Where in the world is Lani?

Well, i've been here just 3 weeks but I already have developed a strong attachment to this crazy country Brazil for some of the following reasons....

 - The people are so hospitable and friendly. I am staying in the most lovely pousada (hostel) in Floripa at the moment & it feels like I am staying with family! The couple that own this place look out for me everyday and are always checking how I am going, helping with laundry and also giving me plenty of good morning hugs each day so that I am never lonely!

 - I have made some incredible friends already. Bia, Aline, Raphael snr and jnr, Victor, Sofia & Nelson (all Brazlianeros) have become close mates within days! People met us and assumed we had been friends for years as we are so close and get along so well. It will be sad to say goodbye, but I know ill be having visitors when I return to Australia!

 - The food! Brazil has an incredible variety of foods to eat in restaurants and here in Floripa I have had some memorable meals such as some of the best sushi in the world, amazing mexican food (and margaritas!), fresh fish and prawns as big as your hand, amazing homemade pizzas & traditional Brazilian fare (rice, black beans, salad, hot chips & meat/chicken/fish). I also love that most meals are shared between the table so that eating is a real social occasion, with some drinks and plenty of chit chat!

 - The beaches are beautiful and so are the people. You can walk down the beach any day and see hundreds of beautiful people laying on the sand, swimming and just having a great time. So of course I blend in perfectly!!!!

 - Hammocks are really popular here and I have been enjoying siestas nearly every day in the hammock outside my hostel room. iPod, cold drink, swinging hammock - what more could you want!

 -  I really love the musical sounds of portuguese as a spoken language. Most of what people say i dont understand (well not much anyway) but I just cant resist listening to the words roll off the tongue! My favourite words are legal (prounounced lee-gow) which means nice or cool & mio deus (oh my god).

 - The muisic here is the best I have heard in South America. Samba, reggae, rock, chilled out surf tunes, bossa nova and roots music have been some of the highlights. You just cant resist a dance when you hear the drums start beating.....

 - Caiprinhas are my new favourite drink. Flavours such as lime, lemon, orange and strawberry ensure that you can never stop at one. Also the price of cachaça (the alcohol you use to make) is $4,25Reals (about $3AUD) for a bottle so homemade drinks are so cheap & backpacker friendly!

 - The television novellas (soap operas) here are so bad they are good. Home and Away and Neighbours look like Academy award winning programs compared to the Brazilian versions. I have been enjoying 2 programs called Paraiso Tropical & Amazonas. The main storylines are so ridiculous its really hilarious to watch.

 - Most of all, I love that I feel at home here. So many people have said to me 'oh you are so Brazilian' on so many occasions - I love it! With my '2 weeks on the beach' tan, love of dancing & caiprinhas and little (but useful) command of portugese I completely fit in here and I never feel like a tourist.   

I still have a few weeks left so I will be enjoying myself some more before heading off to Europe. Before I leave, I need to keep buying havaianas, master the art of making the perfect caiprinha and download some Brazilian music to my iPod to ensure I can take a litle of Brazil everywhere I go.

Beijos (kisses)

Lani