A Few More Points on Brazil

Now for three points which weren't covered in the previous posts about Brazil.

One: Driving

Brazilian drivers are by far the most aggressive, cautious, courteous, mellow, crazy drivers I know. We drove at break neck speeds the whole time and didn't have a single accident. I say we, the taxi drivers were the ones doing all the driving. I have never been so close to another car in my life at over 100 km/hr. That includes in front of, behind, and next to! These guys know their stuff, and considering the roads there it's amazing the cars last as long as they do. All the while these fellows were on their phone and, except for one particularly nervous taxi driver, almost never used their horn in anger. A toot here or there to let a pedestrian know we were coming through or to tell the car in front of us to go by was it. They we generally very civil.

They also manage to put three lanes where any North American driver would only think of putting one. It seems strangely efficient. Picture three lines of cars getting on the I-85 or the 101 on-ramp and you get the idea. They do seem to have lane markers like we do, but no one seems to care.

Another interesting thing they have is "returnos". These things are like traffic circles or roundabouts only bigger. They are there since you usually can not or do not want to turn left on many of the major streets, so you go past your turn and find a returno so you can make a (relatively) safe u-turn to get to where you are going. It is all very civilized but must be fun getting used to. One returno I was on actually went through a multiple story mall parking garage. Space is clearly an issue in Rio since it is cornered by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.

Two: Drinking

Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil and it is made with cachaça which is a fermented sugarcane drink. It is similar to vodka but with a rougher flavor that is hard to describe. I suppose it's not as pure as vodka so has a slightly coarse taste. Either way these caipirinhas are great. Take a few ounces of cachaça, a couple of tablespoons of sugar, a whole lime (called a limon), and some crushed ice. Crush the lime with the alcohol and sugar and then shake vigorously with the ice. The result is magical as far as I am concerned. It is as refreshing as a gin and tonic, as powerful as tequila, and as tasty as a good rum and coke with extra lime.

Now on a somewhat related topic: have you ever seen a cashew? Not the nut that everyone eats, which is actually the fruit. I mean the whole thing. For anyone who has never seen it, it is not quite as expected. Have a look at the following Wikipedia link for picture of a cashew. See what I mean? The nut is really the fruit, but looks like the stem. The fruity part is actually a false fruit, and is very difficult to store or transport, part of the reason most of us have never seen one.

The tree is native to Brazil so the juice is available everywhere. While in Brazil I had cashew juice several times. It was sweet and tasted similarly to mango juice. The cashew caipirinha I had was also very good but I think my favorite is still limon.

Three: Eating

Pichana or rump steak at the Churrascaria is the best way to eat meat in Brazil. It might be the best way to eat steak in any country. Churrascarias are generally a great way to eat what Brazilians call barbecue. They take all sorts of meat, from sirloin to the hump (you know, like on the Brahman bull) and a few other items that you wouldn't think of serving on a skewer, and grill them to perfection. Pork, chicken, lamb, sausage, it all goes.

The secret is the serving and the timing. The skewers of meat just keep coming and coming from the kitchen as long as you want to eat it. The servers at Porcao where we went several times were very good and generally kept tabs on who wanted what cuts, almost before we knew it. Add to this an amazing buffet with everything from sushi to smoked salmon, from blue cheese to blue crabs, from beans and rice to bean fried rice, and you have an unforgettable meal. The desserts were also impressive but once you've eaten every cut of meat from hump to tail, you just can't do a good flan or chocolate cake and custard the justice it deserves.

So to summarize I must say my time in Brazil was great. I always miss home on long trips but I can't wait to visit again, although next time maybe Jane and Isabelle will be with me. Who knows...