Bem-Vindos ao Brasil!

Ola! Bem-vindos ao Brasil! It’s the one you’ve all been anxiously waiting for: my first Brazil post. Well maybe not anxiously….or even waiting for but anyway it’s here! Right where to begin…….

So I left Heathrow on Saturday evening and flew overnight to São Paulo which was not the most comfortable 12 hour flight. Being 6’3” I can’t exactly sleep comfortably on a plane. I felt like a giant in a kid’s seat. It just doesn’t work comfortably. Anyway when I arrived at São Paulo airport, I got speaking to a really nice old man while I was waiting for my bags. He asked me what I was doing, why was I in Brazil etc. and just being a genuinely nice old man. I explained that my Portuguese wasn’t very good so he would have to speak slowly.  He then began to rattle off in rapid Portuguese for about 5 minutes. I did not understand one bit of it. Just to remind you that this was 6am at this point. And I'm not really a morning person so my comprehension of Portuguese was near non-existent.  It really filled me with confidence about the next 5 months.  It wasn’t until he was holding out his hand and then clicking his fingers, that I realised that this rambling was a ploy to get some money out of me, which of course having just landed, I had none. I explained this to him and he then stormed off looking really hurt. He genuinely gave me a look as if I had really betrayed him. Standard Brit, always making friends abroad. So having been in Brazil for about 5 minutes, I’ve already pissed off a local. This is looking good. 

I then had to wait 4 hours for my connecting flight to Belo Horizonte but after absolutely no hassle at immigration (I was expecting a mini interrogation) and barely a glance at my visa, I boarded the plane and arrived an hour late to Aeroporto Confins in Belo Horizonte. Finally having navigated my way around all these airports at ridiculous o’clock in the morning, I arrived at the airport shuttle from Aeroporto Confins to Aeroporto Pampulha. I just made the bus with 3 minutes to spare and I was looking forward to being able to soak in the Brazilian countryside and take some nice pictures. That would have happened if I had not just boarded the scariest rollercoaster of my life. For those of you that have been to Thorpe Park, imagine Colossus, Stealth and Nemesis all bundled together. We were going about 100mph down the motorway, practically doing hand brake turns off the motorway. It was not the tranquil ride I was expecting.  Buses in Brazil are crazy.  After driving past farmland and a few favelas, I was wondering whether Nottingham had actually sold me down the river and the film “City of God” was actually going to become my reality, we come up a hill (well more like flew at this point) and this giant city appears out of nowhere.  Luckily the bus dropped me off at Pampulha airport in one piece!

When I arrived at Aeroporto Pampulha, a relatively small airport, similar to something like Biggin Hill, I was instructed by my host “father” or “meu pai hospedeiro” to get in a taxi, the house is about 2km away from the airport, not far at all. I approached the taxi rink where 4 large Brazilian men, wearing gold medallions and only 2 buttons done up on their shirts between them and looking like something straight out of the Sopranos proceeded to tell me that my road, Rua Francisco Proença, didn’t exist. I feel ashamed to admit but all I could think was “Why don’t any of you have a satnav?” (#firstworldproblems I know).  However after about 10 minutes of debate, one of the men got out a map and finally found it and another white knuckle ride ensued.  I arrived at my house and after ringing the doorbell repeatedly and calling the house phone, I realised no one was in. It turns out that my host parents are currently on a cruise and all of my housemates had gone to the market. After about 10 minutes of blind panic, imagining me waiting outside this house until the night, the girls finally returned from the market and welcomed me with open arms. As the only male lodger of 8 and to much envy from the girls, I was awarded the best room in the house with the most spectacular view of the city and the mountains in the background. Picturesque doesn’t even do it justice. 

After settling in, I was immersed in Brazilian culture which is mostly revolved around food. The two American girls, Rachel and Neri, whose Portuguese is so incredible they can pass as Brazilians and Simone, the actual Brazilian, also known as our “mães brasileiras” or Brazilian mothers made us a traditional Brazilian meal of estrogonofe (chicken, rice and veggies) and then for dessert, we had brigadeiros. Brigadeiros are like a chocolate mousse which you leave in the fridge, then you cover your hands in butter, grab a ball of the mousse, roll it in your hands then dip it in chocolate sprinkles. It is the messiest and tastiest food I think I’ve ever eaten. The girls then made us the traditional drink “Caipirinha”. With lime, sugar, ice and a whole lot of cachaça, you would expect the usual Andrew Chalmers to be raring to go out and drink some bar dry. Unfortunately the lack of sleep during the previous 36 hours hit me hard and I went straight to bed.  It’s a hard life being a student!

When I woke up the next morning, the house cleaner was in. I found out that it is very common, even amongst lower class families, to have a house cleaner that comes a few times in the week.  I went downstairs and was offered Café de mañha which was coffee, bread, homemade “Pan do queijo” (literally cheese bread) and some fruit. I replied with “Obrigado” or thank you then went outside to speak to the girls quickly. When I returned for my breakfast, it had disappeared.  It turns out that when you are offered food or drink and reply with “Obrigado”, it actually means something like “thanks but no thanks”. Having probably offended another Brazilian in the space of 24 hours especially since she had made the cheese bread herself, Rachel explained to her what happened, I had my breakfast and went to thank her. She seemed very pleased and then showed me how she had completely tidied my room despite me apparently disregarding her cooking!


Well thats about it. I'll try and get some more jealousy provoking pictures for you all when I have a decent internet connection.

So in conclusion: I’m loving it here, it’s hot, the people are incredible and so is the food, and slowly but surely:  I’m pissing off one local at a time.

Andy C