A Strange Term

When I was traveling last week I heard a term that I haven't heard in a long time.  We all were at a churrasco with some older Americans (around 40-50 years of ago) and they called me an ex-pat.  It really struck me as odd for some reason.  I think it is because, in my opinion, it is not a term used in my generation.  As the world becomes far more intertwined, it is no so uncommon these days to live in a foreign country.  I think in generations prior to mine it was far more difficult and rare to pick up and move to a foreign country.  Leaving the U.S. was not even considered a possibility, let alone an option.  To be an ex-pat, as rare as it was, probably seemed both bold and strange at the same time.  I think if my dad were to tell his parents that he wanted to move to a foreign country when he was 31, his parents would have looked at him like he said he was going to the moon.  When I told my parents that I wanted to move to Brazil, they were like, "Ok, sounds great."  Now living in a foreign country is so common that there isn't even a term for us anymore, and I would like to forever bar the word ex-pat.  We may look different but we are the same as everyone else: just people trying to make a living day by day....

One other comment I wanted to make about the term ex-pat is that I think it insinuates that you no longer are an American (or no longer want to be considered an American).  Think about it, ex-pat literally means former patriot.  I am very proud to be an American and never want to be considered a "former patriot."  Things are not so great in the U.S. right now (the war in Iraq, the housing collapse, a bear market, oil crossing $140, etc.), and I have to say that it is nice not to be completely as entrenched in these things as I was formerly.  However, what happens in the U.S. is still very important to me both personally and financially and, therefore, I care deeply and like to stay in tune with everything.  It's unfortunate that Americans often encounter anti-Americanism in other countries, especially considering that we were once a country that was adored and envied across the globe.  However, I will never shy away from my country.  Sometimes people here tell me, "Oh Chris, you're becoming a Brazilian,"  and I always respond the same way, "Nope, I'm just an American enjoying the Brazilian culture."  And by "enjoying," I mean REALLY enjoying...

Here are some pics from a big party we went to last night.  Some of the bigger clubs close for the winter and this was the closing party for one of them.  Great times to say the least.  

Mistakes, I've made a few.  Regrets, too few to mention...

Road Trip: Final Thoughts and Pictures

I went back and read through my posts of the road trip and didn't find them that interesting.  I didn't have a lot of time to write while traveling.  The posts ended up being more of a recap of what we did, which I guess is fine.  However, as I look back, I would have preferred to describe more of my thoughts of the locations, people, and experiences along the way.  Therefore, since I didn't do it before, I thought I would jot down a few things from each place that stood out and were memorable to me.  Here they are in the order of the places we visited:

ILHA GRANDE

1.  My first impression was that the island is much bigger than I had expected.  The main island is 115 square miles, and there are a total of 365 islands in the area.  When I tell people that I live on a island they always imagine something small (must be something about the word island), but when they arrive here they understand how big it is.  That's how I felt about Ilha Grande.  With that being said, there is very, very little development there, and I think that's what makes it so appealing.  The total population of Ilha Grande is 3,000 people.  It felt like 100.

2.  The beaches on Ilha Grande are outrageous.  For those of you who like a little adventure mixed with pure beauty, this is a place you must visit in your lifetime.  We hiked for two hours on our first day and came across three beautiful beaches.  And if you have the means and the patience to travel by boat to the other beaches, you wouldn't believe how beautiful they are.  Each and every one of them are postcard material.  I can't imagine what they look like in the summer time with the water being even more turquoise.

3.  I continue to be amazed at the resourcefulness of the people who live on these remote beaches.  They live hours away from the rest of civilization with no electricity (only generators) and not much else.  However, they seem to be some of the happiest people in the world.  I think sometimes it pays to be simple.  

4.  The people on the island spoke a lot of English.  This is most likely a result of the fact that it is a very popular destination for international travelers (there were a lot of backpackers there).  I actually prefer to visit places that don't speak English.  I guess for most people it makes life a lot easier.  However, for those of us trying to learn Portuguese, this was not a good thing.

