My last day in Brasil!! Ahhh! :( I can't believe it's come upon me so fast, but unfortunately it's here: it's time for me to go home :(. But before I say an official adieu (since this will be my last blog entry), let me quickly recap today and yesterday (since Ambar and I have to take a taxi to the airport cuz our flight leaves at 11).
So yesterday was spent diligently in search of specific items for my souvenir shopping. As a result of that, Ambar and I decided to try out Rio Sul (which is a bit on the outskirts of Copacabana; we got there on a bus that took us through a tunnel), since Anthonette and Daneka had gone and had found some cool stuff. I can't even accurately put it into words, but the place is ridiculously expensive: very shi-shi, very over the top, with only designer-name stores and the like. Basically, only the upper crust and Rio's elite (which mostly reside in Copacabana and Ipanema anyway) shop there. It was even more shi-shi than Short Hills Mall in NJ, and that's pretty up there too so you can just imagine. It was to the point where I felt out of place and uncomfortable there. So, Ambar and I stopped in at the store Anthonette had recommended (where Ambar bought her last item--a shirt--for herself; it was a bit expensive, but you only live once, right? ;) and then spent maybe another 40 min. walking around, but then left because it was just too much. All I could think about pretty much the whole time was how Paulo, Jacson and the kids in Falete had never set foot in there and probably never would. It only added to my discomfort.
So after we left, we got off the bus in Copacabana so that we could finally be done with our souvenir shopping. On the way home, we stopped and ate at a juice bar (Bar Baco; if you're ever in Rio you must go!! It's on the corner of Rua Francisco Sa and Avenida Nossa Senhora de Copacabana), which was actually where Ambar, Russell and I had originally wanted to eat last Friday when we went out to dinner with Anthonette on her last night. It was amazing! I finally got my carne assada the way it was supposed to be made!! It was fantastic! It came with rice, beans, spaghetti seasoned with garlic and olive oil (I don't even eat pasta and I ate it all! It was dope!), fries and lettuce and tomatoes (which were the reddest, juiciest ones I have had in a while!)! All that (drumroll please...;) for only $10 reais (well, $12 with a Guarana Zero, naturally ;)! It was absolutely awesome. It was definitely among the top 5 meals I've had in Rio over the course of this trip. I didn't shut up about it for quite a while afterwards. Oh yeah, and Ambar got the pernil (accompanied by all the same things I got with mine) ;).
Today was pretty chill and laid back. Since Ambar and I had to check out of our room by 12, we packed up all our stuff and just left it at the front desk so we could go to the beach for the day (we met Russell at Post 7 where he works on Ipanema Beach, and just hung out there the whole day; and finally tanned some! ;). It was a pretty amazing final day in Rio and the weather was absolutely perfect. We took some pictures, and even got in the water! :) After Russell got off work, we went to Beach Sucos and got our last acais in Brasil before we go home :(. For dinner, we went back to Bar Baco (!!), where I got the same thing as yesterday, lol, and on the way back to the hostel we got our last churros recheados :(.
I can't believe this is the end of my trip! But I must say, everything I did was amazing and I met some of the most genuine and wonderful people here I've ever met in my life. I feel like I did what I came to do here, and even if I didn't have an impact on other people's lives here, they've definitely had one on mine that I won't forget. Brasil has so much beauty at its core (both natural and metaphoric), and so much of that beauty lies within its people. I was blessed to have the opportunity to meet a number of those people in Falete as well as in my day-to-day adventures while I've been here. To say that I love it here is an understatement. Brasil is infectious and once you've seen it and experienced it, it gets inside of you and won't leave. I hope to always be able to come back here and experience Brasil in a new and exciting way each and every time. It hasn't disappointed me yet, and I doubt it ever will ;). And with that, I end this spectacular experience I've had here. This is one of the best things I've ever done for myself in my 22 years of life, and if you ever have an opportunity to come here, I say do it! :) Tchau, meu Brasil querido! Te amo!!
~Com muito amor,
Amanda ;)
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Meu Próprio Quadro!! :)
Today was full of plans to bronze ourselves and go to the Hippie Fair. Unfotunately only one of those plans (the Hippie Fair) worked out, because it was windy, cloudy and raining today. It was saddening, but the rest of the day more than made up for it ;).
So, we started off the day with a yummy breakfast (much like yesterday's, except this time with some of the juiciest watermelon I've had in a while) and then we headed out to the Hippie Fair, with intentions of getting all of our souvenir shopping out of the way. I bought a Carioca shirt for me (in the design of a Guaraná can), a Carioca shirt for Cella Bella (it looks like a "Coca Cola" ad), earrings and a Flamengo soccer shirt for Augusto. I still have a few more things to buy for my family, though.
