http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Circumlocutorily/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Circumlocutorily en-us Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:07:03 BST Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:07:03 BST Well today is my last day in paradise that is my last day at the beach in Porto Seguro. Andrea and I had an awesome time here soaking up the sun. She left early 0500 yesterday morning to Rio to catch her flight to Mexico City and left me to enjoy an extra two days here. Luckly we met a young German couple who were holidaying here until they go to Bolivia so Ive been hanging out with them http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Bahia/Porto-Seguro/blog-84589.html After taking the 7 hour bus from BH to Rio I met Marcelos driver Sergio at the bus station. Yes they have a driver... Its pretty cool hell take you anywhere but the converstion was a little stale in the car but thats better than takig a taxi. Because Marcelo was working and busy with classes I got to hang out with his brother Felipe who just returned home from a 6 month stint in Euro http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/Ipanema/blog-83969.html On Saturday I had my fairwell party at my friend Guilhermes house. We had about 20 people come out to enjoy some soda beer and a really nice BBQ. The night before Guilherme and I bought almost 300 reais worth of food and drinks. We set everything up in the party room of his building including the projector to show the game 7 stanley cup final thanks Francine. Let the pictures do the expl http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-81891.html This was my last week playing Capoeira and Im a little sad now that its finished. My last two days were amazing... on wednesday after class we walked to this little lake near by to have a jogo. It was fantastic This is what its all about... we were outside under the full moon singing songs and playing capoeira. Across the lake you could see the favela lit up by the lights and a couple peo http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-81778.html After practicing capoeira for almost one month I have shown to the class and my teacher Guto that I have learned the 8 different sequences and that I am ready to move on to the next level. Thus the baptismal ceremony....At the end of every class there is a jogo a capoeira session if you will where they actually play capoeira in the roda circle and not just practice the sequences. In a jogo http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-80571.html Tonight Felipe and a friend of his took me to a football match of their favorite club Cruzeiro. Im obviously lacking some pictures so Ill try to elaborate as much as possible to convey the scene. First off Felipe picks me up and we head to a simple bar for a beer. I love these bars and I wish they existed in Canada but due to the strict liquor laws we have I think they would be impossible http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-80215.html The day after... two words my god. What the hell happened last night Well let me try to begin to explain...Rafael invited me to Carna Brahma which is an axe music festival axe is pronounced ashay and it is a type of music played in Brasil usually during carnaval. We met up with 12 of his friends and we all took a rented van to the event. When we arrived there everyone piled out of the van http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-79919.html I knew it was eventually going to happen it was only a matter of time..... I went out with Guilherme last night to a reggae show and I invited my friend Maria along. It was just the three of us chatting away by the bar but our view of the stage was at such an angle that it was blocked by the speakers. The show was supposed to start at 10pm and they were playing reggae music off a cd until the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-79705.html Yesterday was Freds grand party. For the last 4 years him and his girlfriends family have been putting on these cultural parties where everyone is to dressup like they are from the country plad shirt straw hat patched jeans dance Forr and eat and drink lots of good food and beerpinga.I was helping Fred all day prepare for the party getting the drums and chairs and tables. His band was http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-78573.html Before this year I never really liked electronic music. I always thought it was kinda annoying oon tis oon tis oon tis oon tis.... I was introduced to a local Emonton DJ Luke Morrison who plays house music. After listening to his cds and also downloading some of his promo music off his website www.lukemorrison.com I slowly gained an appreciation.Carolina and I were driving to work one da http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-76716.html Saturday evening I met up with my friend Marcelo. He actually lived in Edmonton last year at International House studying design at the UofA. We talked over msn and made plans to meet up with eachother. I think its pretty amazing when you can meet up with someone you actually know on the other side of the world on Copacabana beach nontheless. Marcelo invited me to his friends birthday party http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/blog-75982.html In the morning we made our way to the beach. I cant remember the name but it is just a small beach close to Po de Aucar. There is a Naval Academy close by so there is less danger of getting robbed here that is always a danger in Rio. Silvestre Gustavo and I took a walk on a path around the coastal mountains. We saw many people fishing and even someone harpoon fishing for octapus pretty http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/blog-75943.html What weve all been waiting for. On friday my host family took me to Rio. We left in the morning around 9 oclock to make the 5 hour journey from Belo Horizonte. I brought my CDs along so we listened to the Barenaked Ladies Jorane and Leonard Cohen on the way up they wanted to hear some good Canadian music. Belo is about 1 km above sea level and the car ride was downhill the whole way to http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Rio-de-Janeiro/Rio-de-Janeiro/blog-75732.html Frede invited me to watch a group of his friends who get together and play Forr pronounced Foho which is a specific type of Brasilian music played in the northeast. He refuses to call themselves a band just some friends who play together but they are playing at this party on friday and again next weekend. They rent time at this music studio where they can practice in a soundproof room. I w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-74166.html I was looking for something to do in the evenings after work. You know I am sitting at a computer all day and eating copius amounts of rice and beans thus getting fat. Well not quite but anyways I first heard about Ju Jitsu a Brasilian martial art based on grappling and joint locking. There is a gym close to my home where they teach this but it is only offered during the lunch hour and it http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-74139.html Just some pictures of people in my office and maybe the odd story... I will continually update this adding pictures etc... Tectran does transportation consulting and design. For example the government might ask them to do an engineering study on the viability of a new roads project or Tectran might be asked to design a parkade for a new shopping centre. http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-73271.html On Sunday Joo invited me to go with some of his friends to this go cart track on the north side of the city. There were 12 of us in all. Now these arent your typical kiddie go carts no these are high powered blood boiling stomach turning adrenalin pumping machines. Top speeds are reaching 7080 kmh and your butt is only inches off the pavement.It costs only 50 reals which is about 25 http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-73074.html Work for the most part is pretty boring. Like I said a typical internship consists of you sitting in front of your computer trying to look busy but in fact everyone knows that you are doing absolutely nothing and they are ok with that. For example one can occupy the entire day doing simple things on the computer like checking your email chatting on msn googling things that interest you li http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-72320.html So Monday I went out with a friend from work Frederico. He plays keyboard with some bands here in Belo and Im always asking him to take me to one of his show so I can see him play. I went with him after work to watch him play but on the way there the car was over heating. We had to pull over on the freeway to check out what was wrong. The fan in front of the radiator wasnt working. We wai http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-71825.html First off I would like to thank Rinse for the reminder that Brasil played France this weekend and lost. Im pretty sure I watched the game. Yes Its true... Brasil is out of the world cup having lost to France 1nill. I told you that the people here in Brasil were a little worried this might happen. twice before France had been the team to eliminate Brasil and somehow they managed to do it http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Minas-Gerais/Belo-Horizonte/blog-71610.html