5.  The surf on Ilha Grande is all-time.  With the world shrinking (it's so easy to travel these days), the population growing, and surfing becoming more popular each day, I can't tell you how happy I was to be surfing great waves with only my friends.  This is NOT something I take for granted.  If you are ever searching for the ultimate feeling, try surfing a wave while your buddy is hollering the whole time all the while knowing that no one else in the world can hear you....

BUZIOS

1.  Buzios is a very likeable place.  It doesn't have the rugged feel of Ilha Grande but it was a nice change.  As I said earlier, the downtown is certainly the most charming area.  It is very "touristy" (Brazilians from other cities) but sometimes that is a good thing.  You could spend a lot of time just wandering around doing nothing....and we did exactly that.

2.  I actually enjoyed the beaches of Buzios.  They are not as beautiful as some of the ones we came across due to the multitude of houses that surround them, but they are certainly worthy.  And if you are willing to drive a little, you will see some incredible, incredible beaches (wait until you see the pictures).  

3.  The nightlife wasn't really happening during our visit because it is the off-season.  However, I can imagine it to be very good.  Both Privilege and Posh, two of the world's best clubs, opened up there recently so I would assume they have high expectations for the area.

4.  I found the people in Buzios to be a little snotty.  As I've said before, Brazilians are some of the most likeable people in the world.  However, I didn't get this vibe while there at all.  I think that with all the money pouring into the area and the big mansions being built, the people suddenly think that they are in the coolest place in the world.  I could certainly do without the attitude.  Maybe these people should visit Floripa before they decide that Buzios is the best place in the world (haha)!!!

RIO DE JANEIRO

1.  I'm not even sure where to start with Rio.  You could write a novel alone from a two day visit.  Before arriving Saturday, I had only been through the airport, the bus stop, and the area that surrounds those two places.  Let's just say that it couldn't be much worse.  There is trash everywhere, graffiti on every single thing, and unbelievable favellas.  I was hoping that there was more to Rio than just this.  It is too much of an international destination to have only what I had seen.

2.  The answer is that, yes, there is a lot more to Rio.  I liked Ipanema and Leblon the best.  These are very cool places with the same feel you get in the best neighborhoods of New York and San Francisco.  The only difference is that these neighborhoods have some of the most happening beaches in the world located just across the boardwalk.  Unfortunately, it rained while we were there so I didn't get to experience that aspect.  I'm not super anxious to return to Rio but when I do go, this is what I will be looking forward to most. 

3.  I was amazed at all of the international aspects of Rio.  I saw a lot more Americans (I'm not used to that here in Floripa) and people form other countries than I would have ever imagined.  I guess it's a popular spot to visit to say the least.  Also, like Ilha Grande, you could get by very easily without speaking any Portuguese. 

4.  I never really felt unsafe at any time during the trip.  I could easily see how someone would feel unsafe there, especially if it was the first visit to Brazil.  I guess I'm just acclimated to the culture by now and understand what to do and what not to do.  However, even with that being said, you can easily stick to the "safe" areas and hopefully never have a problem (I say hopefully with my fingers crossed).  But, never let your guard down.  When you're in a city where people advise you never to wear jewelry, it's probably better to be a little cautious.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

One of the best things about traveling is that it helps you gain perspective on the rest of the world.  Also, it helps you evaluate the place where you live.  You can see the good and the bad things of other areas and see how they compare.  The number one thing I learned while traveling is that Floripa HAS to be the best city in all of Brazil.  If you took all of the good things from each of the places I visited and put them in one city, you would have Floripa.  Wow, I'm started to sound like someone from Buzios.  Somebody punch me!

PICTURES

You can find all 267 of my pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/cpackard11/BrazilRoadTripJune2008 (copy and paste into your browser).  I know it seems daunting to go through that many pictures, but I thought it would be more fun than selecting only a few.  Plus, I think it is better for those of you (like my parents!) who want to share in the whole experience.  I added some commentary to make it a little more interesting.  Enjoy!

