March 11, 2007

March 11, 2007

So Rio gets better by the day. Yesterday I woke up, ate fresh fruit for breakfast, went to the beach, walked in the Botanical garden, and then relaxed all day long. The beach was such a culture shock. I was wearing what I thought was a semi-showy tankini and when I got to the beach I felt like I was in a winter coat compared to the swimsuits I saw on the beach! It was quite the experience!! The botanical garden (about a five-minute walk from my house) is just amazing. The trees and flowers are beautiful. One is also able to see an array of tress/flower, fantastic wild birds, and occasionally monkeys! The sun really takes it out of one, so the rest of the day was well-spent reading and taking short naps… which were a must for my night on the town! Last night I went to a birthday party at someone’s house. First off, it did not begin until 10. When we arrived they had valet parking men to open the doors and basically as I stepped out I was handed a glass of champagne. There was tons of drinking, dancing, and trying all sorts of new food. I met some students who were in their last year of college from Bucknell. It was nice knowing that I was not going to have to be a wallflower with my zero Portuguese! Many of the people were Brazilian however there were also people from all over the world. It was very fun! I left around 2:30 and well to say the least… they had not even cut the cake yet!! Yikes… I hope I get use to the Brazilian lifestyle of keeping the partying going real fast!! Today was a very relaxing day. I slept in ate breakfast, read a book, took a nap, and then headed out for the afternoon. I went to Floresta da Tijuca. It is the second largest urban rainforest. We stopped at a viewpoint for an amazing view of the city. Next we headed down and while we were driving a monkey crossed the street. On our drive down we also stopped at a mini-waterfall where we saw numerous monkeys. They are so cute ☺ We then drove to the beach where we walked all of Leblon Beach and Ipanema Beach. From the intersection of Ipanema and Copacabana we watched the sunset. They close off the street that runs parallel with the beach on Sundays so it is a nice walk. It was amazing how many various activities were going on… volleyball, drumming, dancing, bands playing. People are rollerblading, skateboarding, running, biking, and doing tons of other various activities. On our way back I saw people playing American football as well as volleyball but with their feet… it was great! To end the night we went out to eat. It was buffet style, which was fun because I had the opportunity to try all sorts of foods!! YUMMMMIE!!