Pictured above we have a delicious and savory bowl of açaí. And I know that many of you may think that you've had açaí before, but let me assure you that this wonderful and mysterious product of the Amazon is done no justice by the "flavored" products found in the US (juices, teas, vodkas, Jamba
Getting Drunk On Tap Water In Brazil
No place is perfect, and with every pro must come a con; because folks, this world is a zero-sum game and there is no winner without a loser (you want to tie all the time? What are you, some sort of Obama-loving socialist?). So in Brazil, like many places around the world, the con that comes to
Bartering In Brazil: Reais And Their Animals
Similar to language, money is made up. It has no real value just as words have no real meaning. The value of money and the meaning of words exist because of what the society around them dictates. I could say something like "vai tomar no cu" to an English-speaking person and even if they had
Going To A Baile Funk In Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas
What is a baile funk, you ask? Well it is, in short, a party (in a club, on the street, on the beach, wherever you can congregate a large number of people) where funk music is played (and here the word "funk" should be pronounced "funky"). What is funk you ask? Well in Brazil it denotes a
The Favelas Of Rio de Janeiro
The favelas (or the PC terminology - comunidades) in Rio de Janeiro and around Brazil have gotten a bad rap over the years (for those of you who don't know, a favela refers to a slum community - in Rio, many of these are built into the hills surrounding the city). Sure, the drug dealers of Brazil
Drinking In Brazil: Cachaça
Until now I have been talking a lot about beer. I know a lot of you don't drink beer. I know a lot of you don't drink. I know a lot of you have other problems, but we can talk about that in private. More importantly, in Brazil there exists a drink, more accurately a type of liquor, known as
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro – The Biggest Party On Earth
If you do not know what Carnaval is (or maybe if you think you know what Carnaval is), you are missing out. In short, this event can be described as nothing short of the offspring of Oktoberfest, St. Patrick's Day, your 21st birthday (for Americans), and Halloween (indeed, it is quite the
Florianópolis Part III: Lagoinha do Leste
This is Part 3 or a three-part story of my trip to Florianópolis. To get yourself up to speed, start with Part 1. Brazil has some beautiful beaches; Brazil also has some beautiful people. Usually these two things can be found together, but sometimes you find yourself wanting only one of these
Florianópolis Part II: The Submarino Hostel
After deciding where to travel to, one must decide where to reside in their city/area/place of temporary residence. As we all should know by now (even those of you who aren't very "tech-savvy" (and if you still use this expression, then you can likely be described by it; although with each