Road Trip: Day 7

After waking up a bit late thanks to our late night, we were bummed to look outside and see a little bit of rain.  We wanted to have a nice breakfast so we headed over to one of the cool spots of Rio called Leblon.  I was actually surprised to see how nice it was.  It actually reminded me a lot of San Francisco, especially since all of the breakfast spots were happening.  Afterward, we walked to the beach to check it out.  It was cool to see Ipanema and Copacabana for the first time.  I really wished it was raining though so I could see it all in its best state.  The light rain really never gave up so we ended up just walking around and killing time.  It was wild to see the flavellas for the first time.  It is incredible to see people living like that.  I'm still not quite sure how they exist as they do, but somehow they manage.  I can't imagine the crime that goes on but I sure as hell didn't want to find out.  The rest of the day was very mellow until night time rolled around.  We found a club that was supposed to be great on Sundays.  Hans called them around 9PM to see if it would be good that night.  When he called, they said that it was already packed (unusually early, especially for Brazil) so we had a quick bit to eat and headed over.  After some "negotiations" at the door, we finally entered the club.  It was a very cool spot.  They were pumping some old school American jams, which are my absolute favorite, so I knew this would be a fun night.  One of the most interesting things about the culture that I have noticed here in Brazil is that no one really cares about the U.S. (I have described this in depth in previous posts), yet they almost exclusively listen to American music.  It's like the music from the U.S. is the one thing that has been able to penetrate Brazilian culture.  I'm not sure why but I love it so I'm not complaining.  Anyway, I partied late in to the night and eventually made my way back home for a flight back to Floripa...

The road trip was actually cut a little bit short for me.  The main premise of the road trip was not only to enjoy some of the different areas of Brazil, but also for my friends to research other warmer areas of Brazil for a possible additional location for their tourism business during the colder months in Floripa.  Our original goal was to rent a car after our Rio stop and head south, but it was determined that it wouldn't be warm enough in these spots to make it worthwhile.  Therefore, they were going to head back to Ihla Grande for a few days.  However, since I had already been there and it was supposed to rain all week there, I decided to come home a few days early.  I was looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, eating more regular food and, of course, the beautiful women of Floripa, which I had missed dearly on my journey....

Road Trip: Day 6

The goal of today was to hit some beaches a little bit south of Buzios.  We had been checking the swell report and this is where we thought it would be best.  We hopped in the car and started our mission.  After an hour drive, we struck out on our first stop.  After a little while longer, we came across Praia Grande, and I couldn't believe my eyes.  You have to drive through this very poor town to get to the beach, and therefore, I was not expecting much.  As soon as we got through town, all you could see was white sand and turquoise water for as far as you can see (you won't believe the pictures).  If this was the U.S., this beach would be surrounded by multi-million dollar mansions and huge resorts but here in Brazil, this was just another beach with nothing but sand (you could actually drive on the beach because hardly anyone was there).  I am still amazed at the lack of development in Brazil.  I think it's actually a great thing because it protects the beauty of these spots.  However, I just can't see it lasting forever as the economy continues to surge and money keeps pouring in to the country, but we will see.  Brazilians are very different than Americans, and it will probably be a long, long time before these areas see any change.  Anyway, the beach even had some great waves so we grabbed our boards and headed out.  We were told that the water would be really cold, but it was even close.  We were trunking it and having an absolute blast.  To say the least, we were psyched.  After the session, we headed back to Buzios for a churrasco (BBQ) at Hans' friend's house.  It is one of the most amazing houses I have ever seen.  It sits on the cliff overlooking the ocean in almost every direction with some of the best views in the world.  I could imagine myself being VERY happy living in a house like that (haha - we can all dream, can't we?).  We only stayed for a short time because we needed to head to Rio that night so we packed our things and took off (not a lot of down time during this road trip).  The drive to Rio took almost four hours.  Our buddy's girlfriend's brother (get that?) is in a band and he was playing in a concert that night so wanted to be there to support him.  We checked it out and it was pretty cool to see.  Hopefully, they will make it big and we can say that we knew him long before he was famous.  The big part of the night was after the concert.  We headed to a part of town called Lapa to a club someone recommended.  Rio is an incredible sight.  There are people everywhere and it seems like it is always a party.  The club we went to had four floors and all of them were packed.  They were playing all sorts of great music so we joined the crowd and danced the night away.  We ended up leaving around 4AM and hopped in a cab.  The drive home was nuts.  People were still partying in the bars, sidewalks, and even the streets.  I really couldn't believe it.  You would have thought it was midnight, and I'm sure these people weren't even close to going home.  After a stop for a cheeseburger (we never ate dinner), we made it home safely with some great memories of my first night ever in Rio.