Ambar actually bought more things than me and went all out: a Carmen Miranda bag for herself, earrings, 2 Carioca shirts (with different designs) for herself, a shirt for her mom, shirts for her brothers, and a mug for her dad. We made out pretty well, but since our exchange rate is so bad, a lot of what we bought ended up being equivalent (more or less) to the prices we'd pay in the states. In spite of all that, though, I'm happy with what I bought because I know it's unique and I wouldn't have been able to buy it anywhere else ;).
After our Hippie Fair shopping, we dropped our bags off at the hostel and asked Tracy at the front desk where would be the best place to buy a bottle of cachaça (for my dad). She said Zona Sul (which is a big supermarket chain in Rio; our guidebook says it is the best supermarket in Rio, in fact--it's super clean and organized, and has a larger variety of things you wouldn't find in the other supermarket chains here; it's also more expensive, though, of course lol), so we headed over there (it's just a few blocks from our hostel). We found the liquor aisle, and there was a man who worked for Zona Sul standing there who asked us if we needed any help. I explained that I wanted to buy a bottle of cachaça for my dad, and asked which one would be the best one to buy. He explained that the lighter/paler cachaças are the best ones for caipirinha-making, but that the darker ones are better for "after dinner" drinks, etc. (which is what my dad would be drinking it for anyway) and that aged cachaças are generally better, which was really interesting and useful to know. He even gave us a sample of one of the caipirinha cachaças, lol! (which was ridiculously strong, and which I probably will not drink again; so I won't be partaking in any of those "after dinner" drinks with my father, lol). I ended up going with a 3 year old bottle of cachaça with a commemorative design that said "Rio de Janeiro" on the front and had an etching of Ipanema's moutainous skyline. It's quite pretty actually. I hope my dad likes it. The man also asked if we were Brasilian ( :)!!!), and we explained that we weren't and were from New York. His reply was, "Oh, because you speak better Portuguese than most Brasilians." (!! :)!!). It was awesome.
On our way back, we saw a guy (his name is Bernardo Araujo) around the corner from our hostel (whom we had seen yesterday) that was painting and selling paintings. His pieces are absolutely amazing: full of wonderful colors and vibrancy and truly unique style. We admired some of the pieces yesterday (but didn't stop too long because we had been thinking of how much money we have spent and how much we were going to spend today at the Hippie Fair), but today we couldn't resist stopping and asking because they were so beautiful and eye-catching. We asked how much they were and he let us look through his book of designs. Bernardo explained that he custom makes paintings for people and that currently he was in the process of making 2 for other people. He also told us how much he loves to paint and how he feels that each piece he makes is special and unique (which shows). It was so awesome to hear how passionate he was about his work and how much his craft means to him. We asked if he could make a smaller painting for each of us. He agreed and we picked out the designs we wanted and paid him $30 reais for each. He told us to come back at 6 to pick them up. We went back at 6 but he still wasn't done and needed more time, so we went to eat dinner (at our new "Big Nectar," which is called "Beach Sucos" ;) and came back. We ended up having to take a few walks around the block (and looking at interesting stores), but the paintings were done by 8:20. We didn't mind, though, because the paintings were well worth the wait. They're absolutely gorgeous, and custom-made at that!! We took a few pictures with Bernardo and thanked him profusely for making them for us. He gave us his business card (with his e-mail address) and told us to e-mail him the pictures :). We paid him an extra $25 reais as an extra thank you. He was so nice and it was super sweet for him to agree to make those paintings for us on the spot (I think very few people in any other country would have agreed to that). They're sitting on a shelf drying in our room right now. I'm so happy! :) I can't wait to hang it up and show it off! ;)
While we were waiting for Bernardo to finish our paintings, Ambar and I crossed the street to look at the menu at "Garota de Ipanema," a bar across the street from our hostel (Ambar actually wanted to eat there, but we've decided to just get drinks there one night because the prices are astronomical). After we looked, we sat down on a bench outside of the bar, and right next door was the "Garota de Ipanema" shop that I came to the first time I came to Rio!! :) I was soo happy because I had wanted to go again on this trip and couldn't remember where exactly in Ipanema it was. Who knew it was right across the street from us all this time?! So now that we know where it is, we're definitely going because I absolutely loved it the first time I went (I bought a shirt with the "Garota de Ipanema" lyrics on it; the store also has pictures of the actual woman the song's about with the composer and the lyricist! It's so awesome inside). I can't wait to go! :)
The last thing I'll leave you with about my fabulous day, is a new word (or saying I guess you could say) I learned today. So when I was buying a shirt for Bella, the girl behind the table was showing us different designs. Ambar was picking out a shirt for a friend, and we asked her in Portuguese if she had anything smaller. Her response was in the form of a question, "Baby look?" I didn't think much of it, but then when we found the "Garota de Ipanema" store (!!), we were looking at the display in the window and there was a list of items they sold and the prices. One item (under shirts) said "Baby Look," and that's when it dawned on me that the Brasilian equivalent for "baby tee" is "baby look," which I thought was super cute ;). Hence, that is why "baby look" is my new phrase of the day, lol. Ambar cracks up everytime I say it.
