We're HERE!!!

Hello Everyone,

So we got to Brazil early this morning and after a few hours of waiting to clear customs we finally stepped onto Brazilian land. We walked around the city and today is Brazil's independence day, so we ran into a huge street parade and watched that for a while. There was actually like navy, army, and soooo many other types of military figures in there parade, they kind of took over. They have a very strong military presence here in Brazil so it's interesting to see the difference and compare it to America. We then walked around the streets and found a wonderful Brazilian place to eat lunch. We ate moqueca (it was like a soup almost made out of shrimp, palm oil, and coconuts, with garnishs and veggies on top) it was DELICIOUS!!! and you eat it over rice, with this like side dish of like mashed squash and something else we couldn't quite place. Then as our appetizer we tried acaraje...which is like fried mashed potatoes. It was actually REALLY good. And it was piping hot so we were safe from getting the nasty bug that makes you have a date with the bathroom, which is actually the biggest sickness that students on SAS get, so we have ideas of how not to get sick and we take precautions. (when you travel...these are the things you have to deal with lol) So then we continued to walk around the city and take pictures of the gorgeous views. Brazil actually has an upper city and a lower city because of the plate tectonics that the city is sitting on. It moved the two cities apart and actually put a lake in between them, which is what we sailed into from the harbor. There is a HUGE elevator that takes you from one level to the other, so we were exploring both halves of the city. We wanted to go to a street market but when we went back a little later in the day the market was closed. We were really sad and disappointed but it's a Sunday, so most stores close early in other countries or don't open at all. We are very lucky in America to have stores that yield to the consumer, haha. Well all in all it was a very successful day and we are back in a little early tonight because we don't feel QUITE as safe out at night in Brazil and i leave at 4 am tomorrow morning for the Amazon, so i want to catch a tiny bit of sleep before i have to leave. I am really excited about going to the amazon and it's going to be a completely different look at Brazil that most people will never get to see. I will definitely take many many pictures and probably have a ton of stories to share with everyone when i get back. I hope all is well and i will talk to you all soon. I send my love, hugs, and kisses to everyone....