13 jan

So after waking at midday and enjoying a refreshing cold shower, never mind making sense of the floor of our room, ie tidying up our mess we headed out the door to find a laundromat and something to nibble on. After handing over our smellies and dirties we were taken to Horti-frutti which is this fabulous taste-as-you-go market which gives 'pick and mix' a whole new meaning. So as Bean and Riki scuttled around tasting and trolleying, the boys stood shaking their heads. Breakfast was a joy consisting of guava juice, watermelon, rockmelon, mango, green grapes, passionfruit and in Tomaz' case coke and ham cheese pastries. The luxury of being amongst friends and in an actual home situation was one we were both loving especially on such a lazy Sunday type rainy day. Alex we OWE you -hopefully not to the dteriment of his exams!! Gigi joined us not long after and we waited for Pieter to join the crew. Waxing was the number one priority and around four we headed to shopping mall in search of putting smiles not only on our faces but those submitted to being around us. The boys used the waiting time wisely and found a beer. The rain had returned and we soon concurred to go and have....you guessed it....FOOD!!!
I'll tell you what though, Porcão the restaurant we got treated to by Gigi (star team player) is one very special place. Located on the Harbourside of Rio, you may call it a buffet but it is so much more and so much better. Green grape caipirinhas to knock your socks off, and then sushi to impress even the conoisseurs and a salad bar never mind seafood selection to write reviews about. And this was but the beginning.
When you sit down the waiters bring around fries, cheesy pastries, onion rings, pão de quejo (cheesey puffballs), fried banana (no idea either) and farofa(the buttery fried manioca stuff they put with beans and rice here). Then came the meat, they give you a little card one side red, one green which one turns according to whether one wants the meat to come or stop coming. The meat for fear of challenging Argentina's red and whites was amazing and abundant. As our iniciation team challenge we did extremely well...TOOOO well in fact and after various fits of laughter and groans we faced dessert with want rather than will. Ice-cream with mashed bombon, passionfruit mousse, cheesecake, brigadero(chocolate powder mixed with condense milk) and icecreams...team decision to rest and recover saw us leaving not long after and crashing in front of CNN at Alex's apartment. What to do next ...what to do....