It’s Just Poison…

I think we woke up around noon or 1pm and Nicole had a bit of a hangover from one to many Skol’s (Brazi’s Budweiser). So we got dressed and headed out to find an Acai(??) fruit shake thing. It’s a natural hangover cure made from berries only found in Brazil. They give you a bunch of energy and they are loaded with antioxidants. I tried it and it even tastes pretty good. The only downside is that it turns your mouth and teeth black.

Next to the juice bar, there was a flea market type thing going on in the plaza. Filled with trinkets, handmade crafts, leather goods, clothing, and other stuff. I think we spent an hour or so just looking at all the different things for sale. I bought a cool bottle and shot glass from this one guy. It has a leather sheath and strap around it, so I can carry my drink and do shots in style =). Nicole bought a dress, a top, and a few other little items.

When we were done there, we went back to the beach and ordered some more coco water.

Then we just chilled out and watched the crowd. There were a couple games of volleyball and something like volleyball going on next to us. The Brazilians have a game with the same rules as volleyball except that you’re not allowed to use your hands or arms. So it’s a mix between volleyball and soccer. Very fun to watch. No way I could do it.

When we were done with the beach, we went back to the hostel and met up with Gaz and Lex. They had just returned from checking out the Sugar Loaf. The Sugar Loaf is a natural Rio icon. It’s these two mounds of land that are really high up and stick out of the water. There’s a cable car ride that takes you to the top for some nice views of the beaches and city.

All four of us then signed up for a 5 hour tour of Rio for tomorrow that’s supposed to take us to the major Rio attractions, and a 30 minute climb through the world largest city forest for what should be a spectacular view that tourists don’t really get to see. Should be fun.

For dinner, we went to a really good Brazilian barbecue place. If you’re not familiar, Brazilian barbecue means unlimited food and all kinds of meat. Waiters keep coming by about every 5 minutes or so with a different kind of meat. If you want some, they cut off as much as you want. Normally it’s just a slice or two. They had somewhere around 30 different types and styles of meat being served. They also have a salad bar with soups, sushi, breads and cheeses, and other sides. This isn’t Old Country Buffet class of food either. It’s fine dining quality. I’m not a big fan of pork, but I had the best pork ever there. Made me rethink my mindset on the meat. Maybe I’ve just never had it done properly before. When we were done stuffing ourselves stupid here, we went back to the hostel to meet up with Gaz and Lex to go out for some drinks. They were already planning to go out to an Irish pub, so I was happy about the choice. Turns out it was “Shenanigans”, which was located directly on top of where we just had dinner. When we showed up there was some quality live music covering american rock songs, and a very lively atmosphere. The drink ordering process was a little odd though. When you enter the bar, they give you a sheet of paper that looks a little like a scantron sheet (Multiple Choice quiz sheet for school) that had all the different beers and liquors listed on it. As you order a drink, you hand them the sheet and they mark down what you ordered. At the end of the night, you take your sheet to the register and then cash out with them. You then have to show the receipt to the bouncer at the door to leave.

We then went back to the hostel and passed out as we have to get up early tomorrow for our tour.

Tags: Travels //