Anyways, that's all for now. More to come. Tchau!
So, we started off the day with a yummy breakfast (much like yesterday's, except this time with some of the juiciest watermelon I've had in a while) and then we headed out to the Hippie Fair, with intentions of getting all of our souvenir shopping out of the way. I bought a Carioca shirt for me (in the design of a Guaraná can), a Carioca shirt for Cella Bella (it looks like a "Coca Cola" ad), earrings and a Flamengo soccer shirt for Augusto. I still have a few more things to buy for my family, though.
Ambar actually bought more things than me and went all out: a Carmen Miranda bag for herself, earrings, 2 Carioca shirts (with different designs) for herself, a shirt for her mom, shirts for her brothers, and a mug for her dad. We made out pretty well, but since our exchange rate is so bad, a lot of what we bought ended up being equivalent (more or less) to the prices we'd pay in the states. In spite of all that, though, I'm happy with what I bought because I know it's unique and I wouldn't have been able to buy it anywhere else ;).
After our Hippie Fair shopping, we dropped our bags off at the hostel and asked Tracy at the front desk where would be the best place to buy a bottle of cachaça (for my dad). She said Zona Sul (which is a big supermarket chain in Rio; our guidebook says it is the best supermarket in Rio, in fact--it's super clean and organized, and has a larger variety of things you wouldn't find in the other supermarket chains here; it's also more expensive, though, of course lol), so we headed over there (it's just a few blocks from our hostel). We found the liquor aisle, and there was a man who worked for Zona Sul standing there who asked us if we needed any help. I explained that I wanted to buy a bottle of cachaça for my dad, and asked which one would be the best one to buy. He explained that the lighter/paler cachaças are the best ones for caipirinha-making, but that the darker ones are better for "after dinner" drinks, etc. (which is what my dad would be drinking it for anyway) and that aged cachaças are generally better, which was really interesting and useful to know. He even gave us a sample of one of the caipirinha cachaças, lol! (which was ridiculously strong, and which I probably will not drink again; so I won't be partaking in any of those "after dinner" drinks with my father, lol). I ended up going with a 3 year old bottle of cachaça with a commemorative design that said "Rio de Janeiro" on the front and had an etching of Ipanema's moutainous skyline. It's quite pretty actually. I hope my dad likes it. The man also asked if we were Brasilian ( :)!!!), and we explained that we weren't and were from New York. His reply was, "Oh, because you speak better Portuguese than most Brasilians." (!! :)!!). It was awesome.
On our way back, we saw a guy (his name is Bernardo Araujo) around the corner from our hostel (whom we had seen yesterday) that was painting and selling paintings. His pieces are absolutely amazing: full of wonderful colors and vibrancy and truly unique style. We admired some of the pieces yesterday (but didn't stop too long because we had been thinking of how much money we have spent and how much we were going to spend today at the Hippie Fair), but today we couldn't resist stopping and asking because they were so beautiful and eye-catching. We asked how much they were and he let us look through his book of designs. Bernardo explained that he custom makes paintings for people and that currently he was in the process of making 2 for other people. He also told us how much he loves to paint and how he feels that each piece he makes is special and unique (which shows). It was so awesome to hear how passionate he was about his work and how much his craft means to him. We asked if he could make a smaller painting for each of us. He agreed and we picked out the designs we wanted and paid him $30 reais for each. He told us to come back at 6 to pick them up. We went back at 6 but he still wasn't done and needed more time, so we went to eat dinner (at our new "Big Nectar," which is called "Beach Sucos" ;) and came back. We ended up having to take a few walks around the block (and looking at interesting stores), but the paintings were done by 8:20. We didn't mind, though, because the paintings were well worth the wait. They're absolutely gorgeous, and custom-made at that!! We took a few pictures with Bernardo and thanked him profusely for making them for us. He gave us his business card (with his e-mail address) and told us to e-mail him the pictures :). We paid him an extra $25 reais as an extra thank you. He was so nice and it was super sweet for him to agree to make those paintings for us on the spot (I think very few people in any other country would have agreed to that). They're sitting on a shelf drying in our room right now. I'm so happy! :) I can't wait to hang it up and show it off! ;)
While we were waiting for Bernardo to finish our paintings, Ambar and I crossed the street to look at the menu at "Garota de Ipanema," a bar across the street from our hostel (Ambar actually wanted to eat there, but we've decided to just get drinks there one night because the prices are astronomical). After we looked, we sat down on a bench outside of the bar, and right next door was the "Garota de Ipanema" shop that I came to the first time I came to Rio!! :) I was soo happy because I had wanted to go again on this trip and couldn't remember where exactly in Ipanema it was. Who knew it was right across the street from us all this time?! So now that we know where it is, we're definitely going because I absolutely loved it the first time I went (I bought a shirt with the "Garota de Ipanema" lyrics on it; the store also has pictures of the actual woman the song's about with the composer and the lyricist! It's so awesome inside). I can't wait to go! :)
The last thing I'll leave you with about my fabulous day, is a new word (or saying I guess you could say) I learned today. So when I was buying a shirt for Bella, the girl behind the table was showing us different designs. Ambar was picking out a shirt for a friend, and we asked her in Portuguese if she had anything smaller. Her response was in the form of a question, "Baby look?" I didn't think much of it, but then when we found the "Garota de Ipanema" store (!!), we were looking at the display in the window and there was a list of items they sold and the prices. One item (under shirts) said "Baby Look," and that's when it dawned on me that the Brasilian equivalent for "baby tee" is "baby look," which I thought was super cute ;). Hence, that is why "baby look" is my new phrase of the day, lol. Ambar cracks up everytime I say it.
