I recently got back from Brazil. I learned a lot of new things about Brazil, America, Carnaval, and more. Here are my observations & learnings:
- The United States exports a lot of entertainment. I’m talking about music and movies. I was walking down a small street in Buzios, where few people speak english. I turn the corner and the radio is blasting a song by Pink.
- Rio’s culture has a blend of influence from Europe and the US.
- Eye contact. mucho.
- Portuguese is nothing like Spanish. Not sure which language I like more.
View of the sunset in Rio De Janeiro from Sugarloaf Mountain
Hee-o, What’s Rio?
- In portuguese, one doesn’t pronounce the R, it’s pronounced similar to an H in English. Which threw me off because the name of the town I was in was Rio. 3 letters and 1 of those letters is an R. Was I saying the name wrong? Yes. It is pronounced, Hee-o.
- Carnaval is constant chaos that is unavoidable. So many people were out and about. The streets were packed.
- I would recommend Carnaval for people that want to meet new people, dance and drink all day long. Also, a great event for parade lovers.
- Sambadromo is a huge parade with lots of colorful floats. If in Rio during Carnaval, you should go! Avoid high ticket prices by buying tickets outside 3 hours after it starts. It starts at 8pm and goes till 5am.
- People in Rio for Carnaval were very friendly.
- Caipirinhas, Havaianas, large earrings and dental floss bikinis are they very popular in Brazil
Buzios
- Buzios is an amazing peninsula that any beach lover should visit during their lifetime. Give yourself 4 days minimum to enjoy all it has to offer.
- People from Greece love talking about their country similar to people from Ohio
- Australians travel for long time periods.
I Have A Friend, He Can Help You
- Getting hoodwinked in Rio is very easy.
- Flat rate Taxis in Rio, 9 out of 10 times, are a ripe off
- Rio, at least Ipanema, is safe.
- Cristo has a great view of Rio De Janeiro. Be prepared to take lots of pictures. I wonder how many pictures are snapped at Cristo everyday.
Picture time at Cristo
- Brazilians love their beaches. Heck, I love their beaches.
- Brazilians are very tan. <insert comment about tan lines here>
- Copacabana’s board walk is beautiful, huge and a great place to people watch.
Cliff Diving off of Copacabana and Leme
Use Your Feet Silly
- Brazilian play volleyball with their feet, it’s called foot volley. They are so good at soccer, the skills easily transfer over. I was horrible at it.
- For the sweetest foot volley move I’ve ever seen, check out the 1:06 mark in this video.
- Soccer (football ) is super popular in Brazil
- Below is a regular scene on the beach, 5 friends kicking around a soccer ball.
Beach Scene
- They also play regular volleyball, with their hands. I know, how boring. JK
Brazil was amazing and I can not wait to go back! What are your thoughts on these findings and/or what are some findings you’ve had?
Chicago's Typical Khaos 