Entries this day: AM Day_in_Rio

AM

8:13am BRST Wednesday 08 February 2006

Randomly met Kellie on the way to Sports Bar where the US citizens were to meet before we get interviewed. Chatted with her and Stacy about our coolest jobs. Kellie was a flight attendant for 4 years between Honolulu and Las Vegas. Stacy said his coolest job is PB, but his cushiest job was as a teacher in JET. About 17 minutes after we were supposed to meet, Chika came in (she's the hardworking CIQ (Customs / Immigration / Quarantine) person on this and 49th voyage (and maybe others)) and said they didn't need to meet us after all. I gave her high five and chowed in Topaz Dining with Kellie. She had been awake since before sunrise and showed me the pictures, which were basically hazy views of clouds. Saw the huge statue of Jesus on the hill about the size of a +. (On the way downstairs Emi (KSB leader on 49th) saw me and was like, "HI!" and gave me a hug; it took a second for me to come up with her name, but thankfully I did in a short amount of time.)

Then randomly met Fumie, who is Carla, Rei and Yuki's new roommate! I took her to reception to get checked in and tried to speak a bit of Spanish with her to explain her room is across the hall from mine, and her roommates are super fantastic.

Now we're about to head out and go climb the hill of Jesus and then do other stuff.

Day in Rio

11:16am BRST Wednesday 08 February 2006

Rio de Janeiro!

With Kellie, internetted then taxied to the base of the Jesus mountain where we found Petra and Liz. Taxied up to the base of the statue with them, stopping at a yellow house that our driver claimed was the home of the man who founded Rio de Janeiro. Then up to a helicopter pad for some pics. Jesus was shrouded in clouds, but we could still see him decently well.

It's interesting to see police and think about the corruption we saw in Favela Rising last night.

I was decently able to speak to the taxi driver across languages... me using bad Spanish and he using slow Portuguese. Kellie was better at interpreting him than I was.

13:47pm BRST Wednesday 08 February 2006

At Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro with Kellie now and loads of people, most of them in bikini/beach wear, and some vendors of various goods: sunglasses, sunscreen, food, bikinis, drinks, coconuts, food of various types.

We each ate a grilled thing that tasted like cheese, but had the consistency of hard tofu. It was quite good. Especially neat that the guy was carrying a little grill around with him. It cost 3R. (Real is the name of the Brazilian currency.)

21:47pm BRST Wednesday 08 February 2006

Chillin' on chairs made of 2 liter plastic bottle with Rei, near whom I danced most of the concert on the balcony for AfroReggae, along with Yuki and Stacy, when he wasn't taking pictures elsewhere.

The music was supa dupa awesome and had me bouncing with new levels of Rob Crazy Dance, including landing hard on my heels with the beat, vibrating the balcony. (it was wooden deck on heavy duty steel tubes, so not detrimentally affected by the thump)

Even more incredible than the band was the juggler, who did 3 yoyo things at once.. Way way way beyond believable the shit he did. But I got a lot on video. Nice.