Bye Brazil

A quick post about my last events in Brazil and my favourite things over this whirlwind two weeks.

I had one last day to spend back in Rio. Unfortunately it involved not feeling the greatest as I appear to have caught a cold. It was probably inevitable to get a bit run down after so many busy days! And I didn't let that stop me from heading out to hike to Corcovado to see Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). I went with a few German girls from the hostel. The hike was really beautiful and fun, amazing to be hiking in the forest right beside the city.

Saw some monkeys on the way as well.

And then the fun and challenging part up the metal steps and chain link rope. It was actually pretty steep- 704m up over about 3km to the top. I'd rate that one about 50/100 burpees . Let's just say it was a pretty sweaty hour and a half ?

At the top, Cristo was shrouded in cloudy fog, and still spectacular to see. Unfortunately that meant we didn't get to enjoy the view of the city, but we were able to get a good look at the huge statue.

And some street art on the way down.

After the train down and returning to the hostel, I was running out of energy for anything else in Rio. And the 2:30am wake-up to fly to Lima was looming. So it was an early night!

And some time to reflect on my favourite things about Brazil:

- The coffee- available everywhere and traditionally served strong and very sweet- Grandpa you would love it!
- Street food- deep fried bundles of deliciousness found all over. Also the hot dogs. With an array of toppings from corn and peas to quail egg and deep fried Parmesan. Seriously delicious.
- Justin Bieber- I wouldn't say this is necessarily a 'favourite'.... But this token Canadian has basically followed me everywhere, I don't think I've gone a day without hearing his music!
- Caipirinhas- Brazil's most popular drink. Made from cachaça (sugar cane liquor- literally what other kind of alcohol do I need in my life), lime, soda and sugar. Yeah, I had a few.
- And the people. So friendly and nice, even with a language barrier that is present more often than not.
-The whole country is so bright, colorful, beautiful. And definitely on my list of places I want to return to someday.

After only one country I've remembered so many things that only seem real when you're traveling. It feels like I've been gone for longer than I have, meeting great people is easy, leaving places is always hard, there's no end to the amazing destinations you can see. Traveling opens your mind to a whole new world and wealth of experiences.
"Traveling is like flirting with life, it's like saying, 'I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station'."
- Lisa Saint Aubin de Téran