Never a dull moment studying abroad in Rio de Janeiro...

I sometimes wonder what it would have been like if I had studied abroad somewhere else other than Rio de Janeiro. The chaos around me in this city is sometimes a lot to handle. Just last week, the favela just above Ipanema and Copacabana that is two blocks from where I live was overflowing with police due to a  drug-related shootout that resulted in a death and an injury (just to clarify the shootout was at 3 AM and I was completely safe far away and sleeping in my apartment---this line is for you mama =) ). Rio is already the most militarized/police-heavy city I've ever been to but for a couple of days it seemed as if there were cops on ever street and corner of my neighborhood. I've also been recieving e-mails about  terrorist threats to the upcoming World Cup, the latest ones coming from a prison gang network headquartered in São Paulo in response to some of its members facing re-location to maximum security prisons. Considering I just applied for World Cup tickets this information is particularly unsettling...

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the chaos happening around me in this city, and it does not help when I have the odd misadventure every now and then such as my apartment catching fire(!) although that is a whole other story...Thankfully it was a small fire in the entryway and aside from a charred floor, an exploded fan (what started the fire...) and smoke traces on the walls, me and my housemates are all OK. Big thanks to my housemate Blair for putting out the fire when he got home and big no thanks to my doorman who just called the apartment (when clearly no one was home) when neighbors complained of the smoke and then did nothing when no one answered.

the aftermath of our fire :(

I love my life here in Rio but sometimes, for the reasons described above and more (the incessant traffic, the aggressive juxtaposition of extreme poverty with extreme wealth, superficiality of a vain beach culture, etc.) I am grateful to be able to get away from it all every now and then. A couple weeks ago we had a long weekend because PUC was closed so that Brazilian high schoolers could use the space to take their annual vestibular tests (mandatory in order to go to college). I decided to take advantage of the time off to go to Ilha Grande, a remote island off the southern coast of Rio de Janeiro State that opened up for tourism less than 20 years ago as it was the site of a high security prison until 1994. There are no cars or roads on the island and less than 3,000 people live there in total. The quiet serenity of the island was just what I needed to recharge after midterms--I ended up only being there for one full day but I definitely made the most of it by doing a sweaty hike from my hostel to Lopes Mendes Beach (2.5 hours each way!), swimming in the ocean, eating delicious seafood at the cutest beachside cafes where the tables were literally set up in the sand, and walking around the tiny shops and streets in the island's only sleepy town, Vila do Abraão.

This is the boat I took from Angra dos Reis to Ilha Grande. The boat ride was about 45 minutes. The bus ride from Rio to Angra took another 3 hours.

One of the amazing views during my hike to Lopes Mendes beach

Here I am with Elizabeth and my friend Andrea. Elizabeth was a Brazilian friend we met at our hostel who is a teacher from Niterói. She kindly showed us the trail to Lopes Mendes and we ended up spending the whole weekend hanging out with her and (practicing our Portuguese woo!) as she was traveling alone.

Our hostel---adorable right?!

 Last weekend PUC organized a fieldtrip for the international students to a farm/coffee plantation in Barra do Piraí, in the interior of Rio de Janeiro state. Again, I was able to enjoy some hiking and fresh air out in the lush green countryside, this time among rolling green hills far from the beach. I also got to play soccer for the first time since I got to Brazil with other exchange students and some of the Brazilians who work in the International students office at PUC--we got eaten by mosquitos and fire ants (OUCH the bites still itch even today a week later!!) but it was so much fun catching up with other exchange students I had not seen in a while and playing in the sun. We did not get back to Rio until about 10 that night (after having left PUC at 6:45 AM) but it was so worth it, especially because the excursion and food (buffets on buffets!) were all paid for in our study abroad fees already. 

Hiking around the fazenda (farm)

More hiking =) 

Week-end getaways for the win!!!--- I honestly think they help keep me sane in this crazy place I now call home.

Beijos,
Marie