RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (May 22, 2007) ? I want to begin by telling everyone that I am feeling the pressure of this blog. Jarka is quite the poet and is definitely a tough act to follow. Luckily, I'm clutch under pressure. Well, okay, you can be the judge of that.
So, on day four we were blessed with a gorgeous day. The sun was shining ever so brightly and the sky was oh so blue! Now I must admit we have been extremely spoiled this entire trip, even more so than usual (hard to believe I know). The fruit served at breakfast seems like the waiters came straight out of the Amazon, chopped it up and had it ready for us to elegantly shove in our mouths every morning. We wake up pumped to drink our numerous cups of coffee, looking out the window at Sugarloaf and the kids playing soccer in the parks.
Our itinerary for each day is ALWAYS changing, something we have learned about Brazilians. We have become accustomed to packing for a full day of anything. Today, we met in the lobby to find out that we were going to Sugarloaf Mountain, going shopping and showing off our volleyball skills later in the day.
It should be mentioned that our group has some people petrified of heights?Erik, ?B' (Claire's mom) and Johari to name a few. So the thought of going up a mere hundred meters (395 meters to be exact) in the air in glass boxes along tiny cables was not too comforting. They toughed it out and we all made it up there to enjoy the miraculous sights.
It was unbelievable (if only Jarka was by my side so she could meticulously describe the sight to do it the justice it deserves). Until you are there looking down on Rio and the vast waters surrounding it, you will never fully comprehend its beauty. Luckily our team took a mere thousand pictures from every angle possible so you can get an idea of this jaw-dropping view I speak of (note: slideshow should be attached here...but it's not!). After we had all sweat through our shirts (GOSTO!!!!), we decided that was our cue to descend the mountain.
Our next stop was another cultural experience. We first ate at a Brazilian buffet accompanied by Juliana's beautiful family. We feasted on a wide array of scrumptious foods. Brittany even tried cow tongue (kudos to her). After filling our stomachs beyond full, we did what most do and went bikini shopping. Juliana, her mother and Marcela were quite entertained as all of us North American girls became more acclimated to Brazilian culture. The phrase “When in Rome” was often said as we approached the cashier with our new purchases.
From there, we went to club Flamengo. We warmed up for our game outside watching the Flamengo professional soccer team practicing. We began play and our cheering section expanded as five 12-year-old boys dressed in Flamengo jerseys came to appreciate American ladies. They must have done something for us because we won 4-of-5 games.
It was then on to eat. Juliana guided the bus to another one of her favorite restaurants in her hometown of Barra. Again we were treated to great food and company as her family joined us. Our waiter spoke perfect English; he told us his secret was watching English rap videos with captions. So I plan to do the same to perfect my Portuguese, although I am already quite amazing (even though I mix in French and Italian)!
Day four is coming to a close. We have definitely learned a lot, being exposed to glorious sights and continuing to create lasting memories. This has been an unbelievable trip so far and can't even imagine what more lies ahead this next week. I want to thank Juliana and her family for showing us around their city and making us appreciate everything it has to offer.
I'm not sure who will have to blog tomorrow for you all, but they have another hard act to follow! Good luck to them!
Kristina Fabris
