Some people say Rio is dangerous

Rio de Janeiro & Belo Horizonte

Saturday 13 December 2008

One week has already passed since we started our travel. We are getting used to the weather and society of Brazil. Brazil is a much more exciting country than we expected.
Today, we just walked around the central area in Rio de Janeiro. I was pretty afraid of Rio because I heard many bad comments about Rio. Many people say that this city is so dangerous that there is terrible violence all the time. It's partly true, but I fell in love with Rio because it has lots of attractions.
In the central area, there was a market where everything is sold cheaply. We looked around in the shops selling accessories, clothes, shoes, souvenirs, and second-hand books. The market was so crowded and animated. We tried to eat some street food, like skewers, sweet nuts, and fried potatoes. The taste was incredible delicious.
On the other hand, we were able to find some families and children who were staying in the street. They just lay down on the thin cardboards. In Korea, there are also some people in the streets or subway stations. I really want to know about how different the policies are between Korea and Brazil.

Sunday 14 December 2008

I went to a Catholic church close to Vanessa's home in the morning to attend Mass. It was my first Mass in Brazil. The reason why I went to the church was not only that I am a Catholic, but also that I really wanted to know about the relation between the religion and Brazilians. Besides, I could have a chance to practice Portuguese. Brazil is the biggest Catholic country in the world. Approximately, 75% of Brazilians are Catholic. There are churches everywhere, so it is really important to look into the Catholicism of Brazil in order to understand the society. The procedure for the Mass was the same but everything was spoken in Portuguese. I just caught "Amen!"

All of us went to Ipanema and Copacabana, two of the greatest beaches in Brazil. There was a weekend market near Ipanema. The vendors sold rugs, T-shirts, musical instruments, bags, and so on. And the scenery of Ipanema was breathtaking. I walked along the beach. Some street musicians played traditional music. Many young people played beach-volleyball or soccer on the beach. I really wanted to join them.

Monday 15 December 2008

Que Pena! (What a pity!) After we arrived in Rio, it has been always raining. So, I didn't want to go out in the rain. So, Teckea and I stayed in the house, and Kabi and Daniel went to the beach to draw.
Both of us dropped into a supermarket to buy some food. Surprisingly, some kids came to me and tried to shake hands. Because there are few Asians living or traveling in Brazil, so kids were curious of me. They were so cute, and I asked their names and ages in Portuguese. I am an absolute stranger here, but it doesn't make me sad. Rather, I'm happy, because everybody is curious of me and tries to say something to me. It's very helpful to learn Portuguese and to be accustomed with the life in Brazil.

Tuesday 16 December 2008

Last night, I had expected the good weather, but it was still raining when I woke up in the morning. But all of us couldn't give up going to Cristo Redentor, because it is the icon of Rio. Teckea wanted to visit some museums and the zoo, so Danny and I left home at 9:30.
We decided to hike in the drizzle after getting out of the bus. We had to walk for a long time, but it was a great experience. The air was so fresh, and the mist made the atmosphere of the road mysterious and peaceful. We talked about lots of things, like our travel, our project, Brazil, etc, while walking.
After two-hour hiking, we arrived to Cristo Redentor at last!! It was really worth it. The view was unbelievable and breathtaking. I couldn't believe that I was there! I had just seen the pictures, and visiting there had been one of my dreams! And I did! Wow. I love Rio so much…

Wednesday 17 December 2008

It was a long journey, again. We left Rio for Belo Horizonte in the morning. Unfortunately, there was a horrible rain all day. Some regions around Belo Horizonte were flooded because of torrential rains. But, we arrived well.
We stayed in Regina's house until Sunday. Her daughter is presently a volunteer. The house was really nice and comfortable. She prepared a lovely dinner for us. Her cooking was amazing like my mother's. I really felt at home.
We met other friends, Daniel and Paloma in her house. They are friends of Regina's daughter. Actually, I didn't expect that I would have a good time in Belo Horizonte. But they became our good friends and we have good memories thanks to them. We talked in English and Portuguese. They speak well English, but we tried to speak Portuguese for our improvement.

Thursday 18 December 2008

We had lots of clothes needing washing. But the weather was not good for drying outside. So we went to some laundries, but the owners said it would take a long time and cost a lot of money. The public laundries are not popular, so we missed the American laundries.
We walked around in the center of Belo Horizonte. I think every city is similar. Lots of traffic, tall buildings, many pedestrians, gray sky… We visited some parks and a gallery.
In the evening, Danny and Paloma came again. We took Paloma's car and went to the local market. The items were normally for women like accessories, clothes, lingerie.
Many people hung around there and bought some goods. Some goods were very unique.
On our way back, we stopped by the lake near St. Francis of Assisi Church, which were designed by Oscar Niemeyer. There was a big Christmas tree. Christmas is just around the corner!

Friday 19 December 2008

After rain, we enjoyed a lovely sunny weather today! We went to another market in the central area with Danny and Paloma. The market were mainly composed of shops selling various goods like poultry, meat, fruit, homemade ornaments, traditional instruments, religious stuff, housewares, etc.
To appreciate the view of Belo Horizonte, we went to the Mangabeiras park. When we stood on the lookout, I could recognize why Belo Horizonte has its name. Belo Horizonte means the beautiful horizon in Portuguese. And the horizon was really picturesque!! The city is embraced in the mountains and the city and nature are well-matched.
Belo Horizonte has many natural parks, and this park is also a good place for refreshment of the citizens.

Wongyu Lee