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.
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.
^^^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
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