Sunday

Yesterday we spend the day walking around Cocacobana and Ipanema people watching. I have learned that Cocacobana is great for the food and Ipanema seems to have the better people to watch. We thought the parade was at 2pm but ended up to be at 4pm so we went to the jewelry store and took the tour. It was cool to see how they mine the gems in Brazil and then turn them into the beautiful jewelry we love so much! The store with the tour was very proud of their work and cost way too much! even their gift store (which had nothing to do with gems was way over priced). Then we went to the other jewelry store and I finally found my Mom's Nativity. Yeah. We found lots of paintings that we want for above our bed. We will look again on Wed or Thursday (maybe they will be cheaper since less people will be around).
We finally saw one of their parades and realized we had seen one the day before - yes that is right we saw them and did not even know that the jeep with people on the back playing music was the poor mans version of parades. So Sunday was a little more organized the police blocked the roads well in advance and there was tons of people. The parade this time had a dance group and a bus like thing that had the band on top of it. The dance group was surrounded by "guards" holding hands to keep the crowds away. It was very hard to see where the dance group was, they were small 2 to 5 people. It was crazy that there was so many more people watching or walking and dancing with the parade then actually in the parade. They all sing the same song which we finally found the words for but still have no idea what it says. On the "float" there was a sign that said "Obama E Negro. Mas foi Pra CASA BRANCA" and another one that said "Bush: so no sapatinho" We translated it but we still did understand the meaning of it.
There was a lot of things that is like our Mardi Gras - the biggest difference is the people are nicer. The American word I have heard the most is F***. It is funny hearing it with accents. The streets are a lot like Bourbon just wider so there is more people. They even had a guy peeing in the street right behind me. There was a lot more people dressed up the kids in cute costumes and the guys in little dresses. Some girls were dressed up but not as many as the guys. Most girls have crazy head bands on. We went to the hippie market - lots of fresh food, crazy looking fruit and tons of things they claim to make themselves (even as they are taken them out of the plastic bags they are shipped in)
We have decided it is a mixture of New Orleans Mardi Gras and Spring Break in Florida. We are having a great time! I did try the Pineapple caprinia and the orange caprinia today - the orange was very good!
Hopefully we will be able to get some pictures up today...