When spending time in Brazil, there are a few unofficial rules and must dos, such as:
Make like a local and hit the beach in a skimpy bikini or speedo; initiate impromptu caipirinha happy hours any time during the day; find a reputable capoeira school and sign up for classes; and, last but not least, psyche yourself up for the craziness and mayhem and attend a futbol match (that’s soccer, for you Americans). During our recent stay in Salvador, Bahia, Holly and I, along with our new friend and fellow New Yorker, Sam, hit the local stadium for this essential South American rite of passage.
Check out our Top 5 sites and sounds from the game:
1. The piercing sound of firecrackers each time the home team scores a goal. As New Yorkers, our first instinct was to hit the ground, until we realized this was all part of the fun.
2. The incessant use of unique curse words (our favorite is boja, which can mean anything from ass to son of a bitch, Sam explained) after any player makes a mistake, even one from the home team. We tallied over 200 uses during the first hour, but then got tired of counting.
3. The swarm of armed guards, donned with riot shields and firearms, required to escort the refs on and off the field at half time.
4. The gargantuan cups of frothy Skol, our favorite Brazilian draft beer, for a buck a piece accompanied by packs of hot peanuts wrapped in paper cones (3 for 50 cents). Oh yeah, and the homemade ice cream cones served straight from the vendors' coolers.
5. The constant beat of kettledrums, compliments of several well-conditioned Brazilian boy bands, which echoed through the stands from before the start whistle blew to after fans had long left the stadium.
For those of you out there who have the chance to catch a match in Brazil, it's well worth the few reais you'll have to shell out. The fans' sheer exuberance, fiery passion and unwavering devotion to the game rivals even that of the most die hard sports enthusiasts back home in the States. We can't wait to return to catch another match - especially now that we know how to appropriately swear in Portuguese! :)
---Jen
