12 things we love about Brazil
There are so many things we fell in love with in Brazil, so we thought we would break it down so you know what you can expect when you arrive into this incredibly, marvellous country of culture, food, football and dancing.
1. the Beaches
The warm crystal blue beaches are out of this world in Brazil! Often cradled by beautiful mountains and exotic landscapes, it’s hard to not fall in love straight away
2. The Waterfalls
Who doesn’t love chasing waterfalls? (cue my nineties TLC dance moves). Brazil is home to THOUSANDS of waterfalls big and small. It’s the perfect way to cool down in the hot summer heat and they are often accompanied with an amazing hike!
3. Samba
Whether you’re at the beach, in a bar, or just walking down the street - if there is music playing you will see people start to do the samba. It’s a beautiful complex dance that is all in the hips! We tried to take part it in and failed miserably!
4. The love of soccer A.K.A football
It seems as though every man, woman and child are soccer mad! In all the parks and along all the beaches everyone is kicking a soccer ball around with such skill that I’ve never seen before! There are murals of famous soccer players all over the cities and dozen’s of soccer shirt wearing fanatics on every street.
5. The Churrascarias
These traditional Brazilian restaurants are abundant with barbecued meats, side dishes, salads and desserts. The huge variety of meat is cooked in ‘churrasco’ style and served directly onto your plate from a large skewer or trolley. You can’t get any more delicious than this!
6. The late nights
In Brazil, dinner is eaten around 9pm and a night out doesn’t doesn’t usually start until 12am. At night time, the restuarants are full, the bars are buzzing and the streets are bustling with party-goers.
7. The people
Everybody we met in Brazil was so warm and friendly. They will always go out of their way to offer a helping hand and are automatically your friend when you meet them.
8. The Wildlife
The wildlife in Brazil will blow anyone away. In our 2 months here, we have already spotted toucans, tiny marmosets, an armadillo and countless colourful macaws. In addition to this, you can spot jaguars, giant anteaters and giant otters (anything with the word giant in front of it is 100 times more exciting, am I right?)
9. The Caipirinhas
Hmm…okay this was a love-hate relationship. Caipirinhas are everywhere in Brazil, they are made with fresh lime juice, sugar and Cachaca which is a spirit made in Brazil from sugarcane. They are sold on the beach, in every bar and along the street for as little as R$5 (US$1.50) so chances are, this is the main beverage you’ll be drinking whilst in Brazil!
10. The street food
Pao de Queijo, Pastels, Churros, Empanadas, Coxinha…the list goes on. If there’s ever one thing you’re sure of, you’ll never go hungry in Brazil. These typical street food dishes are on the corner of every street and in abundance along all the beaches. The crispy, cheesy bread balls and churros filled with dulce de leite are the reason we have had to loosen our belts!
11. The Acai
Self explanatory. There’s nothing better than an icy cold acai when you’re in Brazil. It is sold EVERYWHERE and served with granola, mixed fruits, nuts and condensed milk…I just, I just can’t go on, I’m drooling too much.
12. The cold beer
Brahma, Antartica and Skol are the 3 main beers sold in Brazil. The beer is bought out in a large bottle which is encased in an ice cold bottle cooler, perfect for sharing with a group of friends (or just yourself, as Trent is the champion at). In our first hand experience, which is extensive, we believe the beer is served coldest in Brazil and that’s how we like it!