The Parade

Today was SO much fun! Our class got to march in a parade that only happens two months out of the year- June and October. Some of the students who we had met at the university met us at the hotel at 9 a.m. The main girl who set the whole meeting up name is Karina. She is a sweetheart. She also speaks English! Most of the student who took us to the parade spoke English too.

We took the bus, which was quite an experience. The bus system is really weird here. You get on the bus and in the middle there is a teller who takes your money and then you exit from the back of the bus. Before I could pay the teller, the bus driver slammed on the gas and I ate it in front of everyone. My knees had hit a ledge and my hands were full of money so there was no way of saving myself. It was really funny.

The parade began at Estação das Docas and went all the way until the Praça da República. I’m not sure of how far we actually walked, but it was definitely a more than a few blocks. The decorations and outfits worn by locals for the parade were amazing! People dressed up in bright, colorful clothing and some people were on stilts wearing white face paint. There were so many people there! The students we were with said that there were 10,000 people there. It was extremely hot a few of us girls bought hats. Janice and I bought a giant sombrero looking hat, which kept hitting people in the face. I thought the hat worked in my favor because those of you who know me well know I don’t like to be touched by strangers so my sombrero was my protection haha.

While we were marching, vendors were actually walking in the crowd selling beverages and little bulls on sticks. The bulls were so cute! I bought one, but then I lost it… figures. As we walked down the street (it’s blocked off or else we all would have for sure been hit by cars because the drivers here are crazy!) people sang and danced to some traditional songs.

Once we got to the Praca de Republica, there were hundreds of vendors selling almost everything and anything you can think of. The one thing I love about Brazil is the fact it’s so cheap! That, and the fact almost every bathroom has a squishy toilet seat. I bought so many gifts. To all my friends back home in the states, get excited for some really cool presents! The coolest item I bought today was a bracelet made of anaconda skin. I’m never taking it off.

I must say that I don’t think I have ever shopped for so long in my life. Janice, Laura and I went to almost every vendor. We bought jewelry, wind chimes, clothes and some really beautiful art. During our shopping, we could hear a live band playing in the center of the park. It seemed too hectic to go anywhere around that area, so we mainly stayed on the outside of the madness.

We also saw some of the cutest puppies for sale! Ahh I wanted to take one home with me in the worst way. In addition, I got to eat the most amazing churro. I don’t know what was in the center but I can only describe is as a gooey sugary filling. It was truly amazing. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it.

Because our whole group decided to go our separate ways when we reached the park, we had decided to meet at 1:30 at a bank and go somewhere else from there. When we all met at the bank, we unanimously decided to stay at the park and enjoy our time with the Brazilian students. I think a lot of the Brazilian girls think I’m funny because they laughed at almost everything I had to say. They also thought I was crazy- I don’t blame them haha.

As we continued to shop, I realized I had a hole in my bag from the painting I had bought. I don’t think I lost anything except the little bull on a stick I bought, but then again I bought a lot of stuff. I really don’t think anything fell out besides the bull.

AHHHHH side note!- My bed is infested with bugs. I feel them crawling all over me all the time! I spray my bed and my body with bug spray all the time but these suckers wont seem to die. It’s really starting to become a problem haha.

Anyways, back to my story about today. Joanne got her hair braided. For those of you who don’t know Joanne, she has the thickets hair I have every seen. However, it didn’t take them that long to braid her whole head. I think it looks awesome! I’m glad she did it because someone on this trip had to get their hair braided or do something wild along those lines.

I also saw the funniest thing today. One of the vendors on the “hippy” side of the park had the craziest tattoo I have ever seen. It was on his stomach below his belly button of a woman with her lets spread eagle and her vagina fully exposed. The best part of the tattoo was the pierced part, which was on her vagina, made to look like she had her clit pierced. He came up to Lisa and I asking us if we wanted to get a piercing or tattoo done by him. NOOOOOOO THANKS is all we had to say.

After Joanne’s hair was done getting braided, we walked to the mall. By this point in the day the only people who had stayed with the Karina and her friends were Lisa, Kendra, Joanne and I. Karina took my bag full of gifts from me and carried it. I was begging her to give it back to me to let me hold it because it was honestly about ten pounds. She refused saying it was too heavy for me to carry and she wanted to help. She then had one of the boys who we were with carry it for me but I eventually talked him into letting me take it back. I felt bad- I didn’t want them to have to suffer carry all my stuff! We met everyone in the mall where we got some food and relaxed a little while.

Soon after that, we all decided it was time to go home. We took the bus back to near the hotel and parted ways with our new Brazilian friends. I really hope we get to see them again before we head back to the states. Luckily, we exchanged e-mail, skype names, and facebooks. I actually think I just got a request from one of the girls to be my friend.

Today was the best day ever! We got to hang out with a group of wonderful Brazilian’s and partake in an event that has gone on in Brazil for years! Plus, I got all my shopping out of the way…well maybe haha. I still need to go get my mom some lanterns she saw in my pictures that she wanted. I must say that if I could go back and do it all over again that I wouldn’t change a thing.