Brazil can be a dangerous place

I recently wrote about the problems Brazil has been having lately with the economic and political turmoil, along with the threat of the Zika virus – all with the eyes of the world firmly on the country with the Olympic Games just over two months away.

More recently, focus has turned to the safety of those who will be coming to Rio de Janeiro for the event – including athletes, officials, the media and spectators. A few high profile cases have given many people second thoughts about coming – and it is not completely without reason.

One of the biggest adjustments I've had to make since moving to Brazil has been to think actively about safety issues when going about my daily routine.

As Australians, we tend to take our safety for granted. While there is nowhere in the world where no crime happens, Australia is among the safest in the world and you can generally feel secure even when walking the streets of Melbourne late at night.

It is quite different here. Walking the streets at night time (even early evening) in many areas is not considered safe, while other areas should be avoided even in the day time. When going out at night it is imperative that you plan for how you're going to get home and if you're driving, being sure to park close enough to the venue so you're not forced to walk too far. These are things I would never think about at home, often walking for over half an hour late at night to get to my house.

To put things in to perspective, Brazil has 21 of the top 50 cities in the world when it comes to murder rate (homicides per 100,000 people). Porto Alegre, where I live is 43^rd on the list with a rate of almost 35, while the national average is over 25 – enough for 16^th highest in the world. In comparison, Australia's rate is one of the best in the world with just over 1 homicide per 100,000 people.

In Australia, a lot has been reported about the case of Rye Hunt, an Australian who has been missing in Rio de Janeiro for over a week. After getting into an argument with his travelling companion at the airport, Rye went missing and has not been heard from since. His family and friends are obviously incredibly worried about him and are doing everything they can to track him down. I still have hope that he can be found safe and sound return to his family.

Another recent case in Rio was that of several members of the Spanish Olympic sailing team who were robbed at gun point for everything they had on them, but were fortunately lucky to be left un injured.

Cases like this have certainly made news abroad, but by and large the majority of the victims of crime are the locals. The biggest case locally was an awful situation where a 16 year old girl was gang raped by up to 30 young men, which has shocked many Brazilians into protests and much needed conversations about victim blaming and the overwhelming macho culture that dominates the country.

While the stories about foreign victims are always going to get more media coverage, it is the Brazilians caught in a cycle of poverty, crime and government corruption who suffer the most.

I know my parents were particularly worried while I was travelling through Latin America two years ago and there were some scary moments. I'm a fairly experienced traveller, and I certainly take extra precautions when travelling through (or in my current case, living in) a country like Brazil, but there is only so much you can do.

While Brazil can be dangerous, it isn't like the old west. Like any city or country, it is about being sensible and taking some precautions. Coming from Australia you certainly need to make some changes, but it is worth it. Brazil is also filled with very warm genuine people and to avoid it completely for fear of being a victim would be to deprive yourself of meeting these amazing people.

For all of the scary and dangerous places I've been to, the one place I've ever been a victim of a violent crime is Melbourne. Luckily that situation wasn't too serious, but it did teach me that things can happen anywhere, but that shouldn't stop you from doing what you want to do or go where you want to go – you just need to take care and hope for the best.

If you have any information on the missing Australian, Rye Hunt, email his family on FindRye@Gmail.com 

I suck at Portuguese (and other languages)

What do you call someone who speaks two languages?

Bilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks several languages?

Multilingual.

What do you call someone who speaks one language?

Australian.

As an Australian, whenever I travel I feel stupid. Virtually every country I have been to over the last 12 years is filled with people who speak two or more languages. I've met people who speak as many as seven different languages, and others who say – in perfect English – that English is only their “third or fourth best language”.

This book has helped, but I'm still a dummy

Meanwhile, myself and many other Australians speak only English – and some will argue we don't even speak that well.

It is kind of understandable. We don't share a border with any other country, and, while we have many immigrants, there isn't one dominant language that unites many of them – unlike in the United States where the largest group of immigrants speak Spanish. When combined with the fact English has become, like it or not, the World's “second language” and “language of business”, there is no real need to learn another language.

That isn't to say that no Australians know other languages. Many Aussies who's parents are from other countries learn their native language, and most schools require some kind of second language learning for at least a couple of years, but the culture doesn't really lend itself to children embracing the new language. Many immigrants are often shamed into “conforming” to speaking English only in public, while their children often don't embrace the language of their parents for fear of being seen as an outsider.

The way we teach language in Australia also doesn't help. Even English. It was only when learning new languages that I began to really understand English grammar. What was a verb or a noun? I finished high school without ever really being sure. And when we do teach foreign languages in school they're not done well. They're usually taught by Australians who are likely to have never even been to the country who's language they are teaching.

For all of these problems though I could still be better at languages if I tried a bit harder.

The only foreign language taught at my high school was French, and our teachers were Australian and Scottish. Because of court they were. I did the mandatory two years, and from my grades and reports was actually quite good at it, but as soon as I was able to drop it I did. I dropped it because I couldn't see any need for it in my future and because the way it was taught was mind numbingly boring.

20 odd years later all I remember, aside from the standard greetings is the following, which formed the first line of poem we were forced to memorise:

J'ai un petit chat, petit comme ça.

It translates to “I have a small cat, small like this”.

That isn't going to keep a 13 year old kid interested.