Road Trip: Day 5

Today we woke up and headed down the the main beach in Buzios, Geriba.  It is another beautiful beach with unreal views.  I couldn't believe that we were in the dead of winter and just lounging around on a beach in great weather.  The guys all went surfing.  I had to pass because I wasn't feeling too well (I think the effects of road trip food were finally kicking in).  The water was warm so nobody needed a wetsuit, which is always the best way to surf.  One of the lifeguards walked by me when I was hanging out, and I stopped him to chat.  The lifeguards have these really cool Buzios shirts that they wear.  Anyway, after some negotiation and convincing him that I live in the U.S., I was able to buy it from him (rule #2 - everything is negotiable).  I was psyched to have a unique souvenir.  Anyway, after awhile we headed into town for some lunch.  The sun was starting to go down and I had started to feel better.  Therefore, I was antsy because I missed the surf session early in the day.  Therefore, we arranged to rent a buggy, which are very popular in Buzios.  My buddy Earnie and I grabbed our boards, hopped in the buggy, and headed back to the beach for a sunset surf.  It was a total blast.  The lowlight, however, was when the surf session was over I went over to the bushes to grab a board bag, which we had stashed there earlier.  I ended up getting bit by over 40 mosquitos (we counted).  That was the complete opposite of fun.  The good news is that when you get bitten that much, your body can hardly feel it because it is so widespread (I was trying to think positively!).  We headed back to town again that night for a great dinner.  We walked around a ton and ended up having drinks at several bars.  I even found a great art store that had some unbelievable deals.  The store had only been open for three weeks and I guess they were anxious to get some sales.  I bought three very cool, large paintings for less than the price that I would pay for one painting in Floripa.  They even agreed to ship them to me for free!  It was the perfect end to another great day on the road.

Road Trip: Day 4

Today we woke up and packed our things to head back to the mainland for our next stop in Buzios.  We took a little private boat over to a bus stop on the mainland in order to cut down some of our travel time.  The bus to Rio was actually really nice (the bus stop, not so much).  We got picked up at the Rio bus stop, which is an interesting sight to say the least, by one of my friend's friends.  The drive to Buzios took about two and a half hours and the geography along the way reminded me a lot of the drive between the bay area and San Luis Obispo - lots of rolling hills, farms, and beautiful wide open space.  We finally arrived in Buzios at our pousada where we met up with our buddy and his girlfriend who arrived the day before.  The pousada has an incredible view from the patio and the weather was great.  Buzios is known as the "St. Tropez" of Brazil.  I have never been to St. Tropez but have seen lots of pictures and could see why the comparison is made.  Also, Buzios is a big vacation spot for the wealthy Rio crew, and you could tell from the surrounding houses that this place was not like most of Brazil.  We headed down the hill to the beaches to check out the surrounding area, and then we headed off to dinner.  I have heard many stories about how cool the downtown area of Buzios is, and I finally got to see why.  It was built in sort of a promenade style where everyone can walk down these beautiful cobblestone streets with lots of shops, restaurants, bars, etc.  It is a very charming area and probably the main reason it is so popular.  We had a great dinner with the whole gang at a Cuban restaurant.  At dinner, my buddy's Brazilian girlfriend kept wanting him to dance but he wanted no part of it.  Finally, the professional dancers at the restaurant came over and grabbed them to dance: my buddy with the female dancer and my buddy's girlfriend with the male dancer.  They all danced for a song and it was really funny to watch my buddy get dominated by the ridiculously good female dancer.  Anyway, they returned to the table after the dance and my buddy's girlfriend was steaming over something, and we couldn't figure out why.  Well, it turns out that she was mad because my buddy had danced with another girl, although that girl was just a professional dancer trying to liven up the restaurant (not to mention, she danced with the male dancer).  It was hilarious stuff.  When I told you that Brazilian girls were intensely jealous, I wasn't kidding....

