Arrival in Brazil

3/27/2011

We arrived in Brazil yesterday.  Traveling is always such an experience, no matter where the final destination may be.  It stretches you and tests you in ways that no other experience can.  It is impossible to hide your flaws or be someone you are not when traveling, and it is often during traveling when you will see someone at their worst. 

This traveling experience was no exception.  Due to a fire at the Miami International Airport our flight schedule underwent significant changes… and only after much haggling on the part of Katy a fellow student studying abroad with us.  So my flight ended up being much earlier than expected, took me to a different airport than I had planned, and called for me transferring from that airport to another in order to catch my next flight.  On the long 10 hour flight I endured a hearty nose bleed and a mild case of food poisoning as well as a young boy whose mother apparently did not teach him to appropriate way to cover his nose and mouth when sneezing.  Dios Mio!  Once we finally arrived in Sao Paulo we waited two hours in customs only to have to run to catch our final flight.  At long last we arrived in Curitiba, and sat down to wait for our pre-arranged transportation.  After waiting a nice solid two hours for the van, we came to the conclusion that we should probably start trying to figure out another way to get to our hotel. 

An intense conversation of stilted Portuguese, Spanish and English and R$8 (Reias)  later, we are on a bus to our hotel. 

This was all yesterday, and though I wouldn’t be saying this if you had asked me yesterday… all in all, the trip went pretty well.  I was certainly glad that there was a group of us traveling; it can make all the difference when you don’t know the language, are faced with difficult situations and sometimes just need a little comic relief. 

Today we were able to explore Curitiba, and what a beautiful city it is.  Our hotel is located on Rua XV de Novembro, a beautiful stone pebbled pedestrian street filled with stores, restaurants and vendors.  We started our morning at the market that takes place every Sunday morning very close to our hotel.  The first thing I noticed about the market was how the vendors did not attack you as you walked by as they do in most other countries I have visited.  Everyone merely says “oi” or “bom dia” and continues on with their business.  I was also impressed with the vastness of the market.  Row after row of boomerangs, clothing, cooking utensils, spices, honey, trinkets and jewelry sit on long tables glistening under the hot sun.  I note the many presents I will have to come back to purchase in the upcoming weeks for family and friends. 

Brazilians have greatly impressed me with their friendliness and eagerness to communicate with us both to learn about our country and to practice their English.  While by no means a prevalent second language, I have been impressed by the number of people who do speak some English and their eagerness to help us learn their own language. 

Tonight after our very touristy bus tour, we stopped at a local corner bar to grab a beer and a bite to eat.  A local, who has been learning English for work, shyly leaned over to our table and recommended the papas fritas and Antartica beer.  We thanked him and ordered up.  Upon receiving a very good beer for each of us and the best French fries I have had in a long time we asked him to join us at our table.  He then spent the next hour and a half patiently teaching us about futbol and how to say different terms in Portuguese.  We all laughed at each other’s mistakes with the language and he spent twenty minutes helping us figure out how we were supposed to pay.  He was a wonderful man and provided us a terrific introduction to his home city Curitiba.

While I miss my husband and family immensely Brazil is looking to be an amazing country and I am looking forward to my adventures here over the next several weeks!

Boa noite!