The Cathedral of Brasilia, designed by Oscar Niemeyer
Made up of 16 columns and 16 stained glass-like windows, it looks more like a monument than a building. The inside is just as captivating, with large angle statues suspended from the ceiling and a crypt with a reproduction of the Shroud of Turin that is stained with human blood.
(Source: picturesfortheblind)
Bar Astor
I had to ask the bartender about the hundreds of bottles, mostly Red Label, next to the regular bar. He explained that along with serving alcohol by the drink, they also sell the bottles. Usually, the patrons don’t finish the bottle, so they label it and place it on the shelf so they can finish it when they come back another day.
As you can see, this bar has a lot of regulars.
I would rather own little and see the world, than own the world and see little of it.
—
(Source: alexandersattler, via 5ft1)
Itacaré
While sitting in on a curb in Salvador drinking a beer I met a pretty interesting guy. His name was Reinaldo and he spoke Portuguese and Spanish and knew more about old school hip-hop than most Americans. He pulled out a pencil and on the wall next to us showed me the differences between Sao Paulo and Rio handstyles. When I asked him how he learned Spanish he told me that he lived in the Madrid Airport for a while.
Over the next couple of days we bumped into each other often. He worked as a street artist, walking up and down the bar filled streets offering to draw portraits of patrons. When he saw us, he’d usually sit down for a beer with us before going back to work. One day, he freestyled effortlessly in Portuguese. Another day, he played a guitar.
On our last day there, when we told him we were leaving he pulled out his sketchpad and started drawing. When I asked him what he was drawing, he said “un regalo”, Spanish for “a present”. A few minutes later he handed me the drawing you see above.
Overheard in a Moroccan hostel
- American: Does anybody want to smoke hash?
- Australian: Do you have some?
- American: No, I'm going to go find some.
- Australian: How are you going to find hash here? You don't even speak the language.
- American: Im only good at 2 things and one of them is driving a boat.
For the first time in months, I cut my hair and trimmed down my beard.
This is because my journey is almost over. After 2 months of growing out my hair and beard in an attempt blend in, I am going back home. Hard to say whether or not it worked, but I wasn’t robbed and was pretty sure I paid the same prices as locals when I purchased things.
The Portuguese lessons paid off as well. I have some trouble when I speak it because my brain involuntarily switches over to Spanish, but I still understand 90% of what I hear. That’s ok, I’m a man of few words.
In a period of 48 hours I have to:
- Take a bus from Itacare to Bom Despacho (6 hours)
- Take a boat to Salvador (1 hour)
- Take a bus from Pelorinho, Salvador to the Salvador Airport (1.5 hours)
- Fly to Guarulhos-Sao Paulo (2 hours)
- Fly to JFK (10 hours)
- Enjoy the ride back to the Bronx in NYC rush hour traffic
Then on Monday I will put on suit and go back to work.
That same night while looking for food, I encountered a capoeira roda. I went to watch it, thinking I was going to see a local capoeira school performing for tips, but quickly realized this wasn’t the case. The majority of the performers weren’t performers at all, just locals in the crowd that would join in trying to outdo each other.
Walking down the streets in Salvador I stumbled onto a street samba performance. I asked who was performing and no one seemed to know. Some guys just set up shop in the middle of the street and turned that block into the best party in town.
It was never my intention to provide audiences with “everything” they needed to know about a place or even a balanced or comprehensive overview. I am a storyteller. I go places, I come back. I tell you how the places made me feel.
—Anthony Bourdain
(Source: blog.travelchannel.com, via alchymyyyst)
Liberdade, São Paulo’s Japantown
After I learned that the largest Japanese population outside of Japan is in Brazil, I had to make a stop here.
The entrance to Liberdade is a 9m tall torii (gate) and once you pass it, you feel like you are in another world. Not quite what I’d imagine Japan to look like, but a fusion of various cultures.
When I got hungry, I realized I hadn’t looked up any restaurant recommendations. Chances are, I won’t be back in this neighborhood, so I wanted to make sure I ate well while I was there. I knew how to handle this. Cut into a side street and find a restaurant that is full of locals. It was a sushi rodizio restaurant, Japanese food served Brazilian style. It didn’t disappoint.
To my left is a 12ft fence topped with razor wire. Inside are condominiums, and they are pretty nice. I am renting a room in one.
Straight ahead is a stream of sewage. The only way to cross it is over a creaky bridge with wooden planks. Once you get across, you realize the place looks like a different country. People live in incomplete houses and makeshift dwellings.
The people here are very friendly. Authentically friendly. I am told that I look like I could be from here. If I smiled more, no one would doubt it. Once people realize that I’m not from here, they look concerned for me. Authentically concerned.
“Don’t walk around by yourself”
“Try not to speak English too loud”
“Don’t pull out your cell phone”
I purposely brought along a four year old blackberry because I thought it wouldn’t attract attention.
“Any cell phone attracts attention.”
I came here to teach, but I am learning. Isn’t that how it always is though?
vagabundo
After two months of studying Portuguese, I can’t help but wonder how different my trip to Portugal would have been if I knew the language… or even if I knew the little I know now.