This is about the extent of my Portuguese, yet for the last week my head was flooded with words I did not understand and I was at the mercy of those around me and my Spanish to get me around a country that is vastly different that I expected.
Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Expectations often don't meet reality do they? My trip to Rio was no exception to that. I planned about 2-3 months ago to have this vacation with a friend and about 4 days before leaving found out she couldn't go because of medical reasons. Being the planner I am, this did nothing but put me into a panic. I was not mad at her, ever, but rather confused at why God was separating us... what good can come from this and how am I supposed to rearrange a trip in such short notice? Really I was mad at science. But, I put on my big girl pants and got to emailing like crazy with some local M's in Rio that so graciously housed me and set me up with a local to be a tour guide for my time there.
Literally, saved. my. trip.
While I'm still not sure why God didn't want us to go to Rio together at this time, I know that His way is better and that He works everything out in the end. And He did just that. I had some fears before going about safety of being alone, and I have to say I never once felt afraid. Despite the culture and language differences, I felt completely covered in prayer and the presence of the HS. The family I stayed with was super busy the whole time, but made time for me and for that I am forever grateful.
Another takeaway from this trip is that I am thankful (not proud) that English is my first language, because it is a platform of communication for people from different nations. Also, I LOVE SPANISH! When I didn't know Portuguese and didn't see anyone around that looked like they knew English, I defaulted to Spanish. It looks like Portuguese, though (in my opinion) sounds vastly different.
I was surprised by the number of international tourist I saw in Rio. At the Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf, or at Maracanã Stadium, I hardly ever encountered people speaking American English... it was European accents or Australian English.
<<Funny story though... a man saw me in my chaco sandals who also was wearing chacos himself and wanted to take a picture of our feet together! I didn't ask where he was from, but if I had to guess...it would be the USofA>>
What else can I saw about Rio, other than the language? The food is amazing! The people are colorful and very friendly, cariñoso. Rio was a good trip, but now that it's checked off the list, I'm ready to sit back and see A R G E N T I N A.
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| Day 2: Maracanã |
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| Day 3: Beaches |
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| Day 3: Jardim Botanico |
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| Day 3: Orchids at Jardim Botanico |
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| Day 4: Christ the Redeemer |
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| Day 2: These high school girls have a small group that I got to sit in on! |
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