It's amazing. I actually made it to São Paulo, Brasil. I can't speak Brasilian Portuguese (of course I can't) despite having a ton of confidence before I left. I'll make a lot of progress everyday. What's more interesting is that I am writing this blog hours after arriving. If you recall, I didn't post my first blog in Tokyo, ... Read more »
I finally made it back to Seattle, so I wanted to write a short overview of things from the perspective of being back in Seattle. São Paulo is so very different from Seattle. In Seattle, there are no huge walls or fences around the houses. There are no doormen to the apartments. Most of our parks don't have fences ... Read more »
Yesterday I told my new friends the story of why I don't like nature. Before you start writing a passionate defense of nature, I think you should skim this blog. I have decided to retire that story. It's more than Read more »
Customs in Brasil is way easy. They confused me for a moment speaking too quickly but switched to English when I failed to respond. They weren't impressed by my clif bars. The bus to Paulista is hourly and 30 real. A cab would have been sixty in comparison. The bus would have held my bike, I'm regretting leaving it ... Read more »
It's so easy to have a wonderful time in São Paulo. Everyone is so nice. I can't go a few minutes without someone saying hello, what's up, let's chat in Português and then saying hi in English after they hear my accent. There are surprisingly large number of English speakers in this area and they are all friendly.
... Read more »Rio is a multi-faceted city. Certainly tourism and the beach are clearly marked with Carnaval being a mix of native culture and a bit of tourism. Lapa on the other hand is a facet that makes Rio a party city like no other. São Paulo doesn't party like Lapa. No American city could possibly party like Lapa. Since I ... Read more »
Today I started walking early in the morning and ended at 2PM after a great lunch. Certainly until my cast is off, I will not be able to walk as much as I did today. I overdid it and I'm expecting awful problems to start to occur tomorrow with my arm. Generally walking and a cast do not ... Read more »
Photos finally!
Only a handful and all in low resolution, but the beach is worthy of a picture or two. I'll get more photos uploaded as time goes by. I went swimming this morning. Almost no one was out there. By 2pm everyone was on the beach. You know what I said about Rio's Rainy Season? ... Read more »
It's the weeks leading up to Carnaval in Rio and it's the rainy season. It's raining. It's warm, but not too warm. Do you swim in the beautiful ocean when it's raining? Sure, why not? I haven't swam in the ocean yet, but I will. I haven't seen Cristo Redentor yet, but I will.
... Read more »As planned I made my way to a hostel near Paulista. Unplanned was how I got there, who I met on the way, and a sunburn covering my face, head, ears, and probably neck. Despite being untouched the previous two days, the sun came out in full force today. I did not use any sunscreen which I will remedy ... Read more »
Sunday was so different than any other day. Bicycles were abundant, most shops were closed, and São Bento Metro station was closed. But that isn't close to all. I went to a samba party in República and afterward (I was more tired than I have ever been) we went to a Carnaval preview party in Anhangabau by Vai Vai. ... Read more »
I've talked with two Brazilians (Brasiliero) today and both encourage me to visit the Northeast. While my original plan was to just visit São Paulo I am now thinking that I'll find the easiest way to visit as much of the country as I can. Since Brasil is nearly the same size as the continental US, I suspect that ... Read more »