Anyways, that's all for now. More to come. Tchau!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Cristo Redentor
Today Ambar and I woke up at 7 so that we could go see Cristo Redentor, and also so that we could be back in time (before 1) to move our stuff into our private room. The only thing I would say that's better about this hostel than Baron Garden, is that they serve us breakfast (which I greatly appreciate so that we don't have to spend even more money on another meal). It was pretty good too, actually. I had 2 fresh, mini loaves of bread (with butter and some great strawberry and guava jams), a few slices of cheese (from a cheese brick, which was awesome and creamy tasting) and some fresh pineapple juice (which was great because it was light and not overly sweet). There were also mini bananas, slices of papaya, some chocolate-looking cake, slices of ham, coffee, and tea. Overall I think I'm going to be pretty satisfied with our breakfasts, which is a definite plus.
While we were eating, we also met the first actual amicable person in this hostel since we've been here. She actually introduced herself to us (since I've already turned my New Yorker mode back on and it's on full blast, I haven't been going out of my way to introduce myself, etc.), which was really nice of her. Her name is Rachel and she's from Ireland and just arrived in Rio from Argentina last night. She was really nice and seemed genuinely excited about being in Brasil. She even asked us where she could go around the hostel to get some Havaianas. I guess I am really a Carioca now--giving directions/recommendations and the whole 9 ;).
We finished up breakfast and then took the bus to Corcovado to take the train up to Cristo.
We got there at around 9:30 and pretty much just had time to buy our tickets before the train came. It was really cool and a nice ride, especially since the first time I went to Cristo when I first came to Rio, we had a private jeep take us all up to the top. So this was a cool first-time experience for me too :). I had almost forgotten how spectacular the view is from the top of Corcovado. I do remember it being one of my favorite things I did while I was in Rio that year, though. It's absolutely amazing, and no words can accurately describe how breathtaking it is. I think it might be the highest point from which you can see the city in all of Rio. Seeing that really makes you understand why they call Rio the "Cidade Maravilhosa." It's literally one of the most incredible things I've ever seen and I think that everyone should try to make it a point to see it before they die. I'd love to bring my mom sometime. She'd absolutely love it.
Needless to say, we took tons of pictures of the view, of Cristo and us posing, lol. It was awesome and I'm glad we went so early in the day. I can't wait to post all my pictures ;). On the train on the way back down, we met this Cuban guy (born in Puerto Rico) who asked us where we were from, named Rob. He's actually a Harvard med student and has been living in Salvador (which I'm dying to go to! Next trip to Brasil! ;) for the past 6 months doing research. He was pretty chill. He also lived in NY he said for a year working in a medical center in Harlem. He said he has one more month left in Salvador, and that we should definitely go there the next time we come to Brasil (which I intend to!). He was explaining to us how the vibe is so different from Rio, and how great the people are there. I guess today was our day for meeting nice people ;).
Afterwards, we caught the bus back to the Mango Tree (after some slight confusion as to which bus we were supposed to take) and finally switched into our private room! It's worlds better than the ridiculous room we stayed in last night. It has a double bed and a full-size bed (Ambar and I flipped a coin to see who would get the full-size bed; I won! ;), and we have our own private bathroom. There's also a really cool painting on the wall above one of the beds (I think we need to chill with the buying paintings thing, though ;). I'm definitely a lot happier, and I look forward to not having to climb (since we've been sleeping in bunkbeds on the top bunks for the past 2 weeks) a ladder to get into bed anymore ;).
The rest of our afternoon/evening is pretty open. I'm not really sure what we're doing, but I think we'll mostly just enjoy our room (!!) and get some dinner somewhere [cheap!] later tonight. It's nice to have time to chill out and relax :). We especially have to build up our strength/energy for souvenir shopping at the Hippie Fair tomorrow (which is just a few blocks from our hostel) and a long, hard day at the beach ;), lol. Updates soon! Beijos!
Tchau, Catete! :(
Ok, so yesterday (after going to Falete to say bye to the kids) was a nightmare, but let me start from the beginning, with the good stuff first.