Road Trip: Day 3

Today was one of the best days of all-time. The island is really big, and we wanted to see a lot more of the beaches on the other side. Therefore, we hired a private boat to get us there. It was expensive, but we figured it would be more than worth it. They initially offered us a boat that would take three and a half hours to get to the beach for R$750 but after some negotation, we got a boat that would take 45 minutes for R$650. This just proved one of my favorite idioms: never accept the first offer! After taking off early, we cruised around checking out all the cool spots. There is literally no one at most of the beaches. It really is incredible. Now I know why so many people love it here. The beauty is shocking. When we found a surf spot thanks to the help of our captain, we grabbed our boards and surfed for awhile. We ended up surfing two spots completely by ourselves with not a single other human being or man made thing in sight. The swell is still here so most of the sets were at least six feet. I can´t describe how fun it was. We were yelling and cheering for each other on each wave. My buddy, Ernesto, is one of the coolest and happiest guys I know, and it was so much fun being sharing in this experience with him. I tried to think how many times in my life I would get to surf at a remote location with friends, and I figured the opportunities would be few and far between. Therefore, I really tried to take it all in and remember how lucky I am. After a big lunch, we headed back to Abraao, and here I am typing this message. We´re off to Buzios tomorrow. I´m going to miss this place, but I´m also excited to continue our journey and see other places (although I´m not excited for tomorrow´s travel - one boat ride and two bus rides). I can´t wait to post all of the pictures from today but unfortunately I won´t be able to do so until I get back next week. You won´t be disappointed.

More great news: I just found out that they found my bag in the Floripa airport and it´s on its way to the Rio airport. My buddy and his girlfriend are on their way to meet us in Buzios and I had them go early to the airport to check on the status of the bag. They are picking it up in Rio and I will have it tomorrow! Apparently, I´m famous in both the Floripa and Rio airports because I called so much (I don´t think they are used to that here but their nonchalant attitude was not giving me confidence). As with everything in Brazil, it probably seemed like no big deal to them that I was on an island without clothes, asthma medicine, etc. Take your time, I´ll be fine!!!

Road Trip: Day 2

Today we woke up to sunshine, and the beauty of the island really took over. The first thing you notice is that you are surrounded by huge, lush mountains in all directions. It is really something to see. After a quick breakfast at the pousada and some packing (I, of course, had very little to pack), we were off. Our destination was Praia Lopes Mendes. Our hike to the beach ended up taking almost two hours up and down huge mountains, across incredible serene beaches, and through some seriously dense jungles. This is definitely a perfect place for those who love the outdoors and love to hike. Every beach that we came to shocked me more and more. The water is clear, the beaches are perfect, and there are very, very few people there (some beaches had no one). I couldn´t help but think of the movie The Beach as we were making our journey. I wondered if the people know how lucky they are. People search the world trying to find beaches like this, and here these people are getting it done with almost nothing. Their resourcefulness makes me feel like they deserve everything they have.

