|
6th - 10th July (Sat-Wed): On Saturday night Emilio invited me to go to Niteroi (across the bay) for a once a year street party - what an experience. After a 3 hour bus/van trip we arrived at the fair which was packed with party-goers. It´s interesting to look at the culture: as Emilio explained - guys will kiss any girl they can, but will only sleep with very special ones. So you can imagine the amount of hand-grabbing and whispered compliments that go on. One of the stranger things I have seen is a girl grabbed by the hand struggle seriously, then be unable to free herself, struggle again, then shortly start talking to the guy and smiling. Marcos states that he has to talk to ten girls before he gets a kiss, and they do this all night.. A few general notes on Brasil before I forget: the mosaic footpaths a great to look at - a real treat - Moorish influence from Africa via Spain via Portugal to Brasil... and now the decendents of African slaves tread its patterns.. I´m exercising as much as I can just so that I can eat more!! Brasilians cross themselves at any opportunity - maybe they believe the opposition will find it unnerving to play against two opponents (the guy and his God!). I narrowly avoided attending an evangalist church with Leo, my instructor from the surf school on Sunday night after doing some precautionary research: not just a gathering of friends held near a church!! I did walk him there however - sort of compromise... am I being close minded..?? I have failed to describe the sheer physicality of Capoeira (Brasilian martial art). At the class is the first time I have seen two guys with a six pack in the BACK of their abdomen. Crazy. I´m still toying with the idea of buying a dig. video camera..
On Wednesday I bit the bullet and became a tourist again: I took my life in my hands and took the bus to the centre of Rio for a bit of a look around - such a different vibe to the area: humanity interested in the passerby rather than an obstacle on the streets of Barra; nothing is missed on the pavement by the thousands of eyes which pass by hourly. Men in suits twist past hawkers and errand-boys on the way to lunch. Police vaguely try to contain the enthusiastic drivers and opportunistic pedestrians. Central Market style mini-booths sell anything a person of simple wishes desires. While touring through the city´s squares, it took me a long time to realise that the 68m tall conical structure next to the rubix cube type structure that I had been musing about was, in fact, the Catedral Metropolitana that I had read about. I had heard of an inner-city suberb located on a hill next to the Centre: Santa Teresa. Catching the only tram in Rio (and guarding my bag) I tootled through the leafy german bars, scenic homestyle restaurants, colourful colonial style houses and delicate tile-work of this somewhat inspiring suberb. I lost the day mosying through free museums and exhibitions in underpublisized locations. No one questions you if you look confident when you walk through their garden. Likewise no-one troubled me as I drank glasses of beer watching the sun set on the working world on Floriano Square. Some say the attitude is "this is my way and f*$k everyone else", but I believe there is more to it than that. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