So I got to Falete at around 9:15 and Jacson was there waiting for me (as usual) and for the kids to open the gate to the center. The night before after finishing the kids' notebooks, I made him and Paulo thank you cards (because Ambar and I had a hard time finding ones that weren't associated with love and lifelong affection). So I gave him his when I got there. I think he really appreciated it, and even though I wish I could've gotten him something more I think he got the point that I really appreciated everything he's done for me since I started working in Falete. It was nice :). The kids got there a few minutes later, but it was only Kassie, Caio, Paula, Livia, Taciane, Marcelle and Libia. None of the other boys apart from Caio came (which is fine cuz Caio is one of my favorites anyway), but I did wish at least Vanessa had come so that I could've said bye to her. So we all went into the classroom and I told them that we wouldn't be learning anything new, but that I had a surprise for them. I was a little nervous about giving them the notebooks because I didn't even know if they'd like them, but I passed them out and they were all staring at them. I explained that each one had everything I'd taught them in English since I started teaching them and that everyone had their own with their names on the front. Although no one said anything (I think they didn't really know what to say), I think they really did like them which made me happy :).
Afterwards (since we weren't having class), I told them I wanted to take pictures with them so we all went outside. At first Livia (because she said her hair wasn't done; she's 6 by the way!) and Libia (I don't know why she didn't want to; she's 13) didn't want to take pictures, but eventually they gave in. I took lots and lots of pictures: with Jacson, with the kids, of the kids by themselves, etc., etc. Most of them insisted on being allowed to take some of the pictures themselves, so I let them. Surprisingly, some of them took some really good ones that I intend to keep (Taciane in particular). I also took pictures (from inside the gate) of the surrounding favela and of the center itself. The only bizarre/sad thing that happened was that Paula and Kassie actually got into a catfight (pulling each other's hair, smackign each other on the ground and scratching each other). To the point where I had to step in the middle and tell them to let go of each other (Kassie had bloody scratches on her arms, back and cheek from Paula :(. I never quite got to the bottom of why they were fighting (even though I asked them directly), but it seemed that Paula thought Kassie was talking about her. Typically teenage girl things I suppose (even though Paula's only 11, she looks like a teenager already). Within an hour of fighting, though, they were pretty much back to talking which was strange but I preferred it that way on my last day.
Paulo came about an hour later and I gave him his card. He seemed to really appreciate it too. He's such a great person and does so much for the kids (he's also Paula's father), when he doesn't even have to and the majority of people in the favela wouldn't bother. I really do want to keep in touch with him and with the kids, so I included my e-mail address in the card I gave him (in Jacson's too), and he gave me his e-mail address so I could write to them (which I intend to do). He said that they were planning to move the center further up in Falete (it's aparently a bigger house/center), and said he'd send me pictures of it. At around 11:30 I had to say bye (because Ambar and I had to leave Baron Garden to check into our hostel in Ipanema). It was really really hard. There were a lot of hugs, a lot of "i love yous," and a lot of begging me not to go. It was really difficult to leave them, because I do care about them individually so very much and I see the potential each of them has to to be something in this world and not let the favela they live in consume them. I gave each of them hugs and kisses (Paulo and Jacson included) and told them I'd write and to write to me. As sad as it was, I walked away feeling like I had had some kind of positive impact on their lives and that felt really amazing. I hope they don't forget me even if I never do het to see them again, because I will honestly never forget them.
So I got back to Baron Garden at about 12:20 and Ambar and I had Lia call us a cab. We said bye to her, Timmy, Jozelha and Fatima. That was sad too, because I had honestly come to feel like it was my home in Catete. Russell was there too, but we didn't say a long goodbye to him because we were meeting him and Anthonette for dinner at Anthonette's hotel in Copacabana. The cab ride to Ipanema didn't take long (about 20 minutes), but almost immediately you could see the difference between where we had come from (the favelas and Catete) and where we were going. It's no secret that no one lives on this side of Rio (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Leme) unless they have money and it shows...in everything: the stores, the streets, the people, the restaurants. It's pretty shocking especially us coming from the humble and homely atmosphere we had been in for 2 weeks. Yes, it's beautiful down here (in terms of the beaches and the views) but there's a sense of materialism and impersonalness that you just can't shake. There's no saying "bom dia" to people randomly in the streets, because people will look at you funny and scoff at you. It's just a completely different dynamic that I wasn't prepared for after coming from Catete and Falete. It's sad that it isn't like that here, but it's something I'll have to adapt to in our final days in Rio. I guess I have to turn my "New Yorker" mode back on.
So we checked into the Mango Tree at around 1. The guy at the front desk asked where we were coming from, and we explained that we had been in Catete for 2 weeks. His reply was: "Oh, Ipanema is much better." What a snob! Actually it isn't, son. That comment alone left a bad taste in my mouth.
