Where In The World is Matt? Brazil Edition Day 6+7

 This is late because we did not have internet from the time we woke up until about 6:30!!! So frustrating!

18Jul2010

My posts really seem to gravitate towards the topic of food, but so much of  the Brazilian culture depends on food and time spent with friends and family, eating.  Last night, our friend and coworker, Anselmo, wanted to take us out for dinner again.  Anselmo, his wife, and son stopped at the hotel to get us at 7:45.  We had pizza (at a different restaurant) and talked until 11:15.  As we were walking to the car, Anselmo’s wife confirmed that, “this is a normal time for us to finish dinner here”.  Wow.

The pizza was very good, but not unlike American pizza.  Of the three that we tried, there was a four cheese pizza that was my favorite.  One of the cheeses had been smoked with eucalyptus wood and really made that pizza stand out.  The appetizer was mozzarella balls made with buffalo milk.  I’m not sure what they were called officially, but it was a ball of mozzarella cheese about 2.5 inches in diameter and served with a sauce made of yellow mustard.  Of course, these were good also. 

Yesterday, we went to the mall and bought some items to take to the park.  We needed something to do while one of the guys I’m with went for a run.  He is training for a marathon and ran 12.5 miles yesterday.  Even leaving the mall was difficult when you can’t read the signs.  As we entered the parking lot, the machine at the gate gave us a credit card.  We fully expected a slip of paper with the time on it typical of paid parking back home.  When we went to leave, we had money ready but the machine wouldn’t take the card.  There was a security guard on a motorcycle there in no time.  He didn’t speak English, but from a series of hand gestures, we figured out that we had to go inside the mall and put money on the card before exiting the lot.  He escorted us back to the mall and walked in to show us where this had to be done.  

 What is this store selling exactly?

"The" brand of flip flops in Brazil.  Anselmo gave Matt a pair about a year ago.  He has them with him. 

At the park, we found a broken broom handle to use as a bat and played a three man version of baseball that we made up on the fly.  We used a tennis ball that we bought at the mall.  I bought a boomerang that said it was made in Brazil and that provided quite a bit of entertainment as well.  Out of about 4000 throws, it only came back close enough to catch, once.  It was good to get out and burn off some of the excess food that we are eating!

 Cacti growing on the roof of the thing at the park. 

Today, from 11-5 they are having a barbeque for us at the Cat club.  I’m sure that’s going to provide plenty for me to type about tomorrow.  I have a feeling that I will be stuffed by 5 pm.  Right now, I am going to get a slice of papaya from the breakfast bar here at the hotel.