Ü Would Think So: Brasil Dreaming

« There Will Be Maps | Main | All In a Day's Work »

January 23, 2006

Brasil Dreaming

There are definitely some things that I miss about Brasil...

For instance, it's really nice to start the day with really cheap, fresh fruit juices. There were many, many different fruits to choose from (including several without translations in the Portuguese/English dictionary) at the multitude of juice stands everywhere we went. We tried to get through the whole menu at this place, which was close to our apartment in Rio de Janeiro, and didn't get close. Açaí, acerola, banana, graviola, guava, mango, passion fruit, pineapple, etc etc etc and still, my favorite was laranja (orange).

Hotels located high above busy squares are totally worth the added expense... especially if you wake up in time for breakfast. (Our room in Salvador de Bahia had the same view.)

Having a huge variety of food and drink available to you from stalls, carts, coolers, and jugs on the street and the beach at all hours is definitely a good thing... I'm convinced that anything eaten on the beach tastes better.

I also experienced what happens if you eat shrimp that has been sitting at a beach stall all day. Fortunately Araí, this lovely (and creative) woman who took us in after we arrived in the vacancy-free Praia do Forte, cured my disasterous condition with a remedy I later determined was tea made from a chunk of coconut husk.

While initially a little disturbing, hot water on demand makes a lot more sense than hot water heaters. After causing a small explosion in our Rio apartment (no casualties, but lots of noise and lots of soot and ash), I prefer these electric shower head contraptions over gas flash heaters.