I must say, I'm not very impressed with the hostel itself (which is really surprising given the top-notch reviews this place has received online from people who have stayed here). Yes it's bigger than Baron Garden, but it's not necessarily nicer. And the people suck. There's no casual conversations with strangers or anything like that. No one stops to ask where you're from or what you've been up to while you've been in Rio. I must say that staying in Leah's house spoiled me, because we had a sense of purpose and connection. Here, none of that exists. Everyone is just here for themselves and keeps to themselves, and some people were downright rude but I'm trying to get used to it. I guess this is what a "typical" hostel is like.
So we ended up having to spend last night in a shared room (not just with chicks, but with guys too) of 4 bunkbeds. The room was about half the size (and more narrow) than the room we shared with the other 6 girls in Baron Garden: it's in the back of the hostel and up a flight of stairs. I was not pleased at all. We were told we could move into the private room we had originally booked today because it was still occupied when we arrived. The bathrooms were also a ways away (at the bottom of the stairs). So not only could I not (because of a lack of room and because there were dudes sharing our room) change in the room we were sleeping in, but if i had to pee really badly I had to rush down a flight of stairs just to get to the bathroom. Ridiculous. I was so heated. Needless to say, we spent as little time in there as possible. We basically put down our stuff and went to look for something to eat and to look around Ipanema.
We ended up going to this place not too far from our hostel called "Delirio Tropical," because it looked good from the outside and one of our guidebooks said it wasn't too pricey. Big mistake. I don't know if it's just that we ordered incorrectly or if everything is just ridiculously priced there (there was a menu on the wall and we had decided what to order, but then we were told to go to a line where people behind the counter served us things from a buffet-style line; it was really confusing), but our meals came out to an exorbitant amount. For example, I got a can of Coke Zero, a small cup of fruit salad, about a cup of chicken ceasar salad and a piece of girlled chicken and it came out to $21.30 reais ($14.20!)!!! Even by New York standards, that's a bit ridiculous. The chicken was less than the small portion of salad I received ($6.50 reais vs. $7.20 for the salad)!! I could not believe it! And yes, the food tasted super fresh and was good, but to be honest it definitely was not worth all that money (the portions were not sizeable by any means), and I was still hungry afterwards. I was so pissed off. That on top of the hostel debacle was not helping my mood either.
After that, we walked around for a while to calm down. We walked along the Ipanema beachfront in search of Havaianas (which we didn't say any traces of). We did end up buying a few things, though. Ambar bought a really pretty painting for her apartment, and then we spotted a woman with some beautiful handmade dresses on display. It was the most beautiful sunflower yellow I've seen. She also had a lavender colored dress of the same design. She said they were $35 reais each (I felt bad haggling with her sicne they were handmade), which I just couldn't afford. So I was getting ready to walk away, but Ambar asked how much she'd charge us for both (the yellow one for me, the lavender for her) and the woman said 50 (which was really awesome of her). So, we ended up getting them ;). After that, we took out some money, bought some gray Havaianas (which I've never seen before, and had to get) and came back to the hostel to change and get ready to meet Russell and Anthonette for dinner at 6.
We ended up taking a cab from our hostel to Anthonette's hotel because it seemed really far on the map (which it was). We got there at around 6:30 (rush-hour/weekend traffic) and Russell was already there. Her hotel was phat and you could tell it cost quite a pretty penny to stay there. We looked through our guidebook and decided on a place that didn't look too far away, and especially after the whole lunch fiasco I was eager to get it out of my mind with a good--and economical--dinner experience. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. We ended up walking for about 25 minutes, and when we finally reached the place it seemed pricier than anticipated. So, we stopped at few more places, but Anthonette was dead set on having some pasta, so the places we stopped that Ambar, Russell and I were down with she didn't want because they didn't have pasta. Finally, we randomly stopped in the place that looked like a large bar that served food (it was completely empty, by the way; bad sign) called "Winners" (ironic), and Ambar stopped in to ask about pasta. We ended up staying there and Ambar and Anthonette ordered pasta, and Russell and I ordered pizza. Anthonette took about 10 bites total of her pasta and said she didn't want anymore. Russell's and my pizzas took about 25 minutes to even come out to us (by this time it was like 9:30) and they weren't even that good. I ended up only eating three small slices (they're more like small pizzas they make in Italy than pizzas from New York or Pizza Hut, etc.), and giving the rest of it to Russell to take back to Baron Garden. I was soo mad. And on top of that, my food (plus a Guarana Zero) came out to $16 reais!! Yesterday was just not my day.
We walked Anthonette back to her hotel, took some pictures and said bye to her and then walked Russell to the metro station (which was directly in front of Anthonette's hotel). We decided we'd see him Monday on Ipanema Beach, since that's where he works til about 4. Ambar and I took a cab back to the Mango Tree (at around 11) and vowed that we're pretty much eating at Big Nectar (since it's a chain, there's quite a few in Ipanema) for the rest of the time we're here since we wasted so much money on ridiculousness yesterday.
That pretty much sums up the weird and aggravating day that was yesterday. I'm going to write about today in a different post. Ate logo!
