We are already two weeks into our trip and have two weeks remaining until venturing back to the states. I cannot believe the time has flown by so quickly. I am looking forward to so many more adventures here; I will most definitely be coming back to Rio.
Saturday we watched the USA game against Ghana at the Fifa Fan Fest tent. They have a camera going around showing many of the people on the big screen and are one point a group of my friends and I were shown, pretty entertaining. Later, someone came by and asked if we were Americans and then filmed us saying different things in Portuguese. We found out after that what was filmed would be on a Brazilian Sports Channel over the weekend which is apparently pretty popular. It was an experience to say the least.
Despite the USA losing and not advancing farther in the tournament, watching them play and make it past the pool play was fun to watch. They may have not played their best game, but they went to overtime which is more than I can say for England when they played Germany.
Saturday night we also made dinner at my apartment which included roasted potatoes, tilapia, salad, bruschetta, and a brigadeiro (a Brazilian chocolate dessert covered in sprinkles). After dinner we headed to “Lapa” again, but some of us went home early because of someone feeling ill. The others who stayed said they enjoyed the music and the club type atmosphere; the place was different then the Samba music we had heard last weekend, but still very good.
Sunday morning was an early start to head to the monastery in order to see the Gregorian chants by the monks. The monastery looked very simplistic from the outside, but when you walked through the main doors, the inside was so decorative and ornate, covered by gold coloring. The inside of this place was beautiful, as well as the ceremony. I wish I was able to understand more of what is being said, but I try my best to listen and just take everything in.
After getting back from mass we cooked some lunch and then headed to the Hippie market. I haven’t felt so happy shopping and making so many purchases for so many people in such a long time. I brought a list to try and help organize what I should buy, but I wanted EVERYTHING. Many of the items I had never seen before and I felt like I could just walk around for hours trying to see all the different things. Tomilyn and I were very proud of all our purchases and excited to have truly experienced an important part of Brazil. We didn’t have to barter much of the time, but they would continue to mark down the price for us if we didn’t seem sold initially. The art work that is shown at this fair is truly intriguing and some of the artists are seen painting more pieces next to those that are being sold. The prices for all the items at this fair is extremely reasonable, hence the multitude of purchases.
Later that day, Tomilyn, Maureen, and I met Aidan at the rock that separates Ipanema and Copacabana beach. We went during the day for a little while on Friday, but at night it was a very different experience. The weather was still perfect and not cold and there were lights that lit up the entire coast. Walking atop the rocks was unbelievable; you could see the sky clearly, the moon was also beautiful.
Dinner consisted of a per kilo restaurant where you simply pick all the food that you want in a buffet style layout and then weigh your plate. The prices at these restaurants are always reasonable and delicious. Following dinner, Aidan, Lara, Tomilyn, and I walked down the street to try some Brazilian desserts and this was a great decision. We eat chose different types of desserts and tried each of them; they were all phenomenal. Yum yum.
Tomorrow morning we will be going to the botanical gardens and then watching Brazil play against Chile. I cannot wait to watch the game on the beach and drink agua de coco. This Brazilian experience has been absolutely surreal thus far, and I cannot wait to continue and see so much more that this place has to offer.
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