Brazilian hospitality!

I did want to mention that a number of the women we met on our trip to Brazil were really very nice to us. Maybe it was because we were friend with there friends but there were a number of acts of generosity during out trip that I was really impressed by.

First, the first day we were there we met Inez, who had come to our friend's apartment to meet all of us. She was friendly and vivacious and full of energy with a short blond haircut and a friendly personality that made you like her. I mentioned something about liking her earrings and she then told us about how she made them herself out of fish scales that she dried and then dyed different colors. Very cool, huh? Well then, she took them out of her ears and gave them to me! I ended up wearing them on my birthday because they coincedentally matched perfectly with my outfit! (See the previous post) Unfortunately, we did not get to spend more time with her after the 2nd day since her mother was sick in the hospital and she had to travel to another town to check on her.

Additionally, the birthday party we had was really supposed to celebrate the birthdays of all them folks on the trip who's birthdays were in October and November but it was actually held on my actual birthday. So, another friend of a friend, Angela and her daughter Joelle, went out and bought me a bouquet of roses and presented them to me at the party. It was very nice and touching!

Lastly, we met another woman who my friends knew at this "infamous" restaurant on Copacabana beach who claimed her profession as an "actress" although others said that she was primarily a prostitute. She would also mention to me later that she had a "wife" at home but that is a whole other story... She had also just told us a story about how she had been coming from the bank the dat before and had been mugged and they had stolen about $500 from her. At any rate, we were all there and just met her and they told her that it was my birthday. She then proceeded to reach in her purse and handed me a little gift! A pair of huge gold-colored hoop earrings. It was a very nice gesture, especially given that she had just been robbed of a significant amount of money just the day before!

Um mistério.....

So traveling to Rio with a group of guys has been very illuminating for me...... It has given me both some key learnings and a new puzzle.

First, after seeing what I have seen, I would never let a man I was dating or married go to Rio alone or with his boys. And I mean NEVER, EVER, EVER! Being with a bunch of guys gave me a unique experience of being a fly on the wall. If a guy wants, he could easily have a different beautiful woman to sleep with every night that he is in the city...EASILY, as long as they have the money for it. I saw grown men act like kids in a candy store. So, I would strongly question the motives of any man going to Brazil without a woman.

Second, the biggest mystery of all to me is how the country can produce so many beautiful women and so-so looking men!?!?!? I really don't understand it. All over beautiful woman and, with one or two notable exceptions (including the one in my pictures below), the men were not really that great looking. Maybe all of the good looking men are in a different part of the country that I have yet to explore. So while it was the land of milk and honey for the guys in the group, it was not the same for the women. But hey, I guess you only really need one, right? ;-)

But what this meant was while the men were busy recuperating from their evening activities, the women were a little restless and exasperated at spending half the day waiting to do something. This was the first time that the trip organizers had ever had women on their trip and they learned a little bit about the differences in how women and men travel!

No alto do mundo!

On our last day there the weather cleared up, so we went to Corcovado. For those who are unaware, Corcovado has a giant scupture of Jesus that sits atop the peak, overlooking Rio. It is quite a spectacular sight. To get there, you take a trolley car up a 45 degree incline up the side of the mountain until you get to the top. And, as you can see, the views are breathtaking!

How do you spice up a rainy day in Barra?

Can you say caipirinha?? Oh, and some food, of course.

It was a good birthday!

Feliz aniversario a mim!

So, I celebrated my __ birthday in Rio! The group had a party that just happened to be on my actual birthday to celebrate everyone in the group who's birthdays were in October and November. But since it was on my actual birthday, I commandeered the party for myself! ;-) And, it was a great opportunity for me the wear this fabulous top I have had for a few years and requires a special occasion to wear it. What do you think?

Terra e mar!

Despite the rain and clouds, we did manage to get some nice landscape shots while in Rio....

I have been holding out on you....

I had one more trip planned before I was "restructured," and I just got back from it. Boy, do I want to go back! Especially, since it is cold here now!

I planned to celebrate my birthday in Brazil this year and went with a group (some friends, some new friends) to Rio for 7 days. The trip had its challenges, including plumbing problems in our apartment and 3 days of rain, but in the end I had a good time! Let me show you what I am talking about!