The pounds just keep on coming on...

So I lost weight in Argentina and am gaining weight in Brazil... Everyday I wake up a little bigger... this lifestyle is not a healthy one, but FUN it is!

We finally managed to leave the house before sunset! I feel like a vampire these days, certainly showing my nocturnal side. We went to Sugar Loaf mountain, besides the beaches the only real tourist attraction here. For those of you that don´t know it is two mountains in the city that you take a cable car to the top. Some extreme crazies climb it, but a 2 minute cable car ride and $20 later, I was at the tippy top. It was a beautiful view of the city; it was cool to see the geography of the city and where the beaches were and such. There was a good view of a Favela that was really far away- but it is the biggest Favela inside of a city in the world. You really could see how vast an area it took up; it was practically a city of its own.

I am not sure that I explained what a Favela is. It is an EXTREMELY poor neighborhood. The don´t really have houses, they are shacks. They have card board boxes as roofs and no glass in the window, only holes. Each one is right on top of each other, it looks as though they are dominoes and if one house were to fall the whole Favela would come tumbling down. These neighborhoods are EXTREMELY dangerous. I already told you about the shooting war the other day. I am very curious to go to one, but clearly I cannot. In Sao Paulo we drove through one but it was nothing compared to what I have seen from the highway here in Rio. I tried to take as best of photos as possible- but it is a funny feeling to take a picture of peoples misfortunes- but I really wanted to share this injustice with everyone. They are quite a sight, truly unbelievable that people live this way.

There is such a harsh contrast between the rich and the poor here. The friends that I have made here talk about how ´all American´s are rich´ because we can travel. These friends can´t travel, they haven´t the means at all and yet they are lawyers and are considered to be pretty well off. It´s a harsh reality to the world outside of my own. I knew this existed and there was a time that I couldnt travel either (I made sure to clue them in on our own poverty issues)- but to see it like this is depressing to say the very least, but I suppose this is the point of this trip as well.

At stop lights people roll up the car windows to avoid danger. Every single time, not just if you see a sketchy character around. But with all of this crime and poverty, you do find really lovely people. I have found that everyone I meet in Rio is super nice, friendly and always smiling and as for the land, it really is a tropical beauty.

We also drove by the beaches. This I have to say, I don´t really understand all the hype. They are pretty but- they don´t have much sand at all and they are very crowded. The beaches in Aruba were far nicer. I would say these are comparable to the ones in Dominica but crowded like Portofino. I don´t know, I am not that impressed. I really hope going to the Northeast works out... though I don´t think it is. This is a huge suggestion... if you come to Brazil- hit the Northeast. But who knows... a lot can happen between now and whatever is two days from now!

So that was my one day as a tourist... last night we went out for a beer and had every intention of making it an early night... as we drove home and saw the sunrise at 6:30 am, once again we realized we failed! It was a fun night though.. as are all my nights here! Oh and of course the only words I am learning in Portuguese are the dirty ones... but I learned a term here that is one of the funniest things I have heard... Rotisserie Chicken... if you are curious I will let you know...