After 4 weeks in Brazil, it feels like I've been here for 4 months. From the moment you arrive, the culture engulfs you in its language, energy and the most relaxed atmosphere I've ever encountered.
The first week was difficult while I tried, in vain much of the time, to learn Portuguese and find my feet in such an unfamiliar land. The climate and comparatively small town location meant there were all kinds of insects and creatures ready to welcome me. From the ants desperate for sugar, to the cockroaches that wander through our house every odd night - there's always been a surprise round the corner. Those two, however, became minor irritations unlike the mosquitoes that attack every new visitor when they arrive.
I've never felt as much hatred for any living creature as I do for those little beasts. After 10 bites on each foot, 5 on my right knee and 4 across my stomach, your patience starts to wear a little thin. Even with a lot of repellent, they'll always find some free flesh. But with a little care, a killer insecticide and a local mosquito net I've managed to get a little peace.
Brazil itself is just so different to Scotland, the UK and even Europe it's difficult to know where to start. The first thing I was struck with were the colours - absolutely everywhere! Pinks, greens, blues, reds in every shade you can imagine. And that's just the houses let alone the local fashion - which by the way is wear anything and wear it well regardless of colour, shape or size. Certainly a world away from the greys, blues and blacks of Glaswegian couture.
The food over here is fresh and relatively cheap but lacks variety. I don't know how many times I've found myself eating a burger out of frustration of there being so little else. Everything seems to be fried with cheese here and deeply unhealthy. It's been difficult to adapt, which is ironic considering Scotland on a whole has one of the most unhealthy diets in the developed world. Not to mention that despite this apparent affliction, the majority of the locals have rippling physiques.
But my time to Arembepe has come to an end so it's now onwards to the bright lights of Rio de Janeiro. Time to find out if there's any truth in the "City of God"...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
My first post
As my first post, this brief article is designed to outline the aims of my South American advenuture. Travelling with solely a touristical purpose is great and very liberating at the right time but I'm searching for something more. I've a few serious aims for my journey that would add purpose to my travels. They go:
- Learn conversational Portuguese and Spanish
- Enhance and develop my dancing and capoeira skills. (Sounds very professional but this will specifically mean samba, tango and of course, Capoeira)
- Learn about and connect with South American people, culture and history.
If I can return to the UK having touched on each of the aims then I will be a happy man. Anything too specific for now would be restrictive so I'll just see how things work out upon arrival then develop them from there. So after this short overview of my purpose, I'll speak about my intended itinerary in the next post.
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