Sheraton Porto Alegre

... for example, I went to check out a Gaucho guitarist called Marcello Caminha and was surprised to hear him play many tango songs. <br><br>It just so happens that the annual feria do livros (book festival) is taking place while I´m here so I went to check it out. There were all sorts of books as far as the eye can see (but mostly in Portuguese). I was very happy to find a used copy of Catch-22 by Joseph Heller ...

... things from the market, or jog, or just sit and drink chimarrao with friends and family. It's just such a happy city. Even when it's raining, people are still out and about, and the atmosphere still seems light. Anywho, I'm on my way to Brasilia, right now, and from there, I have one flight to Manaus. I have 2 days in Manaus, and then I'm home. I'm actually looking forward to going home. It will be nice to see people I know, and to get on with the things I need to get going with.<br><br>

... because DAMN. I was told, before I came here, that Porto Alegre had the most beautiful women in Brazil, but I figured it was a myth, just like the "all Brazilian women are hot" thing. Newp. But that really just brings me to the second reason why I love it here. Everyone is so active, and healthy, and happy. There are hardly any vastly-over-weight people, unlike the rest of Brazil. There are people everywhere, working, and walking, and shopping, and ...

... next day wasn't a huge improvement, though it certainly peaked my interest, and had some excitement. The city was pretty much dead, as a lot of Brazilian cities are, on sunday(I would later learn that everyone was at a giant market 2 blocks in the opposite direction I had walked, from my Hotel). I explored Centro, and visited the many small parks, and plazas, the city has to offer. The city has some exceptional architecture ...

We sweat when we walk; we sweat when we eat; we sweat when we sleep; we even sweat when we take a cold shower (if that is possible). In other words, Porto Alegre is hot. We drink Coke Zero bottle after bottle, eat ice cream, and tried to stay in the air conditioned shopping mall and art gallery most of the time. Still we can not escape the heat. Oh well, this ...

... and you are white and blue and spacious like the earth at vintage time. In that territory, from your feet to your brow, walking, walking, walking, I shall spend my life. One of my favorites is "Let The Woodcutter Awaken." It's about North America and it's really long, so I'll copy just a few passages. West of the Colorado River there's a place that I love. I hasten there with everything that transpires in me pulsing, with all that I ...

Zaterdag 16 februari 2008 Wat een nacht... maar we konden niet langer slapen, want we moesten op tijd de bus nemen naar Porto Alegre. De mensen in Chuí verstaan je echt niet. We vroegen waar we de bus konden nemen maar niemand kon ons dat vertellen. Dan zijn we maar gepakt en gezakt de grens over gewandeld.. zo'n twee kilometer. Gelukkig in niet al te hete zon. Vlak voor de douane stond er een bus geparkeerd. We zijn gaan vragen waar ...

... most instead of five. It almost seems as if the country ensures people are employed even if it isn´t at its most efficient. That´s not a bad thing, but it´s very interesting when you enter a store, even a tiny closet-sized one and there´s four salesgirls at your call to find anything. And you´re the only one in the store too. Anyway, I look forward to Uruguay. It´ll be reasonably cheaper and they say that Montevideo is the Paris of S. America

... she spends all the time with her family. Ideal, really...if you have a large enough income to be able to afford it. The family brainstormed on lists of things for me to see in order to experience southern Brazil. They couldn't be more accommodating and welcoming. <br> <br>Fred and I were dropped downtown by the driver so we didn't have to worry about parking. It was 35 degrees Celsius, which is 95 degrees F. Walking was exhausting so it seemed a great ...

... my last week in Brazil. :) <br> <br>Frederico's cousin had a formal graduation party on Saturday that I had nothing appropriate to wear too. Tried on his mother's dresses and felt like an old lady. Ended up throwing something together and just breaking down and buying heels at the mall on the ride there. We made heaps of pit stops along the way to help me experience southern Brazil.<br> <br>Flavored cookies are very popular here. I tried a banana pie at ...