mention, it was a ghost town. It was like a post-apocalyptic wasteland. There wasn't anyone anywhere, and everything was closed. So... we did what we do best when we fraternity gentlemen get bored: buy a gallon of wine and make it more interesting.

It ended up still being really fun, and the wine really was pretty good judging that it came in a jug. Overall, can't say I really recommend going to Montevideo, but I definitely don't regret it.

#3: Bento Gonçalves

We got on the overnight bus from Montevideo around 7:45PM, and didn't get in to POA until about 8:45AM the next morning. Not that this was especially a problem by any means, but we had to meet up with our group to leave for "grape country" at 9AM at the hostel. We barely made it, but had no time to pack so I just went off what I already had packed from Uruguay. Whatever though, it was only a 3 day 2 night trip.

On our way, we stopped at this theme park place. It was kind of a weird carnie-feel place, but still a good time with all of us there. We played a funky 3-D video game, and rode a mechanical bull. One of those moments where you would have had to be there.

We went off from there to the place where Gaucha wine is made, Bento Gonçalves. We stayed in a pretty cool place, this winery with a nice castle-like feel to it. Very dank food, pretty good wine, nice room. I was a fan.

The next morning we went white-water rafting, which was an excellent time. I couldn't really say exactly where it was, but our guides were excellent, the river had some gnarly parts, and it was overall a fantastic experience. Getting to jump off cliffs, go down waterfalls, and other adrenaline rushes like that are what make me tick.

That day, we checked out the Miolo winery. One of the most enjoyable days, to be honest. We had a tour of their beautiful facility, an excellent wine tasting, and I picked up a world-class bottle for Pops. Really enjoyed one afterward with Kasey, as well. Gaucha merlots are excellent, in general.

The next day, after a wine train (pic below) we checked out Casa Valduga, another excellent upscale winery. But, we were all tired from the night before and just wanted to head home. So we did...

#4: Porto Alegre

Our last weekend/week in POA was a wild one. We got back on a Wednesday, and I made it a point to utilize all the time I could to enjoy it to the fullest.

Overall, it was kind of a blur. Not in the sense of partying, but just that I was trying to get so much done all at once. Say goodbye to my new friends, see places I want to see, etc.

A few memorable moments (not trying to exclude any, but just naming a few)

Friday: Be Happy, the club we went to one of our first nights out. Kind of came full circle with that one. Absolutely poppin, and a lot of fun with the whole group again. Here's a pic of Dallas and I re-upping on chaser and having a drink in the store (which just cracks me up, gotta love the lack of open-container laws).

One last lunch at the amazing PUCRS Buffet- stuffed myself to the brim on 4/5 star food

Saturday night we went out to Cafe de la Musique- personally my favorite club in POA. It was a great way to spend my last night out in POA with Luis, Gui, Rodrigo, and Patrícia. I had a wonderful time, really gonna miss that place and those people.

These guys are my boys. I really am looking forward to seeing them again. Luis says he's coming to the states this fall... oh boy.

The next two nights were spent working on school. We had a couple final presentations/papers that were due Monday and Tuesday... kind of a pain, but nothing too bad. Compared to normal finals at home, it was a breeze.

Monday night was excellent. We impromptu went out to a samba place a few blocks away, and I finally learned the basic steps. It's about damn time I learned the national dance, but whatever, too late now to complain. I don't have any pictures of it, but I think I'm tagged in one or two up on the Book. Fantastic night though.

Tuesday night warmed my heart. We showed up to the hostel after our last dinner together at the churrascaria to a farewell party from the staff. They made some very cool drinks for us (a fruit/blend mix thing), and had a nice sign that said "farewell drinks," and it was wonderful. I was so happy, I don't think anything could make me happier than good ol' fashioned generosity.

That night, Luis came by to say his farewells. It was great to spend some time with the guy and all of the staff before we left. Ended up being an excellent night, but once again, no pictures to explain.

I am very convinced I will return to POA sometime soon, I have made too many friends and had too many incredible moments to not return. In life, everything happens right when it does because that is when it should. I am coming back here, com certeza.

#5: Canoas

Wednesday night was very cool! I got invited by Stéphanie out to her house in Canoas, a city just north of POA, to have dinner with her and her family. On my way to the subway station, I took one last walk through POA to admire it's Centro/Mercado district. Figured it might be a while before I see it again, so it was a nice way to come full circle with the city itself.

That night was excellent though. I got to Canoas, found my way to her house, and proceeded to have my "final exam" in Portuguese... meeting a girl's parents. It went really well, and I was somewhat surprised with how well I was able to hold a conversation. I cooked with her and her dad, shared a few drinks with her family, and talked about all kinds of things. Most regarding school, goals in life, and other deep intelligent topics... all in a blend of Portuguese, Spanish, and English, which was awesome. It made me sad that I didn't get to have this experience earlier in my trip... it would have been really nice to join them for a churraso or what not. I'm gonna miss that girl and her family, and I have to say it was honestly one of my fondest memories of the trip.

