I was greeted with a huge smile, a suffocating hug and an excited echo, "Bem vindo do Brasil"!
It was my first visit to Rio de Janeiro. Isis wanted to share with me something special about her home. So, the next day we woke early, she made me and Ingrid, her cutiepie 5 year old daughter(filha), a wonderful brazilian breakfast. Papaya with granola and honey(mel) served with oj and acai.
We drove west along barra beach, the aqua blue ocean crashing with white foam, the wind surfers catching big time air. The sky clear behind them, air so crisp I felt on top of the world. Our first stop was Prainha, a small stretch of beach nestled into the mountain side...a true paradise. There is one kiosk that serves bread and sandwhiches and Itaipava!
I love this beer, made from the waters of Petropolis the freshest in the world, ahhhh. I sucked down a cold one and ran for the ocean, time to break-in the new speedo. Ingrid is screaming "tio mark" running in tow. We reach the water, I lift under her arms and we let out, "mergulhando" before diving under the breaking wave. The ocean here is clean and soothing, I rinse my mouth with a giant gulp, I am living! We ride a few waves together, I begin to toss little Ingrid over the oncoming waves. She loves this in turn she shouts out, "tio mark ja novo, ja novo"! A childs favorite word when having fun, again! But I was game ;)
I soon was wore out after what seemed fifty times, I finally got her to agree to come out the ocean. But my duty was not over...after a freshly opened coconut, me Ingrid with mom photographing began our to dig to China. Ingrid is adorable and Isis captured a ton of pictures...
China was great but I prefer Brasil
As the sun dipped behind the mountain we gathered our things, kicked sand in our secret tunnel and drove the only road up the mountain. Deep in the jungle mountain we came to a small opening where this sexy wooden restaurant clung on to a cliff.
We shared our outdoor table with a family of micos(little monkeys) that climbed down from the tree above. A man played an acoustic guitar and serenaded us with Antonio Carlos Jardim songs. The Lobster platter (frutas do mar) was outstanding. We dined sipped wine looking out over the thousands of protected acres of swamp along a virgin stretch of white sands, turning orange in the sunset.
The sun belted out an array of colors before falling to the horizon...soulful peac...two years later after many more visits and more exploration full of memorable experiences to Buzios, Angra dois Reis, Cabo Frio, Petropolis, Miguel Pereira, and Paraty.... I live here now running my information site www.americaninbrasil.com
...experience Rio!
TO BE CONTINUED...
Mark
~american in brasil