We finally arrived at Lopes Mendes. It is a very beautiful and long beach with some incredible surf. My friend Ernesto and I grabbed our boards and headed out. This was the reward for all of our troubles! The sets were around eight feet, and we were only two of the four people out there. It is definitely a special feeling to be in the water with so few people all the while looking around and seeing nothing but some of the most incredible and untouched scenery in the world. The locals say that about 10 times a year the surf at Lopes Mendes is as good as Bali with the water being just as clear, and I had no problem believing it. We scored for about two hours and then decided to head back. After a short hike across one mountain, we took a boat back to Abraao, which is where we are staying. Everyone crashed for awhile and then we headed out for some dinner. We ended up watching the Lakers get killed at a little bar. After meeting some locals, we discovered that there was a party at one of the hostels (who would have thought?). It was really cool. The bar is a little tiki hut on the ocean with lots of cool lights and a small natural pool (basically a enclosed section of the ocean) so it was really fun to see. This seems to be a big travel destination for a lot of backpackers from Europe. They were in full force at the bar having a blast, but I couldn´t help think of how different things are back in Floripa. Anyway, we had a few drinks and called it a night...but not everyone slept alone (I´m not naming names!).

Road Trip: Day 1

The only way to explain day one would be Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. To say that the trip got off to a rough start would be like saying Adriana Lima is kind of pretty. We arrived very late to the airport Monday morning thanks to my friend not being able to find his passport and my other friend forgetting his wallet. We arrived at the airport at 5:45AM for a 6:15AM flight. Luckily, there are no rules in Brazil (haha) so we didn´t have any problems getting on the plane although checking in was a bit of a scramble. I hate rushing to the airport. It honestly is the most unnecessary stress that we all put on ourselves. Once we arrived in Rio things only got worse. I felt the most miserable travel feeling of them all: standing there like an idiot watching the baggage carousel go round and round long after everything had come out and everyone else had dispersed. We had all three baggage claim tickets, however, we quickly noticed that the baggage attendant had put two tickets on our surfboard bag instead of one. Therefore, not only did I not have my luggage, it was more than likely that it didn´t have a ticket and could theoretically be anywhere. I imagined two weeks traveling up and down Brazil without clothes and I was not a happy camper. After submitting the claim to the lost luggage department, we went outside to find our ride. We waited, waited, and waited but our driver never showed up. Apparently, his cell phone was out of batteries (only in Brazil) so we couldn´t get ahold of him. We hopped in another taxi and were on our way for the hour drive to the dock.

Quick tangent: my first impression of Rio de Janeiro is that it is a city in disrepair. It looks like everyone just gave up and said, "screw it." There is trash everwhere, the buildings look like they just got bombed, there is grafitti as far as you can see, and it smells like crap. I´m interested to see the beaches and the "nicer" parts, but overall it left me widely unimpressed....and even more depressed.

The taxi driver, who apparently was born with a lead foot, was racing like he was driving his pregnant wife to the hospital (sometimes literally driving on the inside shoulder of the highway to pass other cars - no joke). Just as my friend Hans was contemplating saying something to him, there was a huge pop. We had just got a flat tire. As luck would have it, we literally got the flat not 100 feet from a car garage (I´m convinced that they have spikes laid down on the highway). It didn´t take hardly any time for the change and once again we were on our way. After 30 minutes, we stopped for gas. This time the car didn´t start so we had to get out and push the taxi to get it to start (those of you who have seen Little Miss Sunshine would understand). After a good hour and a half, we arrived at the dock and hopped on the boat. Everything from here on out went ok other than the fact that we arrived on what the locals say was the coldest day of the year. You could see how beautiful the island could be in the sunshine but at the time, we were too cranky and cold to imagine much more than staying warm. All of us were tired so we had dinner and crashed early. What a day. You couldn´t make some of this stuff up, and it got to the point that we were just laughing each time something new happened. I have said it before and I will say it again, you have to have a sense of humor if you want to survive in Brazil.

