This was one of the best trips in my life. However, it was not without its struggles. This seems to be a common thing for me in Brazil. I always have many challenges, but things end up working out. The spirit of never giving up is what got me to Brazil, and this is just more proof that it works. Besides, these situations build character.
The first hurdle was at the bus station before I even left São Paulo. In Brazil, buses require original documents for travel, and I only had copies. I tried to explain my situation to the bus driver, but my Portuguese wasn’t good enough. So I kept talking until he got fed up with me (I used to do this with my professors) and let me in the bus.
The trip took two hours longer than it should have, and I took another four hours to get to my friend’s house. On the way there, a hooker was offering herself to me for RS20 on the bus. It was a good price, but sex was the last thing on my mind. Although a local couple was helping me find my friend’s house, I had the wrong address. I was calling my friend, but I always got this answering machine which said something like there is no number. It turned out he had no credit to answer. Finally, I got a message from him and was able to tell him where I was. I spent 14 hours on the road, but it felt great to finally get there.
The next day, I went to get my tickets for the Rio Carnival at the Sambodromo. I got to the office and it was closed, so I went to meet up with my friends and I got stuck in human traffic on the way. Once I got to my friends, I asked one of them to ask where the office was. It turned out I had the wrong address, again. The real office was far, and it was closing in half an hour. I had to take a taxi. I told the driver that I had to make it, so he was swerving between cars and cutting off everyone. I got there right on time. Now I had to go all the way back to my friends to give them my bag. Since I blew all my money on the taxi, I had to get some cash. I don’t have a local bank account, and only one bank accepts my credit card, so I was lucky enough to find that bank close by. I tried my card several times, but it wasn’t working. At the end, it did and I made my way to the metro. I got to the last stop and texted my friend – ten times. There was so much pressure on the phone lines that there was a problem with the connection. The situation was getting badder, and time was being wasted. After about one hour of walking aimlessly, I got a text telling me the meeting point. I went to it, but he wasn’t there. I got a call from another friend, but he could barely hear what I was saying. Finally, my friend showed up. I made my way back to the Sambodromo.
After spending about 12 hours on the road – again – I was hoping it was worth it, and it was. Although I arrived late, I watched a good six hours of this glorious spectacle of extravagance. No wonder it’s known as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” I met some people there and was with company the whole night. The costumes were amazing, and the floats even better. Some schools also incorporated themes, like slavery. The show ended at 5:30 a.m., and I got home at 8:00. a.m. I took a shower, had breakfast, and was ready for the next adventure. I couldn’t afford to waste time sleeping.
We went to the famous Christ the Redeemer, one of the New 7 Wonders. Then we went to Copacabana beach. It was just a relaxing day. The following day, we went to a bloco on Barra beach. The bloco kept moving until it got to Ipanema. There was a large beer truck, selling 3 beers for RS5. Then we went to the beach, which was right beside the bloco. The water was cold, so not many people were swimming. When I got back to my friend’s house, I needed to use the internet to figure out where I was going to be picked up for a tour, and to buy a bus ticket back to St. Paul. But the internet wasn’t working since the morning. A few hours later, it started working. Just my luck, I guess. I was also able to plan my day as I was doing some sightseeing.
The next day, I arrived right on time for the favela tour. It felt a little exploitative to go around looking at poor people’s houses for amusement, but they’re used to it by now. Then I went to Sugar Loaf Mountain. The views were the best in Rio. Then I walked around in Downtown and saw many monuments and historical buildings.
So, as you can see, I had some epic adventures with great challenges, and a lot of luck. If you see events like this in a movie, you may say that they’re ridiculous. But these things don’t just happen in movies.
Rio: Some Facts
Rio de Janeiro is the second largest city in Brazil. It was the capital of Brazil from 1763 to 1960, so it has more historical significance than any other city in the country. It’s the most visited city in the Southern hemisphere. Although the media perpetuates Rio’s reputation about crime, the special forces police, called the BOPE, have been cracking down on gangsters. With the planned hosting of both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, the crime-fighting activity has increased.
*N.B. Pictures on Facebook
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