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2002-02-14 - 10:31 a.m. Fuckity fuck fuck. I know, I'm barely back and already swearing, but I just typed here all about my trip for the last twenty minutes and then suddenly it all disappeared. Now I'm not in the mood to retype everything but I'll do my best to be good and get down some quality notes - I know how much you all missed me!! I got back today from Brazil. It was a good time, although if I am honest I can't say that Sao Paulo is the greatest. It's the biggest city I've ever seen (and unless I go to Hong Kong, will always be the biggest city I've ever seen) and also about the ugliest. The buildings are all the same and they go on for miles. And miles, and miles. The park was pretty (it's also huge, clocking in at about 30,000 acres and three museums). The tea factory we went to was pretty. The Pele museum exhibit was interesting (almost as much as I imagine Graceland would be) and shopping was good. Brazil is a rather cheap date. We ate good food - little "pastels" (meat, cheese or veggie filled deep fried pastries), pizza (woodsmoked) and of course, McDonald's - although none of us were brave enough to try the McPeru, a sandwich that looked as though it consisted of lettuce and tomatoes on top of tofu or some other fun Peruvian product. We splurged one night at a true Brazilian-type place - a churasceria (sp?) - basically a house of carnage. They had a terrific salad bar, too, so my sister actually consumed some food that day. While eating salad bar, french fries, onion rings, fried bananas, tater tots (although I think they were manioc, not potato based), rice and beans, these waiters in funny pants bring around skewers of meat. If you are my dad, you let them slice off a piece and drop it onto your plate and then get a dirty look. If you are me, following that look, you give a "help me I'm stupid" look to the guy and he points out that the tongs next to your plate are to take the meat as he is hacking it off for you. I must admit, the system worked well and the meat was truly delicious (even the "hump" of beef we tried - although I did pass on the blood sausage and the skewer of chicken hearts offered). The whole meal, wine, water, dessert, tip (all of which cost extra) came to a whopping $25 each. One of the truly great things about Brazil is its national drink - the caipirinha. If you look in my little translation book, it reads something like "a drink of rum and lemon or lime juice" - NO! It is really a half lime, squished until juicy, add ice, sugar to taste and then pour sugar cane liquor over the whole thing, stir and drink. Wowie-zowie, Cavey, that's some damn good drink!! Also very, very (did I say very) potent drink. I splurged (again) and bought two bottles of the liquor to bring back. I figured even if customs confiscated one, I'd only be out a whole dollar. Yeah, you read correctly, a whole dollar a bottle (at least, if you have a fabulous guy like we did to take you around the city and he brings you to a little local grocery store so you can stock up!!). Well, I'll get into Carnaval on my next entry (let me just preface it with "I've never seen so many feathers in my life" and I'll go from there next time). I am off to have lunch with my husband now and then I've got to spend a few hours at work. Until later.
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