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Published: July 14th 2011
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After a year of working and applying to med schools I was able to get back on the international trail again for a trip to Brazil. However, this was not just another backpacking adventure; my close friend TJ was getting married to his Brazilian fiancé (Bella) in his new home of Rio de Janerio. As expected, it was an epic adventure.
We made our way to the requisite sights (and more so once my parents arrived part way into my trip), but we placed this at a lower priority. Enjoying the company of those in Brazil we just met, or we don’t get to see often, was of the utmost priority. We also made the most of having access to Brazilian culture from a local family’s point of view, which proved to be more fantastic than I could have believed…
I was told from several people the weather while I was there was some of the worst they’ve seen in years. It was the middle of their winter and stayed in the low to mid 60s with rain for slightly more than half of the 12 days I
was down there. However, with that much time we were able to hit the sights on the clear days and spend the rest of the time enjoying each other’s company over cervejas at the numerous sidewalk botecos throughout the city. We made friends with numerous Brazilians, both from Bella’s family and friends of TJ and Bella, and other ex-pats. These individuals enabled the most amazing of adventures and I can’t thank them enough for their hospitality and (ongoing) friendships!
There is no way I can detail every adventure of the trip, so I’ll let the photos show some of the sights and later in-person conversations fill in the gaps…
One of the highlights of the trip, and one of the most absurd/amazing/hilarious/random night’s I’ve ever had, was a Saturday festival celebrating Brazil’s Portuguese heritage at Bella’s parents apartment complex. We were the only gringos there and with only a few days under our belts, our minimal understanding of the language made the situation fairly intimidating. However, after some liquid courage we were ordering chicken hearts, caipirinhas, and other Brazilian delicacies. Shortly thereafter, my dancing shoes took over and we were involved in a hilarious folk dance, line dancing,
and of course samba. The powers that be tried to turn off the party sometime between 1 and 2 (time was foggy) but we were having too much fun. So, the gringos broke into an acapella version of “I Want It That Way,” which was followed by a rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and a few others. After hearing such angelic voices, the Colonel of Rio’s fire department (who happens to be a neurosurgeon) invited the party up to his penthouse for more karaoke. With a rooftop pool it was only a matter of time before TJ and I found ourselves soaking (Madison crew…) wet.
Of course the trip culminated in an absolutely beautiful wedding. By this time the families and friends had gotten to know each other well, had come to love one another’s company, and could not have been happier to see their beloved TJ and Bella getting married. The ceremony was held in a beautiful chapel that was a part of the governor’s palace, the wedding party was dressed to the 9s (have to say that as I was a part of it!), and Bella made for a gorgeous bride. Needless to say, there were a few
Ching-ching
The groom to be and me on my first evening tears shed during the ceremony and afterward everyone was ready for an amazing celebration. Being a public blog and moving into medicine, I’ll save the details for another time, but the party was absolutely fantastic. There was dancing, singing, food, beverages, and gorgeous people in abundance (believe me, the gringo men dropped the standard). We were having such a fantastic time that Bella’s mom made them stay open an extra hour (at which point we made the DJ start in with the classic US sing alongs).
The day after the wedding we had a "good-bye" (perhaps "see-you-later" is better) Brazilian style barbecue at one of Bella’s family friend’s apartment building. Immediately my pops got involved in the grilling and absolutely fell in love with the wood fired, brick grill, the skewered, salted, meat, and the eat-it-while-it’s-hot, right off the grill grazing. (He plans on building one at our cottage now.) The food, drinks, soccer game, and family made for an excellent last day in Rio.
Of course, as family and friends left for the airport there were a few tears shed again, but everyone left knowing that TJ had joined a
beautiful culture and an amazing family.
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Mattie
non-member comment
Nice work....
Oi Kyro...agora acho que vc nao esta o gringaooo...agora talvez so um gringo. Parabens!!