Brazil in a nutshell

I have finally made it to the mysterious land in the South of the America's and although I am a month late in writing I do hope to be able to back track and tell of all my adventures. I was very blessed to be able to visit a few friends while in Brazil which gave me an authentic experience opposite to the beaten tourist track. 

RIO

Brazilian people are so friendly and really do love to have a good time especially the ones from Rio. The local's in Rio are called Carioca's and they really do have their own culture. Personally I don't know if I could keep up the endless summer lifestyle however the locals are born and bred in a town that is known as a constant fiesta and know only one way. It was hard to get into the swing of waking up at lunch time (skipping breakfast) and eating dinner at 11pm. I was surprised to learn that even the babies stayed up late and woke up just in time for lunch. Considering the hottest part of the day seemed to be past 2pm waking up late didn't mean you missed out on the sun. 

The best part of my time in Rio was experiencing all the new food and drinks. Brazil is a vibrant country with splashes of colour everywhere the birds, the fruit, the people, the music, everything is alive. It was so refreshing to taste different fruits that I had never even heard of and to realise that it is such a big part of the people's culture.

It was so great to take a week in the sun at the start of these 5 months just to be young and free. I loved riding bikes along the water, listening to the street music, feeling the heat of one of the hottest summers in years and watching the people appreciate their city and summer. Rio taught me to love the moment. To watch the street performers, to gaze upon the beauty of the statue of christ, enjoy the magnificent views and soak in hot summer nights. Contrary to popular believe I found Rio to be very safe, I found the people to be happy and never did I feel uncomfortable or in danger. It was a great experience and I suggest a week in Rio for all.

FOZ DO IGUACU 

What a beautiful place this town is. As soon as I arrived in Foz do Iguacu I noticed the contrasting difference to Rio. Not only was it a few degrees cooler but it was green everywhere. A very fertile land with beautiful creation all around. It was a very peaceful place more of a country town then a city. Iguacu neighbours two other countries and I was lucky enough to jump over the border for dinner in Argentina.  A funny experience having to take your passport for dinner (another stamp for the records though). Foz do Iguacu is famous for the waterfalls and so it should be. One of the most memorable experiences of my life. Everybody should get a chance to stand before cascades as powerful as the Iguazu falls. Such a euphoric sensation to be saturated from metres away and to close your eyes and feel the power that comes from this amazing flowing water. Luckily for us it had rained a few days earlier so although the water might not of been the cleanest it definitely felt and looked like it's most powerful state. I was definitely in awe at how great creation is and how diverse it is all over the world, I'm looking forward to experiencing more of that in Chile. 

Also while in Foz do Iguacu I was able to visit the Itaipu Dam. Not even knowing that this amazing structure consisted I learnt so much about using water for energy and discovered that this Dam is the biggest power plant in the world using only water to power almost 100% of Paraguay and a large portion of Brazil. It is now one of the seven wonders of the modern world and I wondered to myself why more countries didn't also follow this great environmental initiative. 

It's amazing how much your brain and your heart expand when you travel. So much more learning of this great world to come. Living the dream.