phew.  Good thing my nose is screwed up.  I can only image whats floating throughout my apartment at the moment.

Mas o menos

I’ve scored some flowers.  And not having any papers, or pipes.  I’ve resorted to walking around with an apple.  An apple that I smoke out of.  Today I bought 3 green apples.  Two to eat, and 1 to try out for quality.  I was thinking about it, and in general green apples are more durable.  In comparison to the Pink Lady apple that I usually use; a Granny Smith is even harder to the break the skin, bite, and chew.  It must be be different and  superior to smoke out of.

It was just a thought.

But I will see how it goes.

About an hour ago I’ve resorted back to random dance moves around the house.  It’s kind of like a cool way to have turrets syndrome.  There’s never a wrong time for an uncontrollable dance move.

I told my spanish teacher today, after i texted her half hour before class to ask to change it to 6, instead of 12.  That I was a little sick today.  A little pain in the throat.  Lethargy.  I didn’t tell her that for the past 4 days I had only  managed to squeeze in 19 hours of sleep.

I recently had an accident and fried my Canon Rebel.  A great loss, as she was my main travel companion.  Luckily, she passed after an amazing trek around Ilha Grande! I had a bit of hope left, and after visiting a mac dealer for some ipod issues and meeting a pretty trustworthy guy who spoke English; I decided to ask if he knew a camera repair shop.  He sent me down to a shop in Centro,  a huge shopping district in Rio.  It reminded me of a cross between Canal street, NY and Avenida Florida in Buenos Aires.  I wandered around for a bit without a map overwhelmed with pastry shops, and bakeries with breads of all varieties, all the time wishing I was actually hungry to eat some of them.  I made some discoveries as well.  Rua Carioca is the main street for music stores.  Oh!  How I wanted to pop in a strum a guitar, but I was embarrassed with my lack of skills.  I also found that on the corner of the square at Praca Tiradentes there are a ton of used book stores, really good ones!  Highly organized, even have stacks of comic books!

So after the news and looks of “Are you crazy trying to fix this,” about the camera I took to the streets again, finding a bench near the University to mourn my loss.  After an attempt to find the Art musuem and failed I decided it was time to head home. I was going to meet my friend, Jordana, for dinner that night.  Jordana is my friend from Pennsylvania, a born and raised Carioka visiting her family for a month or so.  A beautiful model and actress in New York.  A unique soul contract we have, as we find ourselves chatting as if we’ve know each other all our lives.  We ended up meeting at Tanka Lagoa, her favorite sushi spot.  It was amazing!  I think the best meal I’ve had in Brazil, to date!  Amazing Salmon, spectacular service, all you can eat sushi for $50Reals.  This is actually a pretty good deal considering the quality.

After a midnight departure from dinner, and feeling so much lighter after seeing a friend from home, I decided to make it over to the weekly CS meeting, at Bar Sarjeta, and see if anybody was still there.  What a blast I had.  Nacho, Cuaun, Barbara and some new Argentine friends were all well on there way  to party mode when I arrived.  I handed out a few doses of space cookies and practiced some Spanish, and started getting excited for my trip out of Brazil.  Buenos Aires is going to be nuts this second time around, with the amount of friends I’ve made from there, clubbers, artists, trekkers, and climbers!  Que Bueno!

Since this was Barbara’s last meeting before she heads back to Germany we closed the bar with a local, and the owner invited us to have the best sandwich in Copacabana!

Cervantes

Avenida Prado Júnior, 335 loja B – Copacabana – Rio de Janeiro – RJ

It was like having a sandwich at Katz in Lower East side, but with black tie waiters and 5 star service.  Be warned that all sandwiches are the same price regardless if you want the pineapple or not. (hehe yes it said that)  So you can image that there is pineapple on every sandwich.  It must of been the beer, but I was speaking Portuguese.  The two jolly men were not too keen on Barbara and I’s English conversations, which consisted of giggles, and commenting on “How do we find ourselves here in these situations.”  I must say I will miss that crazy girl.  We have a lot of similar conflicting thoughts in our minds, and sometimes it’s refreshing to be around someone who you can let it all lose with.  4 am was approaching, and Barbara was okay to head back to Impanema with our new jolly friend, and I was driven home in a Silver Vintage Volkswagaon Beetle by the owner of Bar Sarjeta, who I charmed with compliments of the great weekly meeting place for us wandering souls.  Until next time… I find myself awake and hazy, and wondering how I’m going to eat all these space cakes before I leave for Uruguay.

