Rio de Janeiro
Today is Kim and my last day in Rio before we head off for Foz do Iguaçu!
Highlights:
-Watching the sunset over the city from Cristo Redentor and Sugar Loaf, seeing the city transform into a sea of twinkling lights
-Stumbling upon an exhibition (Virada Russa) of the most iconic and famous works of art from one of my favorite art movements, Russian Constructivism (after the Russian Revolution) up close and for free, when I thought I would have to travel to Russia to see them. Works included: The Black Square, Kadinsky’s Compositions, Tatlin’s sculptures and so much more. Simply amazing.
-The food: Sucos (juice drinks) Fruta de Graviola (Soursop), Feijoada (the national dish: beans, sausage, pork, garlic and a dash of orange stewed together), guava juice, delicious fruits
-Beautiful beachs with soft, golden sand and deep blue waters
-25 degrees Celcius, everyday!
-Hippie Fair: a big market of artisan crafts made by locals
-Arcos de Telles: a quaint alley in all sorts of colors, kind of like New Orleans Square in Disneyland
-Trolley ride through Lapa, Gloria and Santa Teresa
-Meeting sweet people at our hostel and friendly Brazilians who helped us get by
The most amazing experience I’ve had, however, was taking a tour through the favelas. Millons live in Brazil’s favelas, literally separated from the wealthy sometimes by nothing more than a freeway. Drug lords have power over all but 4 favelas in Rio, and while the drug industry is a multimillion dollar a month production, those who live in the favelas live in extreme poverty, realing in about R$300 a month (R$1= about $1.8 USD). Those involved with the drug industry are not expected to live past 18 years old; basically, a 23 year old drug lord has complete power over the entire community of people living within that favela. Though Brazil has the 8th largest economy in the world, the gap between the wealthy and poor only continues to grow. One percent of Brazil’s inhabitants own HALF of the land. In favelas, any land is free to settle on, as long as you get there first. Many sell their roof space so others can build on top of their houses. Within the favelas, we walked into this grafitti studio, where a program was initiated to teach the kids to paint as a way of making money (as an alternative to begging or falling into the drug industry). Also, we walked into a daycare center, where food, clothing and child care is subsidized. There, we saw one of the girls who was staying at our hostel for a few days volunteering her time! Volunteers from around the world come with broken hearts for the population and serve there. Regardless, the people we encountered seem to glow with joy, especially the little kids, as we saw many flying kites and splashing in little kiddie pools. There is a strong sense of community and internal protection.
A couple of the locals Kim and I ran into taught us a few phrases, unique to Brazilian Portuguese. One of them is saudade (pronounced sal-dodge-e), which is a melancholic feeling of deep nostalgia and longing for something or someone. I can now understand how this word originated in Brazil: Brazil’s community holds close together, fueling every Brazilian’s intense identity in their country.
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