Finally a POST!

PREFACE: I'd like to start out by saying my apologies for the delay in posting to this blog. There have been some technical difficulties with regard to posting images since we don't have internet on the ship. Because of this I'm having to post some back dated entries of Brazil and Namibia now as I sit in an internet cafe in South Africa! Again my apologies if these first few posts are out of order and some what confusing. Thanks for bearing with me! Also if any of you didn't get my email address from before, we have free email on the ship and I'd love to hear from you all. jmburas@semesteratsea.net



We’ve reached our first port and I can honestly say I’m absolutely awestruck with this country. I’m considering this my first time out of the country (OK I think I drove through a town in Mexico as a child, does that count?) As soon as we arrived in Salvador I hopped in a taxi and rode to the airport for my flight to Rio. A group of us arranged a trip through Facebook before our travels on Semester at Sea and for most, this was the first day we actually met in person. Driving in the car I felt like I had to try and take in all of Brazil as it quickly sped past my passenger side window. And let me tell you, that’s a big task! Our taxi driver was awesome too. He tried to talk to us in Portuguese and teach us simple phrases for our next few days in the country.

The airport reminded me of the states except for the fact that they give you plenty of drinks and snacks on the plane. We got lots, and lots of guava juice, guarana and these amazing little cereal bars. Mmmm.


After our 2.5 hour flight to Rio we all decided to take the scenic route to the hostel traveling on a big, fatty tour bus. The bus went right through downtown and I’m not sure how to really describe it. Rio itself reminds me a lot of New York except there are a many, many more homeless people here. Or so it seems. It’s a weird feeling driving through a town in a gigantic tour bus, looking out the window at people who are sleeping on the streets with tattered blankets and makeshift clothing. You start to put things into perspective.



Our bus reached it’s final destination and we began the walk to our hostel, Bamboo Rio. This was my first hostel stay and I’m not sure if I can imagine traveling in any other fashion. Our room had 4 bunk beds, 3 beds high, nice and cozy with 12 girls in a room!


I’d have to say though, the best thing about the hostel was how we had the opportunity to meet other people staying there. In one evening I had made friends and shared experiences with people from Brazil, France, England, the States, Mexico, Ireland and the list continues. The atmosphere is really conducive to meeting other people and soon traveling with them. Our group actually latched on to a few other hostel goers who not only spoke Portuguese but ended up hanging out with us for the rest of the week. Showing us where to eat, what to see and how to manage in this foreign country. It was amazing.

The days following the first were jam packed; Venturing into markets, viewing Christ the Redeemer, feeling the sand and water of a Rio beach, experiencing a Brazilian soccer game, savoring the taste of Brazilian food.. everything was immensely overwhelming.



I think the one thing that had the biggest impact on me was traveling into a favela. We arranged a tour and after watching “City of God” on the ship before we left, I was a little nervous. We did at one point pass a man holding an AK but were assured he was just guarding the area for drug lords. It’s weird, favelas are considered the slums but are actually kept extremely safe. I guess the idea is that drug lords keep it safe so people continue to enter the favelas and buy drugs. That aside, walking through the community was such an eye opening experience. It’s unfathomable that people live in such poverty. There are houses literally built one on top of the other. Some don’t even have running water and resort to filling up buckets from spigots that periodically flow. No one in the favelas pays for power, rather they just run cords from the city lines that are already in place. We stopped at a childcare center near the end of our time at the favela and it was heartbreaking to see the children knowing the challenges that face them. For many, just having food on the table at the end of the day is a huge concern. How lucky are we to be in the position we are as Americans? I’m not sure how people can overcome such hardship and continue on day to day. It makes me feel guilty knowing how much money was spent on this trip and how that alone could have changed this community for a lifetime. I’ll just have to be content knowing I’ll take my experiences here and knowledge learned to hopefully open the eyes of others and together we can find a way to give back to the international community that so desperately needs our help.