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Brasil
Early in the morning on February 21, 2003, Air Canada Flight 990 landed at Guarulhos International Airport on the northeast fringe of Sao Paulo, Brasil, a metropolis with a population in excess of eighteen million (equal to more than 1/2 of Canada's population) making it good enough to be ranked as the third most populous city in the world. Shortly after arrival, I de-planed, fetched my luggage, passed through customs and was greeted by the welcoming arms of M. And so began my Brasilian adventure.
After taking a few brief moments at the airport to reacquaint ourselves, M and I exited to the parking lot where I immediately slipped out of the track pants that I was wearing over my shorts. What a difference! From below freezing temperatures in Canada to summer in "full effect" here! Minutes later, I was being indoctrinated into the traffic mayhem of Sao Paulo. Yikes! Two to four solidly packed lanes of vehicles racing bumper to bumper and motorcycles continuously whizzing (and weaving) between the cars and trucks with their handlebars often narrowly missing the exterior rearview mirrors of the larger vehicles. I never did get accustomed to the traffic. I was still nervous three weeks later when my Brasilian stint came to an end.
Without going into too much detail, once we arrived at M's home, I was greeted first by her mother (who I had met previously in Canada) and ultimately by the entire clan. My first few days in Sao Paulo were comprised of a constant whir of introductions, family celebrations and short sightseeing excursions. This situation gave me an immediate opportunity to discover some significant differences and similarities between Brasil and Canada. I quickly learned that here beef is king on the dinner tables of those fortunate enough to be able to afford it. And not just any beef but rather filet mignon in every conceivable shape and form. And naturally, as a true Canadian, I wasted no time in sampling some of the local beverages. And to my delight I was rapidly able to conclude that the beer in Brasil is 'mmmm good'; in fact, as good (and quite similar) to that back home. Unfortunately, I was not able to come to the same conclusion about the coffee. While M and her mom went out of their way to accommodate my Canadian sensibilities, I was reluctant to drink the sordid beverage in most other places. Coffee in Brasil is typically espresso - very strong, no milk, lots of sugar. Not for me, thanks!
On the Wednesday following my arrival, M and I departed on a 10-day road trip that would take us from Sao Paulo to Guaruja on the ocean, then along the Rio-Santos coastline to Rio de Janeiro (where we would celebrate Carnaval 2003) and finally back 'home' again via the Nova Dutra highway. We stopped briefly in Guaruja where M and her family typcially spend their summer vacation. Then we continued along the shoreline stopping here and there to take in the scenery (visually and photographically) and to occasionally do the other things that people need to do after hours spent in an automobile.
Unlike some Sao Paulo city streets, the highways in this part of Brasil (the SP-RdJ corridor) are generally in very good condition. But another difference from my North American experiences is that neighbourhood streets in the city as well as two-lane highways are frought with speed bumps, sometimes in multiples every 100 metres or less. According to M, Brasilians do not believe in obeying road signs so the government found another solution! Go figure, but I believe it.
Our first and only major stop on the way to Carnaval in Rio was at Paraty, a quaint seaside tourist village in Rio de Janeiro state. The town has true cobblestone streets in its historic district. Driving a car here is a veritable challenge. We had booked a room in one of the many 'pousadas' and, after unpacking and unwinding, our evening was spent at a 'mock carnaval' in the nearby historic district. Sadly, the event organizers failed to make the event special for us so we called it an early night.
The next day was spent on a most exquisite schooner tour that took us to some beautiful beaches (one of which ranks as the best beach at which I have ever had the occasion to swim). The water was calm, pristine and warm, the ocean bottom was formed of soft silky sand and the view was spectacular. Paradise! But we did need to return to town. Ah shucks! After sitting down for a meal and feeling the effects of a bit of heat exhaustion, we succumbed to the need for some long overdue 'winks'. In the morning we would be off on the final leg to Rio. It bears mentioning that daytime temperatures during my first two weeks (from late February to early March) in Brasil stayed consistently between 30C (92F) and 37C (106F).
The remainder of our drive to Rio was rather uneventful; we likely having become numbed by the incessantly breathtaking scenery (mountainous terrain on one side and ocean vistas on the other). Quite early in our approach to the mecca of all beaches (Copacabana and Ipanema) the traffic once again became chaotic. Ultimately we came to a point where M was able to get her bearings and we cruised effortlessly into Copacabana.
Finding our hotel was not so effortless. But we did succeed and, after checking in, we began the first of our many journeys by foot, cab, subway and bus (but not by car). The car had been parked and there it would stay until we were ready to leave. Instead, we proceeded by cab to Corcovado (more commonly known as Christo Redentor or The Christ). The cab fare was reasonable for the distance travelled. We spent an hour and one half exploring the monument and taking pictures which was definitely time well invested. Thereafter the cabbie (who had returned for us) took us on a long drive which I would not recommend unless taken first thing in the day. The place to which we drove was the National Forest of Tijuca but due to its distance from Copacabana and its dusk closing time it was not one of our finest decisions. We quickly returned to our hotel in Copacabana.
The balance of our days in Rio were comprised of more sightseeing (for example, Sugarloaf which fully lived up to its reputation), lots of walking (along the beaches and throughout the downtown area) with not too much time for rest and relaxation. We spent the afternoon of our last day in Rio on Copacabana Beach and as usual it was hot and sunny. We had only good experiences with the vendors on the beach. And through it all we saw very little evidence of crime or the criminal element. The one noteable exception was the presence on two separate occasions of armed soldiers at the 'Zona Sul' subway station in Copacabana. Apparently a threat had been made by a drug kingpin with respect to the disruption of Carnaval and it was our guess that the soldiers were there for that reason. Otherwise not even the regular police made their presence known. Again, a point of note: The subway systems in both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo are clean, safe, efficient and inexpensive. Using them is highly recommended.