That night, I got a ride back from them and went out to the Dirty Old Man with Dallas, Sarah, Kasey, and Savy for a little while once I returned. That was excellent too. I mean, it's not my favorite bar, but it's up there, and everyone else in the program loves it. A fitting way to end the trip.

#6: Rio De Janeiro

Now here I am, in the famous Rio De Janeiro, in a sweet hotel on Ipanema Beach. We have a rooftop pool, a vibrant culture to play around with, and the Spring Break mentality.

I will write more about this later, I promise. But we are about to go out to have a night on the town on this lovely Friday night, and I can't keep my friends waiting.

~3/15/13

3/2/13

Sitting here in The Trip Hostel in Punta Del Este, Uruguay... it's raining outside and everyone's in a chillin' mood, so I guess it's a good time to write. Got the Krewella Troll Mix Vol. 3 blasting in my headphones to hopefully keep my mind off the ridiculous amount of flies buzzing around, not to mention chickadees flying by dangerously close to my face. It's an interesting scene. I wish I could capture it more effectively.

Before I left Porto Alegre for the weekend, I was getting down on some cooking (see an example of a typical self prepared meal above) and Kal decided to join me on this Uruguayan adventure on a whim, which was a pleasant surprise. We went out, got our tickets, and had a relaxed night back at the Eco Hostel.

The next day, Thursday, before we left to go to Uruguay, I had a great time walking around the park with this really fun girl named Stéphanie, who came out from the suburb of Novo Hamburgo to come hang out for a bit, which was sweet of her. I would have to say that one of my favorite parts of the trip, if not my favorite over all, would be meeting so many new people. It's so hard to explain the fulfilling feeling of meeting people from all over the world if you haven't gone out and done it, but those of you reading who have would hopefully be able to agree that it is truly a blessing.

From there, Kal and I stressfully managed to find our way to our bus, get through the check in, and get on. The ride itself really wasn't too bad, even though the concept of an overnight bus sounds kind of shitty. There was more leg room and better service than you would get on an airplane, and the seats reclined further back making it easier to sleep.

We arrived that morning in Punta Del Este around 8 am, which is a pretty rich city on a very cool peninsula. If you're not familiar with the geography, it's worth looking into. It's a gorgeous place, and apparently Sean Connery himself lives here. A little disappointed I haven't seen him though... yet.

From a MacDonald's, mooching off their WiFi, we decided to take my friend Craig Ode's advice and track down the hostel we are at now, called The Trip. He stayed here over Carnaval and gave me rave reviews, so I didn't see why not. No offense Eco Hostel, but as far as coolness goes, this place puts you to shame. Not only is it cheaper, but it's run by some homies in their late 20's, they have a full bar, slightly cooler rooms, a legit Uruguayan barbecue, and a sundeck (see above). They don't care about making noise too late or discourage us from having fun in any way... in fact, they encourage us to party fully. That, and it's only $12 a night. Hell yeah.

After spending the day exploring the city a little bit, getting some food and what not, Kal and I came back here to the guys from the hostel hosting a delicious barbecue and day party thing. After a little bit of low key fun, we took a nap to prepare for a night out.

Here in Punta Del Este, it's normal to go out to the bars pretty late. And by late, I mean you don't even leave to go out until 3 or 4 AM. I didn't think it would really work out that well, but it ended up being a pretty cool night. Aside from dealing with a sketchy Uruguayan dude who kind of low-balled me out of some money, it was a lot of fun. We met two great Aussie girls named Jess and Bec, and their British travel partner Lee, who turned out to be some of the more fun people we've spontaneously met since we've been here. Also, we've been hanging out with this cool dude from Houston who now lives in Vegas, a professional poker player named Justin. It was definitely a fun, unforgettable night out. Aside from the bars being more or less a sausagefest and dealing with the sketchball Uruguayan guy, I have no complaints.

After sleeping in for a while today, we made some food and hung out, with every intention to go to the beach. However, as we saw the ominous clouds rolling in, felt the humidity rise, and battled strong winds, we decided it was a bad idea to go check out the famous Bikini Beach today in La Barra. So, we settled for a few photos by the hand statue and battled our way back through the oncoming storm.

So that leads me to where I'm at now... chillin in Punta Del Este. Probably going to make moves on a day trip to Montevideo tomorrow, then head back to POA the next night. Really enjoying my time down here... I'm at my happiest when I'm traveling and meeting new people.

It's killing me that I'll be leaving for home in a couple weeks. Not that I don't miss my friends, family, and life back home, I really do. I just don't know if I'm ready to come back.

~ 3/2/13