So I got to Falete at around 9:15 and Jacson was there waiting for me (as usual) and for the kids to open the gate to the center. The night before after finishing the kids' notebooks, I made him and Paulo thank you cards (because Ambar and I had a hard time finding ones that weren't associated with love and lifelong affection). So I gave him his when I got there. I think he really appreciated it, and even though I wish I could've gotten him something more I think he got the point that I really appreciated everything he's done for me since I started working in Falete. It was nice :). The kids got there a few minutes later, but it was only Kassie, Caio, Paula, Livia, Taciane, Marcelle and Libia. None of the other boys apart from Caio came (which is fine cuz Caio is one of my favorites anyway), but I did wish at least Vanessa had come so that I could've said bye to her. So we all went into the classroom and I told them that we wouldn't be learning anything new, but that I had a surprise for them. I was a little nervous about giving them the notebooks because I didn't even know if they'd like them, but I passed them out and they were all staring at them. I explained that each one had everything I'd taught them in English since I started teaching them and that everyone had their own with their names on the front. Although no one said anything (I think they didn't really know what to say), I think they really did like them which made me happy :).
Afterwards (since we weren't having class), I told them I wanted to take pictures with them so we all went outside. At first Livia (because she said her hair wasn't done; she's 6 by the way!) and Libia (I don't know why she didn't want to; she's 13) didn't want to take pictures, but eventually they gave in. I took lots and lots of pictures: with Jacson, with the kids, of the kids by themselves, etc., etc. Most of them insisted on being allowed to take some of the pictures themselves, so I let them. Surprisingly, some of them took some really good ones that I intend to keep (Taciane in particular). I also took pictures (from inside the gate) of the surrounding favela and of the center itself. The only bizarre/sad thing that happened was that Paula and Kassie actually got into a catfight (pulling each other's hair, smackign each other on the ground and scratching each other). To the point where I had to step in the middle and tell them to let go of each other (Kassie had bloody scratches on her arms, back and cheek from Paula :(. I never quite got to the bottom of why they were fighting (even though I asked them directly), but it seemed that Paula thought Kassie was talking about her. Typically teenage girl things I suppose (even though Paula's only 11, she looks like a teenager already). Within an hour of fighting, though, they were pretty much back to talking which was strange but I preferred it that way on my last day.
Paulo came about an hour later and I gave him his card. He seemed to really appreciate it too. He's such a great person and does so much for the kids (he's also Paula's father), when he doesn't even have to and the majority of people in the favela wouldn't bother. I really do want to keep in touch with him and with the kids, so I included my e-mail address in the card I gave him (in Jacson's too), and he gave me his e-mail address so I could write to them (which I intend to do). He said that they were planning to move the center further up in Falete (it's aparently a bigger house/center), and said he'd send me pictures of it. At around 11:30 I had to say bye (because Ambar and I had to leave Baron Garden to check into our hostel in Ipanema). It was really really hard. There were a lot of hugs, a lot of "i love yous," and a lot of begging me not to go. It was really difficult to leave them, because I do care about them individually so very much and I see the potential each of them has to to be something in this world and not let the favela they live in consume them. I gave each of them hugs and kisses (Paulo and Jacson included) and told them I'd write and to write to me. As sad as it was, I walked away feeling like I had had some kind of positive impact on their lives and that felt really amazing. I hope they don't forget me even if I never do het to see them again, because I will honestly never forget them.
So I got back to Baron Garden at about 12:20 and Ambar and I had Lia call us a cab. We said bye to her, Timmy, Jozelha and Fatima. That was sad too, because I had honestly come to feel like it was my home in Catete. Russell was there too, but we didn't say a long goodbye to him because we were meeting him and Anthonette for dinner at Anthonette's hotel in Copacabana. The cab ride to Ipanema didn't take long (about 20 minutes), but almost immediately you could see the difference between where we had come from (the favelas and Catete) and where we were going. It's no secret that no one lives on this side of Rio (Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon and Leme) unless they have money and it shows...in everything: the stores, the streets, the people, the restaurants. It's pretty shocking especially us coming from the humble and homely atmosphere we had been in for 2 weeks. Yes, it's beautiful down here (in terms of the beaches and the views) but there's a sense of materialism and impersonalness that you just can't shake. There's no saying "bom dia" to people randomly in the streets, because people will look at you funny and scoff at you. It's just a completely different dynamic that I wasn't prepared for after coming from Catete and Falete. It's sad that it isn't like that here, but it's something I'll have to adapt to in our final days in Rio. I guess I have to turn my "New Yorker" mode back on.
So we checked into the Mango Tree at around 1. The guy at the front desk asked where we were coming from, and we explained that we had been in Catete for 2 weeks. His reply was: "Oh, Ipanema is much better." What a snob! Actually it isn't, son. That comment alone left a bad taste in my mouth.
