So today we made it to Brasil!!It is so wonderful here! It was a struggle to get here , but much worth it!
After 3 Long days of flying and flying we cover about 8k miles to get here. I got the 12 hour flu the day before we left boise, so i was alright. However when laina got the flu, we were going to bed in portland the night before our big flight. So in the morning, our couchsurfing host´s dad, Eric, gave us a ride to the airport(very nice) and Laina was virtually incapacitated as the desk clerk told me I couldn´t go to brazil because i had no proof of my departure from the country! I ended up buying a rufundable ticket on the spot so i could board the plane. As I walked through the airport, my pack on my back and lainas on my chest, with two gigantic purses on each shoulder, I made it to the gate, and took a much needed break, and laina took a long nap. I am knitting a hat out of yarn for one of my upcoming couchsurfing hosts, Its nice way to put behind the thought of customs turning me around in my tracks and sending me back to the states!
Ok so after almost a day of flying from portland, we landed in Rio! Immediately I noticed its simularities to Hawaii! Mango trees! Loaded with fruit! I saw huge, lush green spikey mountains, all over the horizon, palm trees everywhere, and the immistakble sound of portuguese conversation. We quickly gave our friend cristiana a call, headed to the Real oniautobus, and got on for an hour long drive through Rio de Janeiro. The drive was very interesting! At first there were Favelas, the brazilian term for slums, they were numurous, with many people drying laundry, and playing games. Then of course the random castle, im not joking, there in the middle of the favela is a Castle! very interesting. Some of the other architecture is absolutly gourgous, but it has graffiti and a definate sense of brazilian culture. We got off the bus at none other then Copacabana beach, the atlantic ocean, a beautiful stretch of beach culture, hotels and apartments. In the air I saw many Magnificent Frigatebirds, a large seabird that look slike a pterodactyl, an acient dinosaur.
We made our way up one of the smaller streets with the ocean to our backs, and got to cristianas apartment. We settled in and tooks shower to freshen up after the long travel, then we headed out to the beach strip for a better look.
Copacabana is beautiful, In the background you can see the classic Rio horizon, filled with those lush green peaks of mountains far away, the breeze is thick with troical warmth and salt from the ocean. We bought a coconut and took a seat facing the water, admiring the sunset behind us. We are very excited to be in Rio and can´t wait for tommorow.
-Nick
p.s. I worte this in 20 mins. sorry for any errors, grammatical or spelling
