Had a Wonderful Trip to Southern Brasil

Being a permanent resident of Brasil is nice. There’s something about pulling out your Receita Federal I.D. Card and showing it to anyone who asks that makes you feel even more a part of the whole Brasilian living experience. However, the visa is another matter. To keep it current, if you are not presently residing in Brasil, you must travel back to Brasil at least every other year. But I’m not complaining. If it weren’t for this little bit of bureaucratic red tape, I might not get to see my friends and family there so often.

And so it was with the latest trip back just this month. The trip was enjoyable, even though my husband and I both suffered with terrible colds. We saw our friends, we spent quality time with family and we finally got around to seeing Iguacu Falls.  Attached are a few photos for you to see the splendor that we were fortunate enough to witness first hand

I have offered many times to take friends and family to Southern Brasil to see for themselves what a wonderful place it is, to experience the warmth and friendliness of the people. I know money is tight for many and it is a bit of a hassle arranging for a visa, etc., but honestly, if you save your pennies and you really have a desire to go to Brasil, then it is within your reach.

I’m not saying this because I’m prejudiced, although I truly am, but I know firsthand how close death can be, and I now live my life not worrying how I can afford something, but knowing that if I want something bad enough, the money has a way of just showing up. And a trip to Brasil I know is on many a friends’ wish list. Just say the word, folks, and we’ll find a way together to let you experience what I will never be able to get enough of.

Till Next Time,

Tchau!

Another Carnaval Come and Gone

Boy, how do you like that? I totally missed all the great holiday events between Oktoberfest and now. I have to apologize to my readers for taking so long to get back to this blog. It is not for lack of love, I assure you, but just have had my hands full with other projects. I’m gonna try to post at least 3 times a week if I can.

So, last week was Carnaval, and what a time it must have been. Evidently, in Rio de Janeiro alone, upwards of 730,000 tourists plunked down almost $300 Million dollars to attend one of the biggest parties in the world.  One can only assume that Sao Paulo did just as well or better.

I think in one of my earlier posts, I described attending a much smaller version of Carnaval in the little beach town over from where we lived called Picarras. Although there weren’t the elaborate floats that you see in the larger celebrations, the spirit, from what I saw, had to be every bit as lively or more as any of the larger Carnavals. Everyone singing, dancing in the streets, girls made up in glittery costumes and dancing their hearts out.

You looked around you and everywhere there was laughter and happiness and you knew that no matter how poor some of those folks were, they were there in the moment that night and having the time of their lives. And I was right there alongside them happy as anything for the opportunity to celebrate with them the Brasilian way.