My Eternal Love Garu

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My Eternal Love Garu

It's back to work week for our host, so Keith and I are given a key and make our way around the city on our own. Angelica has told us about a government run restaurant that serves a healthy lunch Monday through Friday for just one riel (about 55 cents US). The restaurant is located near the center square and has long lines. I'm anxious to check this place out as it sounds similar to One World. We manage to find the line, which has about a hundred people when we arrive. The people appear to be from all walks of life, just like One World. The restaurant is called Restaurante Popular and was started in Aug 2007. Sergio had told us that Curitiba is a city used by the government to try new programs. Our line moved fast and soon we were at the cashier and under the television monitor displaying a countdown which appeared to start at 2000. Once inside the building which also housed a market, our line wound around and up a concrete ramp to the restaurant itself which seats about 250. Beyond the turnstiles are sinks to wash your hands. The food is served cafeteria style and today's offerings are white steamed rice, black beans, a meaty type of chili without beans, cabbage and beet slaw, partially pureed broccoli and a fresh peach. Tables are shared and we bus our own plates to the dishwashing station. Very One World.
After our tasty meal we check out the market offerings. Tired of being without the time of day I see a funky Chinawawa watch with a strange Chinese mouse character and text which reads funny love...a funny lovestory of a tomby pucca and her eternal love garu. Too funny. That's Keith and I dontcha think? So with the correct time my eternal love guru and I stroll through the center of the city eventually coming to an outside patio bar and with a couple of cold cervezas we people watch while taking shelter from the hot sun.
Having a much, better grasp on the public bus system, we make our way back with our fill of local beer and without problems. Angelica returns from work around seven and after a shower we all head out to the public central park and do what Curitibans do, take a sunset stroll. It's a beautiful park full of local walkers, bikers and to our amazement a herd of super size rodents of all sizes including some babies. The city brings in these animals for grass control. Julia is anxious for us to fulfill our promise to visit Habib's, her favorite. Habib's as it turns out is a very unique hybrid of a fast food burger joint and a middle Eastern restaurant. There is a playland, drive through window, fries and happy meals but also table side service, hummus, kibes, and a sandwich called a Beirut. The dessert menu is vast and they serve beer, cipirinha (the local liquor drink with lime we sampled in Sao Paulo) and vodka. Angelica suggests the cipirinha since it comes with a show. The Habib's employee in his Habib's uniform brings a fresh lime, a metal shaker and a wide Portugese smile. He proceeds to pulverize the lime, add sugar and liquor to the shaker with ice and with some hip action and a generous shaking, we have our Brazilian drinks. This chain appears to have an identity crisis, but the food is good, prices reasonable, and ambience not so great. Maybe delivery would be the way to go.
The ride home reveals the night side of Curitiba. Christmas lights brighten the dark, city employees are hard at work with garbage pick up and favella residents walk the streets picking up trash by horse drawn or people powered carts. Three young women struggle with their cart piled high with recyclables as they are in danger of their wooden wheeled contraption overtaking them on a steep hill. The city trades equal weights of food for recyclable items.
It's our last day in Curitiba. I awake to Angelica and her daughter singing Happy Birthday to Keith in Portugese. Julia has handmade a card and the table has several small gifts including dried fruit, wine and candy. For our last morning we take go down to Riu Barbosa square in the center of town. There is a Christmas craft festival on and we buy a couple of gifts for our hosts. For lunch we choose what looks like a popular local place over the more elaborate restaurants on the main level. We are rewarded with a lovely view over the historic center. It's called Bella Vista and is a buffet por quillo and just as it sounds. At this restaurant we choose from an array of food and we pay according to its weight. Fabulous idea and the food is outstanding. We were hoping to fit in a visit to the free University of the Environment, but we've run out of time. Our 14 hour bus ride is ahead for us and Angelica looks forward to a couple from South Africa who will be couchsurfing with her in a couple of weeks. When Julia is older, our host has promised to travel to the US and stay with us. Next stop Rio.

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