I must say, I'm not very impressed with the hostel itself (which is really surprising given the top-notch reviews this place has received online from people who have stayed here). Yes it's bigger than Baron Garden, but it's not necessarily nicer. And the people suck. There's no casual conversations with strangers or anything like that. No one stops to ask where you're from or what you've been up to while you've been in Rio. I must say that staying in Leah's house spoiled me, because we had a sense of purpose and connection. Here, none of that exists. Everyone is just here for themselves and keeps to themselves, and some people were downright rude but I'm trying to get used to it. I guess this is what a "typical" hostel is like.
So we ended up having to spend last night in a shared room (not just with chicks, but with guys too) of 4 bunkbeds. The room was about half the size (and more narrow) than the room we shared with the other 6 girls in Baron Garden: it's in the back of the hostel and up a flight of stairs. I was not pleased at all. We were told we could move into the private room we had originally booked today because it was still occupied when we arrived. The bathrooms were also a ways away (at the bottom of the stairs). So not only could I not (because of a lack of room and because there were dudes sharing our room) change in the room we were sleeping in, but if i had to pee really badly I had to rush down a flight of stairs just to get to the bathroom. Ridiculous. I was so heated. Needless to say, we spent as little time in there as possible. We basically put down our stuff and went to look for something to eat and to look around Ipanema.
We ended up going to this place not too far from our hostel called "Delirio Tropical," because it looked good from the outside and one of our guidebooks said it wasn't too pricey. Big mistake. I don't know if it's just that we ordered incorrectly or if everything is just ridiculously priced there (there was a menu on the wall and we had decided what to order, but then we were told to go to a line where people behind the counter served us things from a buffet-style line; it was really confusing), but our meals came out to an exorbitant amount. For example, I got a can of Coke Zero, a small cup of fruit salad, about a cup of chicken ceasar salad and a piece of girlled chicken and it came out to $21.30 reais ($14.20!)!!! Even by New York standards, that's a bit ridiculous. The chicken was less than the small portion of salad I received ($6.50 reais vs. $7.20 for the salad)!! I could not believe it! And yes, the food tasted super fresh and was good, but to be honest it definitely was not worth all that money (the portions were not sizeable by any means), and I was still hungry afterwards. I was so pissed off. That on top of the hostel debacle was not helping my mood either.
After that, we walked around for a while to calm down. We walked along the Ipanema beachfront in search of Havaianas (which we didn't say any traces of). We did end up buying a few things, though. Ambar bought a really pretty painting for her apartment, and then we spotted a woman with some beautiful handmade dresses on display. It was the most beautiful sunflower yellow I've seen. She also had a lavender colored dress of the same design. She said they were $35 reais each (I felt bad haggling with her sicne they were handmade), which I just couldn't afford. So I was getting ready to walk away, but Ambar asked how much she'd charge us for both (the yellow one for me, the lavender for her) and the woman said 50 (which was really awesome of her). So, we ended up getting them ;). After that, we took out some money, bought some gray Havaianas (which I've never seen before, and had to get) and came back to the hostel to change and get ready to meet Russell and Anthonette for dinner at 6.
We ended up taking a cab from our hostel to Anthonette's hotel because it seemed really far on the map (which it was). We got there at around 6:30 (rush-hour/weekend traffic) and Russell was already there. Her hotel was phat and you could tell it cost quite a pretty penny to stay there. We looked through our guidebook and decided on a place that didn't look too far away, and especially after the whole lunch fiasco I was eager to get it out of my mind with a good--and economical--dinner experience. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. We ended up walking for about 25 minutes, and when we finally reached the place it seemed pricier than anticipated. So, we stopped at few more places, but Anthonette was dead set on having some pasta, so the places we stopped that Ambar, Russell and I were down with she didn't want because they didn't have pasta. Finally, we randomly stopped in the place that looked like a large bar that served food (it was completely empty, by the way; bad sign) called "Winners" (ironic), and Ambar stopped in to ask about pasta. We ended up staying there and Ambar and Anthonette ordered pasta, and Russell and I ordered pizza. Anthonette took about 10 bites total of her pasta and said she didn't want anymore. Russell's and my pizzas took about 25 minutes to even come out to us (by this time it was like 9:30) and they weren't even that good. I ended up only eating three small slices (they're more like small pizzas they make in Italy than pizzas from New York or Pizza Hut, etc.), and giving the rest of it to Russell to take back to Baron Garden. I was soo mad. And on top of that, my food (plus a Guarana Zero) came out to $16 reais!! Yesterday was just not my day.
We walked Anthonette back to her hotel, took some pictures and said bye to her and then walked Russell to the metro station (which was directly in front of Anthonette's hotel). We decided we'd see him Monday on Ipanema Beach, since that's where he works til about 4. Ambar and I took a cab back to the Mango Tree (at around 11) and vowed that we're pretty much eating at Big Nectar (since it's a chain, there's quite a few in Ipanema) for the rest of the time we're here since we wasted so much money on ridiculousness yesterday.
That pretty much sums up the weird and aggravating day that was yesterday. I'm going to write about today in a different post. Ate logo!
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