Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Global Cohort 2013 - Brazil

After this past year of school, I really questioned why I was wasting my time. Brazil offered a unique experience where I could both travel and study simultaneously. After having my parents approach me about why I am not trying in school and while I struggled in the past - professional admission into Eller is a fresh start. So here we go...

I flew 6,271 miles from Salt Lake City to Rio de Janeiro with connections in Dallas and Miami. The whole group flew from Phoenix so I met them in Miami and then we all flew together to Rio. It was a long 24 hours of traveling. On our way to Miami we had to reroute and fly over the Florida Keys to avoid a strong thunderstorm. 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Day 1

Once we landed in Rio we had the Austral Group waiting for us to take us to our hotel - Mar Ipanema. While on the bus ride they discussed what our agenda is for Rio and where we are going as a group and where we should check out separately. 

In Brazil their slums are called Favela's and they are a large part of the culture because a majority of the citizens are lower and lower-middle class. Some students showed hesitation and expressed strong opposition so the T.A.'s and Professors are now reevaluating if we should go through one. 

Once we checked into the hotel we went to the beach checked out the local neighborhood we were staying in. We immediately order a caipirinha which is a staple of Brazil.

  

The beach was incredible however because we were constantly reminded that Brazil "isn't safe" we must always be on our guard. So everybody was always questioning what we were planning on doing. Some students went as far as asking if we were allowed to go into the ocean because the water isn't safe in Brazil. 

Everybody Hanging Out At The Beach

That night we went to a local restaurant where they sever all sorts of meats. They walk around with these cuts on skewers. It was an awesome experience however there was way too much meat for me to handle. You could take a bite of a chicken heart and then eat an octopus moments later. The best part of the meal - it came with five free drinks. 

After the restaurant we went to a bar called "Shenanigans." Seanise, Stephanie and I sat down with another student, Mike, and began drinking. We tried an Irish Car Bomb, Sex on the Beach, and several other bizarre shots. It was a lot of fun because it had billiards and darts while having several drinks. Our waitress was from Long Beach, California and made sure we were having a good time. The bar implemented a weird payment system. When we walked in you received a card that was your tab. The waitress would then swipe your card and in order to leave you had to present a receipt showing proof you paid. One student ordered too many drinks and didn't have enough money so he said he "lost" his card and ended up getting out of most of his expenses. 

Stephanie, Mike, Jake, and Seanise at Shenanigans

Day 2 

We woke up this morning to go to the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks Rio. The statue was a lot smaller then what I was expecting but it was still incredible to have the view of the Bay with Christ the Redeemer behind you.

(Backdrop before you take the train up to Christ the Redeemer)

That afternoon we ended up going to a Favela but was escorted by government officials. The Favela we visited was monitored heavily by the government in order to stop all drug dealing inside for the favela.

The Favela we walked through

Playing some soccer with some local kids in the Favela

That evening we went to a european style nightclub "00." It was a sweet lounge but nothing compared to Europe or the United States. Seanise, Stephanie, Mike, and I separated from the group because everybody was getting a little too intoxicated. One week of summer is in Rio. What can you expect. 

(Jake, Stephanie, Seanise, Mike before going out)

Day 3

Wednesday morning we woke up and went to the beach. We went with a smaller group which was a lot more fun. That afternoon we went into a forest and hiked up to a waterfall, it was a pretty incredible fall to see and the drive into the mountains was awesome. 

(Stephanie, Mike, Seanise, Jake at the waterfall)

 After that the bus took us to a local beach where hang gliding was popular. 

"I'm not afraid of death, but rather not living fully." A group of seven of us decided to go hang gliding. It was a sketchy experience but something that was worth the money. We walk into a shack and fill out a form and pay for insurance. We then are driven up individually to a peak, which is something we were told explicitly not to do. Once we get up to the peak we have a spectacular view of the ocean. 

The Launch Ramp

They have us practice the running motion off of a slopped platform once so we understand how to launch. I was second so I have Seanice film my takeoff. It was one of the coolest things I have done in my life. Being able to glide over Rio at sunset. You could the sugarloaf mountain, Christ the redeemer, and everything else. Once we landed we were shown our picture and video and then drove back to the hotel by the guides. It was a bank breaking experience but worth every reals. 

Once we got back we had to quickly go to dinner. Because we had spent so much money the first couple of days we went to McDonalds. It was nasty but cheap. That night we went into downtown to go to a bar. It was cool to experience the locals bars but they are so different and expensive. They have a live band playing samba music the whole night. 

Seanise, Mike, Stephanie, Jake at Bar with Samba Band

Day 4

Thursday morning I woke up and went to church. I feel as though they talked a lot more and we were standing a majority of the time. After Seanice, Stephanie, and I talked to the priest about how Pope Francis is going to Rio in July. We then loaded the buses for the airport.