Brazil - Not For Beginners?

One week later, and I still can't believe I'm in Brazil.

Country #35 and it was actually quite divine. I HAD had a ticket to Peru. That one got canceled. And starting in January, Brazil will require a fancy visa to enter. So, it made sense. I found the cheapest flights, booked two separately, and counted down the days until I would again leave the cold of Wisconsin.

Four hours of driving, three flights, not nearly enough layover time to get off the plane, check my bag that had been a carry on on the first flight because I like to book flights separately because they were cheaper, and check in and get back through security for my second flight. - I had convinced myself if I missed the flight it'd be fine, I have all the time in the world (until work on Monday) and can go anywhere...) 

(I take an airport selfie in every airport ;))

Thankfully, I didn't miss the flight, even though I had to take 30 minutes to try to book a return flight. I wasn't able to buy a flight out of Brazil because I didn't have a Brazilian tax number (we'll come back to that) but the ticket agent was enamored enough with me to let me get by. I made it to my flight in time to board.

Adventure #1 of many...

On the flight, I met Pedro, a friendly Brazilian who gave me a window seat to glue my face to the window as we landed in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerias. He gave me the low down on what to do and where to go and told me to call if I needed anything. (I basically spent the next 4 days texting him with questions. Thank you Pedro, you're the best!) He stuck with me through migration and customs as I got my Brazilian stamp in my new passport, and stayed with me until he was pulled into a different baggage checking room and I was on my own, left to defend myself in Brazil.

They say Brazil isn't for beginners. I figured at country 35, if I was a beginner, now was the time to not be anymore. Over the next five days, I came to find out why they say this...and humbly crown myself not a beginner.

When arriving in a new country, the first step is to get a SIM card for your phone, and get cash. Both of these steps can be done at the airport....usually. I made my way to the money exchange booth and asked for an ATM. This is when I learned that my three months of Portuguese lessons did not, in fact, prepare me for life in Brazil. (It's okay, a week later I got the hang of it.)

Praça da Liberdade

 I went to the ATM where I had no luck withdrawing cash. I went to another ATM where I also had no luck withdrawing cash. I gave up and went back to the money exchange booth. Thankfully, I had at the last minute before leaving home I had gotten my mom to be my personal ATM and had exactly $110 USD. I exchanged $60 of them, figuring I might need more in another country later. (Note to future self: Take $200 cash and exchange $110 in the beginning. You can always change it back. You can NOT magically create another money exchange booth in the middle of Brazil in case your card refuses to give you cash from ANY ATM.)

Step one failed. Step two: Get a SIM card. 

After asking in the money exchange booth where I can get a SIM, I made my way to the pharmacy where they sell phone chips (Yeah, idk. As Kate would say, "Because Brazil.") After not understanding a thing the guy was telling me, I messaged my new good friend Pedro from the plane and had him translate for me. Apparently, I could not buy a phone chip unless I had a Brazillian CPF number - the tax number that kept me from buying a flight out of Brazil earlier. So, my good friend Pedro kindly let me use his tax number and birthdate. But, for some reason, the phone said, "try again later." Well, at least I could the chip and had a Brazilian number and had internet...for whenever it started working. (Spoiler alert: It didn't.) ...except my card didn't work. We tried it twice. Then tried another card which finally worked. Except, in the end...all three transactions worked. (So basically, I paid three times for a phone service that never worked.)

(Forgive the terrible photographs - I didn't feel safe having my phone out most of the time, so kept the photo time to a minimum)

Anyway, the guy was kind and kept trying to get my phone activated and left the store to run me out to the bus that was leaving in 3 minutes as he kept trying with my phone. Phone never worked, but I did catch my bus into the city.

So, after a bit over an hour bus ride, I arrived at the bus station. I was a little apprehensive about how I was going to get a ride - taxis are known as dangerous, and you can't order an uber without a phone - but there was wifi in the bus terminal. But, Jenna made dumb mistake number two (after not bringing $200) - and decided to get in a taxi. 

The conversation went something like this. 

"How much to ___"

"30 Real"

Me in shock. "Nooo, 10." (In uber its 10)

"30"

"No, 10."

"Okay, 10." He put my bag in the trunk. (Dumb mistake #3 - letting him.)

He took me to the airbnb.

"30"

"We agreed on 10. The meter says 12."

"But you have a bag. 30." He didn't move. I pulled the money out of my sock (Smart tips thanks to dad) and paid. He gave me my bag.

I didn't say thank you.

Thankfully, arriving into the airbnb was a much better experience. I was greeted by a bubbly elderly lady who spoke with the thickest Portuguese accent i've ever heard. She was helpful and the internet was great, so I was able to sleep and work with no problems. The airbnb was on the 13th floor and had the most amazing view of the city.

Over the next few days, between trying to get my bank card and phone to work and avoiding taxis, I explored the area on foot. The city reminds me a lot more of Kenya than it does of Central America, besides El Salvador. 

It just never felt quite safe, though never felt inherenty dangerous, either. At the airbnb I met another guest who gave me a tour of the area and took me to a delicious local restaraunt buffet.

 Unfortunetly, the delicious food gave me a minor case of food poisioning. I went to sleep and slept 14 hours -- all we need is a little sleep, right. ;D 

Over the next few days as I walked around, I noted a few things. Number one, people looked away and ignored me, even if I tried to say hi. This was a little of a culture shock after the endless greetings of Guatemalans. Two, there were more homeless than I'd ever seen in my life. 

The poverty was heart-wrenching, and I was in the center of the city. (Driving to the bus station later the uber driver showed me an even worse area.) The streets are covered in graffiti, and not the streeet art kind. 

One morning from the airbnb balcony I witnessed a group of people set up a road block on a bridge, do some dances in the road, and then take their roadblock away since it wasn't really keeping the confused drivers off the bridge. As my friend Kate said...Anytime something strange happens just say..."Because Brazil." (Enjoy the story, ignore my poor snapchat photography skills. :)

One of my favorite parts to explore is the local market. The Brazilian market was similar to many latin American markets, but much cleaner. It felt more like a World Market in a big US city than what i'd expect a Brazilian market to be. They also offered samples of everything, from candies to cheese and strange things I'd never seen before. My favorte part, the pet store. The most exotic birds I'd ever seen, it sounded like a cramped zoo.

Sunday the city blocks off a few blocks of streets and has a huge market. 

There were vendors of everything, clothes, food, art, and trinkets. There were people dancing everywhere, random speakers and a variety of music with people jamming out.

unfortunately, the phone problems continued until my last morning in BH. I won't bore with the details, but it took four days, and a sweet lady in the phone store that felt sorry for me and spent two hours tryin to get my chip to work. She finally managed to - but I had to buy a new chip. The problem...I didn't have a CPF number to pay with my credit card. So, she said she'd pay and I could just give her cash.

 Perfect. So I go to the ATM...and another...and another...and Brazil just doesn't want me to have cash. Thank sweet Jesus I somehow found 50 real I didn't know I had, so was able to get at least a few days and small bit of internet. I gave her the cash, thanked her profusely, and took a deep breath of relief that at least one of my problems was solved.

The next day, I called an uber with my newly working phone, and hopped a bus out of the city, excited for things to calm down. :)

Next stop: Ouro Preto <3