Clean Livin'

I was at a day party at a beach club last weekend with my buddy and our two girls (at the time, I still had a girl). As always, the talent level was overwhelming. There were two American guys who met up with us later at the party, and they were immediately blown away. One guy currently lives in Sao Paulo and I asked him how it compared to Floripa. His exact response was, "it is nothing like this." Anyway, to make a long story short, we were sitting on the sofa when this very, very attractive girl and her friends sat down close to us. We were there for probably two hours, and no one came and talked to this girl (I can't imagine this happening in the U.S.). I kept telling the two Americans to go talk to her, but they were too intimated (one even spoke fluent Portuguese so language wasn't the issue). The quickest way for a Brazilian girl to absolutely blow up on you is to talk to another girl (or acknowledge that other girls even exist for that matter) so I couldn't do a thing. The girlfriend of my buddy who is shooting the calendar went and talked to her for a bit to see if she would be willing to shoot photos (she said yes). We left after awhile and I kicked myself all night for not being able to talk to her. However, my clean living must have paid off because I coincidentally ran into her this weekend. As of early last week, I am officially, officially single so decided to go talk to her. She couldn't have been any nicer, and she didn't even laugh at my Portuguese. She shot photos with Jeremiah the next day and it turns out that she wants to go out so we will be going out next week. After agonizing over the plus/minuses of a girlfriend for a few days last week, this was a sure sign that I made the right choice....

We're off tomorrow for our big road trip. I couldn't be any more excited. We are flying to Rio early morning and our first stop is Isla Grande (Lopes Mendes Beach). This is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The amazing news is that a huge swell is coming tomorrow so it looks like we will be scoring 10-12 foot waves. After that, we will be headed to Buzios, which is supposed to be an incredibly beautiful town. Of course, we will hit Rio for a few days and then will be making our way back down south by car. Some stops include Ubatuba, Maresias, and Camburi to name a few. I am filled with all kinds of anticipation as you never know what can happen on these kind of trips. It will also be very interesting to visit other spots in Brazil. I have been a little isolated since I've been here (it's very tough to leave) so it will be fun to have places to compare. I will be sure to take tons of photos along the way.

As for the photos, here are a few of the places I'm going that I got off the internet to give you an idea of where I'm headed along with some from last night.

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Did anyone think Tiger was going to miss that putt???

Uma Viagem da Rua (Road Trip)

Yesterday I ventured on my first road trip in Brazil.  This was a test trial, if you will, for a much longer trip that I will be taking with three friends in about two weeks.  I had a meeting scheduled in Curitiba, which is about four hours north of Floripa.  I made one absolutely terrible mistake prior to my departure.  On Sunday before the Lakers game, I happened to stumble upon a movie called Turistas, which I had heard was good, and, therefore, I gave it a go.  Little did I know that the movie was about a few Americans getting in a bus crash while in Brazil and subsequently getting drugged and robbed.  I am pretty sure that this was not the kind of preparation I needed for my trip.  This was the equivalent of watching the movie Unfaithful right before getting married.  Worse case scenarios were dominating my thoughts all night, and I hardly slept a wink.  Not to be denied though, I decided that my plans were set and there was no turning back now.  Although Alessandra and I are "taking a break" (it was tough translating that from English to Portuguese!), I had her come along.  It's one thing to have a language barrier when you're trying to order a strawberry smoothie, but it's a whole other thing to have a language barrier when you get a flat tire 50 miles from civilization.  As is typical in Brazil, I was told that the drive would take two hours and I was told that it would take four hours, depending on who I asked.  I played it safe and left early.  My old boss, Jeff, and I used to be amazed that no matter how early or late we left for a meeting, we would always arrive almost exactly on time.  It was really uncanny.  The same was indeed true for this trip.  After arriving in Curitiba in about 3 hours, 15 minutes, it took quite some time to actually find the building (we had to ask four different people) and I arrived at the meeting at exactly noon, which was the scheduled time.  Four hours of travel time and not a minute to spare!  To make a long story short, the meeting went great and we were even given a little tour of Curitaba afterwards.  It's a fairly big city with almost two million inhabitants.  There is not a great deal to the city so I can't say that I was totally enthralled with it.  We ended up staying the night at a hotel because we were so exhausted and didn't want to drive back.  Later in the night, we asked the hotel clerk for a restaurant recommendation, and she spattered off a few options with directions.  Ale and I got in the car and ran into what looked like a great restaurant only a block from the hotel (why the hotel didn't recommend it, I have no idea).  We both agreed that we didn't feel totally safe driving around the city so we dropped the car back off at the hotel and walked to the restaurant.  We had a great meal and went home and slept like babies.  The drive home today was very smooth.  The sun is shining and the waves are good so I'm very happy to be back home.  However, I feel like I popped my cherry on local Brazilian travel, and I'm very much looking forward to the next real test in two weeks!

