Two Months, Two Scams

Shit Happens
What do you do when you have a 3 hour layover and the airport is across the street from a walking path and nice park along the river?  You go for a stroll.  At least that is what we did.  It was a beautiful late afternoon, the river was perfectly calm and celebration was in the air.  It was Argentina’s Bicentennial.  People were fishing, picnicking, relaxing.  Other waiting travelers were also enjoying a few minutes outside.  We were blissfully  strolling along under a tree lined path when splat, Amy is shat upon.  Immediately her attention turns to the yucky stuff on her arm and in her hair.  But wait, a nice lady is offering napkins and water to wipe it off.  We didn’t fall off the turnip truck yesterday, so we automatically go on alert.  Thank goodness for our instincts.  She sees globs of poo on Steve’s backpack and says  “Mister, mister” and tells him through mime to take his pack off and she offers more cleaning assistance.  As much as we would like another pair of hands to help us clean up, we thank and continue to distance ourselves from her.
The timing was just a bit too right and she was just a bit too nice and insistent for this to be legit.  After only a few steps away we turned back to look for her and she had disappeared.  It was an attempt to steal our stuff!  A scam!  On us!  The gaul!
After closer inspection, the bird poop wasn’t exactly bird poop, but some sort of muddy concoction.  It was all over both of us and probably came from the side or back of us, not from above.  After cleaning up, we got mad.  All we wanted was some fresh air and to stretch our bodies.  Leave us alone!  Don’t try to rip us off!  Get a real job!
We calmed down and speculated that somehow she used a squeeze bottle to simulate a bird defecting on us.  Nice try lady. 

Dirty Shoes
We’re walking along Ipanema Beach, it’s mid day, mid week and relatively quiet.  We’re just walking and talking and minding our own business when out from nowhere is a young man frantically offering to clean a mess on Steve’s shoe.  What?  How did a glob of gunk get on the top of my shoe?  It wasn’t there a few minutes ago.  He just happened to have a bucket of brushes and polish specifically for that type of gunk and loads of gumption.  He wouldn’t give up.  As we keep walking he’s bending down trying to wipe Steve’s shoe.  He continued this for an uncomfortable amount of time.  Luckily no in English sounds very similar to não in Portuguese and he finally gives up.  After awhile we looked back and saw him hunkering down behind a garbage can just off the sidewalk.  He had a perfect angle to toss gunk onto people’s shoes.  How many times did he practice this before hitting his targets? 
Unlike the bird poop lady who wanted to take our pack, this guy was offering a service; he wanted payment.  But a scam is a scam.  Nice try dude.
We read about distraction scams that involved spilled ice cream, squirted mustard and tossed jelly, but not bird shit and shoe gunk.  We might look like a couple of suckers from Oregon and Iowa but we know you want our money and we’re on to you!!!

Lasting Impressions of Rio de Janeiro...

We find it ironic, that Cristo the Redenter looks over a city renowned for Carnaval, crime, thong bikinis and a huge wealth disparity.  With all that partying, he was due for a cleansing...

For those of you not acquainted with one of Rio's symbols, when the monument isn't wrapped in scaffolding it appears like this:

Even with Cristo all wrapped up, Heaven might be in Brasil.  There are certainly enough angels in this large country to at least feel like heaven.  We met so many of them....

Kind strangers helped us find our way, deciphered menus, taught us about fútbol, but our favorite angels were

found on a hiking trail.  Our timing was such that we were on the trail with a large group of 9 year kids on a school field trip.  At first we attempted to avoid them; we wanted a quiet experience, you understand.  But they wouldn't leave us alone, in fact, we ended up being more of a sight than the natural wonders that were near the trail.  They wanted to see our light eyes, look at our binoculars, laugh at our Portuguese attempts, and hold our hands.  They were genuinely curious about us.  Many hugged us, many shook our hands; they all tried to say goodbye in English.  Look closely and you'll see either Steve or Amy surrounded by a bunch of Brazilian angels.

Brazilians love to have a good time, even their paddle boats are dressed to party...

Cheap beer is everywhere, even in a busy downtown business area....

Tiny weeny bikinis are everywhere and on every body...

Some Brazilians may be poor, but they are far from dumb.  Their communities, called Favelas, have the best views!

 

Rio's mosaic tile sidewalks are some of the most beautiful we've seen.....

Fútbol is an obsession.  Passion for it seems to be in the DNA; loved by all ages.

The flora and fauna! 

The party atmosphere and the beaches are impressionable, but, by far, it's the scenic beauty and the friendliness of the people that will linger in our memories.  Obrigada Rio!

Why are We in Rio?

Brasil wasn't on our itinerary.  We wanted our South America experience to only include Spanish speaking countries.  And it's almost as large as the US.   And you have to have a Visa.  No way, scratch Brasil off the list.  Then we heard a whisper.  Brasil was calling to us.  Her wilderness initially beckoned.  Brasil was inviting us, selling us, wooing us.  Reluctantly, hesitantly we looked into a Visa.  The Brasilian Consultant in Argentina made it too easy, they were part of the conspiracy to change our plan - 3 hours processing time - no problem.  So, we worked on The Pantanal details.  And went.  Just for a little while.  And then we met the first of many Brasilian angels (more later).  Maybe we should see a city in addition to the wilderness, we thought.  Rio de Janeiro?  No way.  Everyone gets mugged there and you need a body guard at night.  Too scary.  Too much to lose.  And they speak Portuguese.   No.  We're going back to Argentina and getting back to the itinerary.  But oh what a seductress.  We're in Rio.  The Rio.  Copacabana.  Ipanema.  She's more beautiful in person.

The Pantanal: Brasil, Birds, Bugs

Picture this:  It's pitch dark.  The Milky Way is touchable.   The Cicadias are deafening.  Wild eyes occasionally catch the spotlight.  And bonk - some creepy crawly flying thing hits Steve in the noggin; dead center.  Splam - A skull shot!  Our guide laughs out loud; Amy stiffles her giggles; Steve shouts "did you hear that"?  Over and over we try to dodge the flying creatures as we look for animals that only come out at night.  We are in The Pantanal, a huge expanse of watery wilderness in West Central Brasil, looking for exotic birds, large reptiles, big cats, monkeys, whatever wants to cross our path.  We safaried day and night, napping during the heat of the day.  We veered completely off our itinerary to come to this part of South America.  Pictures can't begin to describe the beauty of the area and of the wild things .....