I passed out last night close to midnight in a very uncomfortable position on the couch.  Luckily I woke up today at 1:30 in a more comfortable position.  I had the house to myself.  nice!  I still felt really high from last night, I wanted to eat ice cream.  Ice cream for breakfast is okay when your on you period, so I went for it.  Yum.

The most I did today was shower and go to the post office.  I had to mail a friend’s pair of shoes to him asap, and check out my ipod at the computer store.  The only interesting thing was the postoffice.  Where we played musical chairs. The great chair line.  I like this country.  They know how to wait in lines here.  I met the most enthusiastic letter stamper in my life.  He was a skinny, white balding man, who wore square lenses low on his nose.  You could hear him stamping letters down the block.  He stamped and the pigeons flew from the park.  He stamped.. and he stamped well.

see ya tomorrow.

Off the phone around 3 am., half a joint smoked, and I’m feeling like going through my pictures on my computer.  6 am comes around, and our two other couchsurfers are up and eating pasta for breakfast.  I offer to make them pancakes, but time is of the essence.. hehe.. these two Swedes are on their way to Iguazu Falls.  Half hour later I’m saying goodbye to the ladies only an hour after I’ve said Hello.  Cauan’s alarm is going off, but he doesn’t seem to stir.  It’s loud and sounds like an alarm from a navy ship, like a warhead has been launched.  I wait a few minutes to wake him.  I’ve got some compassion for having to get up in the morning.  Soon after Cauan’s Dad is up; Simone has arrived, and the house is bustling.  I remain editing photos and wondering what the heck I’m going to do in a couple weeks regarding my travels.  I’m occupied with this for some time.

3 pm following a session of travel research I decide the best thing to do is just show up in Uruguay without plans.  It’s the safest country in South America, seems sleepy, and quiet.  A great place to pick up fluency in my Spanish while traveling solo.  Time to go for a walk to the bank. I’m cashless, but had figured out a budget to keep me traveling for well over a year.  The weekly fruit market is just around the corner, and is the best part of the week, cheap delicious fruits, vegs, meats and spices!  A whole block of vendors tempting you to buy from them with samples of their fruits.  Delicious mangos, fresh guavas, pineapples, Arugala YES!!! I found Arugala!!! YUM!

I stocked up on enough fruits to last a couple days.  After all fruits need to be eaten right away here.  Today was  perfect day to kickstart my raw food menu.  All part of the mind, body, soul.  But first, I needed to have some chocolate ice cream.  And maybe some Vanilla!  Oh Boy!  Here we go already with the sugar cravings, luckily, the early arrival of my period put all the cravings and anxiousness into perspective, and I didn’t’ feel so nuts about the sugar cravings.  Tomorrow I’m going to give it a shot at making my own peanut butter.  Should be yummy!  Peanut Butter is something I’ve been missing here.  Not the Jiffy kind either, they sell that here.  I miss the natural kind.  I think now I’ll go back to sketching my comic, after all i fell asleep in place drawing it before maybe I’ll doze off again and end this 24 hour session of sleepless hours.

Accidentally, I finally made it to Sugar Loaf, made famous by James Bond, and American Tight rope walkers (good thing I watched that history of Sugar loaf video). A true beauty found here in Rio, and a must see by all tourists.  I have to admit $44Real was  bit much for me to check out a view, and last week I had declined the trip,  but today as-you-have-it I was taken up for the ride and accompanied by a Pirate none-the-less!

