Road to Belo Horizonte
25 June 2005 (Saturday) – Rio de Janeiro to Belo Horizonte, Brazil
My last day in Rio de Janeiro today. Yep, it is time to move on. I had really enjoyed my time here, wandering around and absorbing the interesting street scenes here.
I spent my remaining hours today walking around the central part of Rio de Janeiro from Uruguaiana metro station through the banking district to Cinelandia metro station, then taking the metro to see a quirky little folkloric museum near the Catete metro station. I will be very careful with anything with the word ‘folkloric’ in the future. What a strange experience there… on the first floor were many little ceramic figurines, doing all sorts of regular things in life, like giving birth. There were even buttons you could press to make the figures go into actions, like, er… pounding grains. Well. But at least it was free and the second floor with some loud Candomble costumes with the strange implements for the Candomble rites made it worthwhile. Then, I bussed to Copacabana beach for a peek and found myself grossed out by the terribly touristy Saturday feira in Praça Lido before heading home to pack.
Hmmm… something happened between the time I arrived in Rio and now, when I am packing. Sheesh, shopping!!! The curse of packing. I really had to coax gently and shove harshly to get everything in.
By evening, Carol and Nando very, very kindly dropped me off at the rodoviaria which was excellent of them. I had had a more interesting experience in Rio de Janeiro this time round, because of them, as I had learnt a lot more about the Brazilian culture and their little quirks. They both have been studying hard for their respective exams and I really wish them all the best.
I had paid for the cheapest bus to Belo Horizonte and at first, I thought, wow… for its price, it was really a great-looking bus. Later, someone climbed onboard to collect me as I had inadvertently boarded the wrong bus. He escorted me to the right bus, and there stood my true bus – a little old metal box with wheels. It even proclaimed it had ‘Air Suspension’. That made me totally disbelieve that this bus had any air suspension!!
I don’t know if it was the route or the bus, but the entire ride to Belo Horizonte, gosh… the road was bumpy and curvy, rocking me to and fro on my seat; someone crapped in the toilet right at the beginning of the trip and released the ‘aroma’ on board for maybe, 10 minutes!!; there was no insulation, so freezing air was blowing in through the gaps of the window. I refused to open my eyes, just keep them closed and I would fall asleep, I figured.
Tags: 02) And God Created Brazilian Women, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro
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