On Saturday evening, we marched and danced with the Sao Clemente Samba School (one of seven that night, twenty-eight in total over four nights) through the Sambodromo, the giant tube-shaped open-air stadium that is used for the purpose of viewing and judging the samba schools. I had blisters on my feet after several hours of walking, dancing the samba and wearing my 'fantasy' (costume) in the heat. But my pain was not in vain! The Sao Clemente school took first place in its division, thanks to M and I. Yeah, right!
On the following Monday evening we put the shoe on the other foot (so to speak) and sat in the stands at the Sambodromo to watch the cream of the crop of the samba schools compete to become champion of the Carnaval. The floats and costumes were awesome (truely a sight to behold)! But bad luck had to strike sooner or later. We had to endure a downpour of an hour and a half early in the all-night event. We (and everyone else) were soaked. But despite this minor setback (after all, the air was still quite warm) we stayed until almost 3am (a little more than halfway through the competition).
Our final evening in Rio was spent at the Gala Gay Ball at Club Scala in Leblon (adjoining Ipanema). This event is actually broadcast live on television in Brasil. Well, it was an interesting experience to say the least. For anyone who is not easily shocked and who does not have preconceived views about the gay lifestyle, it is a fun event. But be prepared for the crowded conditions and extreme heat and humidity inside the club.
And now it was time for us to say our goodbyes to Rio.
After packing up and eating breakfast which is always included at all hotels in Brasil we were ready to head out of town (exactly one week after departing Sao Paulo). But we wanted to make one final stop - at Maracana Stadium, the grand-daddy of them all! This stadium once achieved a peak attendance of 183,000 fans during a World Cup Final soccer match some years ago. So after having made this final stop and with the assistance of a helpful cabbie we found our way to the Nova Dutra highway and began our journey 'home'.
As part of our return voyage, we had planned to visit a 'Finnish village' named Penedo located near Itatiaia National Park. It was however the only place where we had not made sleeping arrangements in advance. As a result, we were both a little apprehensive about our chances of finding good accommodation at a reasonable price. Well, we had little need to worry. Now that Carnaval season was over and because it was mid-week, rooms were plentiful and inexpensive. We obtained a room in a centrally located 'pousada' and we decided to stay for two nights rather than one. It was here that we did some of our best eating. We happened upon the busiest (and in my view, the prime) spot in town, a restaurant-bar known as Fritz's. We ate supper there both days. We window-shopped, hiked, went horseback riding, swam and generally took it easy here; quite a change from the brisk pace in Rio.
After leaving Penedo, we 'sidetracked' twice more. The first of these detours was into Itatiaia National Park. What is it with the National Parks in Brasil? Once again we had a less than desireable experience. The park should have had a giant disclaimer at the main gate: "If you are not driving a four-wheel drive vehicle and if you are not familiar with the layout of the park, then enter only at your own risk!" M was a nervous wreck after driving her car over roads that don't actually qualify as such! So we departed as expeditiously as possible. Our final stop prior to reaching Sao Paulo was Brasil's largest church (just off the main highway). Regrettably, we were running short of daylight so the stop was brief only permitting time to take a couple of quick pictures.
It was Friday evening (with exactly one week remaining in my Brasilian adventure) when our trip ended. Three things of note need to be mentioned about this final week. First, the weather took a turn for the worse. Now, by Canadian standards this change in weather could not be described as bad. But considering that I had rapidly become accustomed to temperatures in the 30s (90s), temps in the 20s just didn't measure up. Furthermore, each day was overcast with approximately one hour of rain in late afternoon. So much for any thoughts of spending one last day at the beach. Second, most of the activities that we planned for the week had to be re-scheduled due to unusual business hours. Specifically, Sunday evenings and Mondays appear to be times to avoid when planning things. Third, we decided to visit M's place of employment which is a considerable distance from her home. We exchanged vehicles with her sister for reasons I won't explain here. We should have known things were going to go seriously wrong when I was forced to slip long pants over my shorts in order to receive permission to enter her workplace. On the return trip, her sister's car broke down and it had to be towed. We later discovered that the engine had to be replaced. In the meantime, we had hoped to eat some corn-on-the-cob, something which I had wanted to do since before we left for Rio de Janeiro. As luck would have it, the car broke down near such an establishment. But our misfortune continued in that the corn we bought was bad and the restaurant would not replace it nor refund our money. Holy mackerel batman!
And so ended my escapades in Brasil. Well, not quite. One final (last but not least) scare was still to come my way. On the way back to Guarulhos International Airport, traffic was so congested that both of us became frightened that I would miss the plane. In fact M was 'all over' her cellphone trying to find some way that would ensure my timely arrival at the airport. On this occasion however, "Christ Above the Clouds" must have smiled upon us just as all hope was about to be lost. All of a sudden the traffic cleared and I was still able to board my plane (Air Canada Flight 991 from Sao Paulo to Toronto) in the nick of time.
In summary, there are many more tales that could be told about places visited, sights seen and experiences lived. But the intent of this page was never to describe every last detail of my visit to Brasil but rather only to provide a flavour, or a small taste, of the Brasilian experience. Thus, late in the evening on March 14, 2003, I sadly left behind a beautiful country and a wonderful and beautiful woman. I can honestly say that I miss them both.
This page was inspired by and is dedicated to M...!
Kisses!