These pictures aren't super interesting, but I thought I would include a few from the drive to give you a little feel...

Yu Must Ve Keeking Yurselv Now

I had an interesting experience last night to say the least.  A Brazilian friend of mine, Andre, has asked me if I wanted to play poker with him on the continent at least 100 times and I have said no 100 times in absolute fear of where and who I would be playing with.  He has been helping me out a lot on business stuff down here so after being asked for the 101st time last night, I finally caved and said yes.  Coincidentally, I had somehow gotten on the topic of sports and gambling yesterday at lunch.  He told me that, like most places, gambling is illegal in Brazil.  Apparently, they used to have casino-type places with only slot machines but they have long since been shut down.  Therefore, when my friend Andre asked me to play poker, I asked him if we were playing with his friends or at an "establishment."  He answered the latter.  We made the 30 minute drive and parked the car in a back alley (I wish I was kidding).  My trepidation was at an all-time high.  Upon entering, it was like I just entered a scene from Rounders only with Brazilians instead of Russians ("just like a young man coming in for a quickie").  After getting my chips, I decided to watch for a few minutes.  The place itself was intimidating enough let alone the language barrier.  I soon found out that poker terms (flush, full house, etc.) are actually spoken in English so the hardest part was just getting acclimated to the pace of the betting, which is done in Portuguese.  The intimidation I felt only got worse when Andre told me that about half the players are sponsored by Partypoker.com.  What in the hell did I get myself into???  Anyway, after about 30 minutes, I picked my seat and began to play.  To make a long story short, all in all it was like any other poker game.  I played very soft (i.e. folded a lot) and didn't really lose much until my two Kings, which I was dealt, lost to three 8's after getting nothing on the flop, turn, or river.  The highlight of the night was when I stayed in with an Ace and a 9.  The flop gave the table two more 9's and a 2.  Therefore, I easily had the best hand on the table.  The turn didn't produce anything useful.  There were three of us left in the game.  Andre was sitting next to me and literally starting kicking me under the table.  I could only guess that this wasn't legal and the others would not have been happy about it had they seen it (this was not pre-planned, trust me).  Nonetheless, I viewed it as his advice not to play this hand because he was obviously holding something great.  There was no way I was folding and so I went all in.  Andre and the other guy followed only there weren't necessarily all in because they had more chips than me.  We all showed our cards and Andre produced a Jack and 9, which would have been a monster had it not been for my Ace and 9 (the third guy's cards were irrelevant).  Of course, the river produced another 2, which voided my Ace by making the three 9's and the two 2's the best five cards on the table.  It was disappointing to say the least but I at least got to split the pot with Andre.  I played for a little while longer and ending up losing another tough hand (I was again dealt two Kings) to end my game.  At the very least, it was a great experience from start to finish.  As is typical here, I found the players very welcoming of a Gringo (perhaps because they were soon to take all my money!).  Most importantly, I had a few laughs and can look back at is at a great experience.  I didn't lose a lot of money, and I just played underground poker with the pros in Brazil.  What else can you ask for on a random Tuesday night????

Enjoy some pictures from the last week.