This weekend is the beginning of the preview parties for carnival.  Pretty much they consist of a bus with a band on top which continues down a few avenues followed by hundreds of people dancing and drinking, which are followed by all kinds of beer and drink vendors pushing coolers on carts and bicycles, which are followed by can collectors, and pick pocketors.  Cauan, his daughter, and I were on our way to an early morning version of this.  A stationary version.  A Samba band at Praia Vermelha with a few vendors, and some beach goers.  We met up with some family friends and ended up having some high class dining with a prime view of Sugar loaf.  A few friends were visiting from the south, and although they spoke little English I could tell they were cool people.  One couple were xpats from Germany, and hard core climbers, at least the husband was.  I have to admit they had the two most beautiful daughters.

So after a delicious lunch, for which I ate some meat for the first time since Argentina, the men decided that they were going to climb Sugar Loaf costumed and everything.   So us ladies and daughters were left at the cable car.  One of which became my best friend.  A very maternal 12 year old, who spoke fluent English.  She was almost like a 50 year old in a 12 year old’s body.  Wanting to sit in the shade, and commenting on how much energy the other girls had.  Once comparing them to lighting bolts. A mere $44 Real to pay to go up to DA LOAF left me a little erked, but I paid, and took the ride up without my camera.  I have to admit I was slightly disappointed to not have my own camera, but I managed to take some shots with Cauan’s camera.

Da Loaf!

THe sun

The sun again, look at that cape!!!!

From Da Loaf looking over Flamengo and Botafogo.. Christ, himself is also on the facing peak.

And finally lovely Niteroi!!!

Jack and I instantly hit if off.  Our personalities complimented our sense of humor.  Around 2 am, and leaving the forro party we found ourselves sitting on the various benches in front of his host’s apartment drinking homemade cachaca with guava.  We kept moving spots when we would decide our butts hurt from sitting.  As the sun approached I dragged Jack across the main highway rua Praia do Flamengo to the beach.  Where the 4o and older crowd were already busy running and walking, being healthy, along the coast of the ocean.  I opted to remain unhealthy and sit and watch what looked like a sea monster sail along down the water’s edge.  The famous sea monster of Rio blesses the morning’s sunrise.  Sugar loaf to my right and Niteroi to my left.  The sun rising in the middle, spectacular way to end any evening, especially with a laid back amigo like Jack.  We then took a nap in the sand after I did a nice Zombi impression following healthy  joggers jogging in the sand.

After the nap, and sand exfoliation we wandered back into our hood.  I was walking at turtles pace.  My energy was low so when I passed York’s coffee on the corner I had to have one.   It was enough caffeine to help get me back to my street, where the weekly fruit market was just popping up.  Amazing.  We tasted some fruits, I bought some coconut, freshly grated, and I managed to snag some bananas for super cheap.  There were about 4 fish stands, places to buy spices, and all kinds of meats.  Figs, tomatoes, lettuce, melons, all types of bananas, and mangos the size of a child’s head.  I was really happy, but none-the-less my body gave in on me and I needed to head home stat. After a sweet kiss good night, I headed back up to my 10th floor apartment, sandy and hazy.   I entered to find Cauan, his 6 foot plus body sprawled across the love seat, his father chatting with the cleaning lady, and me smiling while grabbing my towel and hitting the shower before nap time.

Two days ago was my one month anniversary for my entry to Rio.  One month and lets review my accomplishments.  Loads of new friends.  A pretty kick ass tan, or as Nacho puts it:  I’m very “toasted.”  I now have an understanding of the city’s geography.  That’s about it, besides the few Portuguese words that I managed to pick up.  I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m done with hostels.  I’m tired of hanging out with English speakers, and continuing on the path of being a lazy American when it comes to learning languages.  Therefore, I’ve quit my work here and I’m looking for a new place to stay.  I’m excited and fearful, relieved and stressed all at once.

Mer Guitar

MerGyver

MerriDeath

Meri

Death Rae

MeR Rae

Merf

MD

MD Stylez

Merasaurus Rex

What other ones did I have???

OR the fantasy we came up with was as I’m sailing across to Indonesia on my ship.  The sun is blistering hot, my hair is wrapped, I’m washing the deck, when pirates over take our ship.  Take me as hostage, and I join the crew.  simple as that.  I could go into more details, but I’m partying now and need to go back to my friends… so just an idea there