2 Weeks in Rio de Janeiro (still like holiday) :: 2 Wochen in Rio de Janeiro (noch wie Ferien)

Information about our first two weeks in Brazil, wich we spent in Rio de Janeiro, can be found here .
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Informationen über unsere ersten zwei Wochen in Brasilien, welche wir in Rio de Janeiro verbrachten, können hier gefunden werden.


23/08/09 While Philippe had to stay in the Language School, Anne, Margot(France), Katharina(Germany), Charlotte(Belgium) and Emmanuel(Denmark), drove by boat to the other side of the bay, to Niterói, where they visited the Museum of Contemporary Art.

(Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói)

24/08/09 Another day we went to the Botanical Garden of Rio, where have been planted plenty of different plants from all over the world.

26/08/09 The next day was not as cloudy anymore, so we decided to go up to the Corcovado, the mountain with the Christ The Redeemer statue on top of it.

(Philippe, Katharina and Anne waiting for the nostalgic train that drives to the top of the Corcovado)

As we arrived, the weather unfortunately changed and we hardly could see anything.

(Christ The Redeemer, covered in clouds)


27/08/09 Relaxing at Copacabana beach!!! Just one day of joy in Rio`s most famous place.

At the same day, we also went to the birthday of Luciana, our responsible AFS councellor. The location - Rio Scenarium - is considered one of the 10 best Bars worldwide, by The London Guardian [gallery of the Bar].

28/08/09 After our daily classes I convinced our portuguese teacher Jane, too take this foto with us.















Then we went out to Ipanema beach, but first at all we visited Copacabana again, because we knew, that a sort of cultural carnaval would take place. And that is, what we saw:




















Afterwards we took another bus, to go to the beach again.

29/08/09 All of us were taken out, to have a look on Lisa´s social project. She arrived at the same time as we did, but as she stays in Rio, she already could go to her family and begin to work, so we asked her if ot was possible to go with her once. Fortunately it was!

The project basically is a dance school. It attends children up to 17 years to educate them through the philosophy, that control and discipline of the body, also cause a psychological discipline. The idea is not just to give dancing classes, but also teaching them about philosophy and creativity. All goods needed to be developed. Subsequently the children from the favela(s) nearby, get an opportunity to think outside the box.

01/09/09 Today´s program: Capoeira-Lessons. We learnt basic movements as well as playing the most simple notes on the Berimbau (a traditional capoerista instrument) and on the Tamborim(= tamborin).

Later we went to a favela, because one of Rio´s most famous samba schools (Palácio do Samba Mangueira) would have a bateria (percussion band) practicing, open for public. Jane had the idea and wanted to go with us.

More than once she repeated, that Brazilians just take tw things for serious. Soccer and Carnaval. And it seems to be true: Samba schools train the whole year and wrk hard, just for beeing a few minutes a year in the Sambadromo. The reason for the brazilian love for futbol and carnaval is an easy one. Both give the opportunity to become a STAR, no matter you are from the favela. Boys can start a carrer as professional athlete and girls are in the spotlight for 40 minutes, because carnaval is THE EVENT on national and even international TV. You are somebody in those few seconds. It wouldn`t be the first time, that a madrinha da bateria (the most skilled, beautiful, charismatic female with least cloths, leading the bateria) will be discovered and turn model or actress.

02/09/09 - 03/09/09 Those days we pratically spent on the beach only. Nevertheless we got many information about our further jurney.

Anne would leave by plane on Friday morning (04/09/09) to São Paulo. Together with Emmanuel, Margot and Charlotte. Katharina just could leave on Saturday morning (05/09/09), because she ad to go by bus, as her host location Paraty has no airport. Well and I ... I had to stay until Tuesday morning. As I now know, my hostfamily decided to not beeing able to host me anymore on Thursday or Wednesday. Desperately AFS tried to find another family ... and they did find one (the wonderful host-family where I do stay now).

04/09/09 Finally it was time to say 'Goodbye' to the majority of the people ... so saaaaad!

One last poser-picture and then we went to the airport.

Pedro, the responsible AFS volunteer doesn´t look really confident about everything beeing in order:

But he says, that everything is fine, and we shouldn´t worry:

05/09/09 - 08/09/09 So I would spent the weekend on my own, just beeing abe to go to São Paulo on Tuesday. I didn´t do much on my very own, but on Saturday Jane called and we went to the movies, watching 'Os normais 2', a national comedy. Sunday she showed the CCBB (Cenro Cultural do Banco do Brasil) to me, where we could take a look in the current design exhibition and took part on a guided tour through the old museum, learning about its history and the development of money (especiall of the brazlian Real, indeed).

On Monday I really did nohing besides packing my stuff and Tuesday finally I went to the airport as well.

---End of report---

AP