One of the first places I travelled to when I finally left Australia was France, and while it would have been beneficial to have known more French, I got by with only English as well as one Aussie friend who spoke some French because of her parents. And that is how much of my travel has gone.

I've always made a point of learning some basics in whatever country I go to. The important things like; “yes”, “no”, “thank you”, “two beers please” and “cheers”, but when you're moving through a country in a just a few weeks, you rarely get a chance for more than that.

Like Paul Kelly, I can order sandwiches in seven different languages.

The first time I wished I'd learned more of any language was when I was living in Canada and wanted to find a job in Montreal. While a lot of people will say that people in Quebec don't speak “real” French, if I'd studied more when I was in high school I likely would have had a better chance of picking up the Quebecois dialect.

When setting off for my 8 month trip through Latin America, I decided I needed to learn Spanish. I'd spent around two months in Spain years earlier and had enough Spanish to get by, but I wanted to be able to do more than order food and buy bus tickets. While in Guatemala I took an intensive week long course and got to a level where I could have actual conversations – as long as the other person was speaking slowly and only talked about things I had already learned.

It went ok through Central America, but then old habits crept in. Accents changed meaning I found things more difficult to understand, and there was almost always someone with me who could speak better Spanish than me (usually an American) or at least was more willing to try.

And then I got to Brazil. I assumed that if my Spanish was ok, Portuguese would be fairly easy to pick up. I was wrong.

I gave my wedding speech in Portuguese

When I arrived for the World Cup two years ago I was shocked at how little I understood. My first impression was, that while it may look like Spanish, it sounds like Russian. I tried learning some bits and pieces while I was here, but that mostly just confused me when I went back to Spanish speaking countries like Argentina and Chile.

Once back in Australia, it quickly became clear I wanted to return to Brazil to be with my (now) wife, so I wanted to make a real effort to learn Portuguese. I purchased “Portuguese for Dummies” and signed up to some online language classes, but even since I've been here for eight months, it is slow going.

Trying to encourage myself to study more Portuguese

First and foremost, Portuguese is not an easy language. My biggest hurdle as always is listening. I can read quite well, but the moment someone talks to me I'm like a deer in headlights and I just freeze. I can often get the general theme of what two people are talking about, but the moment they start talking to me I seem to forget everything.

A lot of this is on me though and could be overcome if I put in more work, but again, it is easy not to. My wife speaks great English (far better than I could ever hope to be in Portuguese) and while many people in Porto Alegre say they speak no English, the majority of people I have spoken to speak a LOT more than they think – and again better than my Portuguese.

At the end of the day though, I need to work harder to improve. I can't keep blaming the lack of language culture in Australia for my lack of effort in learning the language. I have a nation full of Brazilians to practice with here.

Gaúchos do like to make things difficult though. All the theory I'd learned before arriving told me that the “tu” (you) tense is not used in Brazil (rather, voce), and yet whenever I speak to anyone here all I hear is tu. It definitely doesn't help.

At the end of the day though I know I have to work harder, and hopefully one day, it won't all sound Russian. 

Football in Porto Alegre

It was football that first brought me to Porto Alegre.

In mid 2013 I set off on a 12 month worldwide journey – including eight months in Latin America – slowly making my way to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. It was truly a life changing adventure.

My first time at Beira-Rio in June 2014

While on the journey, I came to Porto Alegre for the match between The Netherlands and the Australian Socceroos at Gigante Beira-Rio. It was an incredible game, with Australian star Tim Cahill scoring one of the goals of the tournament and the Socceroos actually leading for a while, before going down 3-2.

While the game was great, it was what happened later that day that was life changing, when I met a woman outside of a bar in Cidade Baixa who would eventually become my wife. It may have been football that brought me to Porto Alegre initially, but it was a Gaúcha that brought me back. I know not all Brazilians were happy with the World Cup being in their countrybut I'll be forever grateful that it was.

The spot where I met my wife

Gaúchos love their football too. It will surprise nobody to find out that football occupies a huge part of the collective consciousness in Brazil and it is no different here in Porto Alegre. That passion is deeply divided in Porto Alegre though. The city is split in two over which team to follow. Here, you're either for Internacional, or Grêmio.

Football here is like a religion, and even those who aren't big football fans declare proudly whether they are a Colorado (fan of Inter) or Gremista (fan of Gremio).

While many football fans around the world are familiar with teams like Flamingo or Corinthians from Rio and São Paulo, the two teams in Porto Alegre are less famous outside of Brazil. Despite that, they are both very good sides that have had as much success as any team outside of the country's two major cities.

Grêmio (Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense), founded in 1903 by English and German immigrants, is the older of the two teams and has played out of the impressive new, Arena do Grêmio stadium since 2012. Everywhere you go in Porto Alegre you can see Gremistas dressed up in the “tricolors” of Black, White and Blue. The team is known to have the sixth biggest supporter base in the country, with a reported eight million fans throughout Brazil, while they also have a reported 85,000 members – more than can fit in their 55,000 seat stadium.

Going to watch Gremio play

Those fans have a reason to be loyal as the team has had it's share of success. They've won the Intercontinental Cup (once), the Copa Libertadores de America (twice), Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A (twice) and Copa do Brasil (4 times). Their best period came during the mid 90s while famous coach Luiz Scolari was the manager, and while they haven't enjoyed any success at a national or international level for 15 years, their fans stay loyal.

Sport Club Internacional (known simply as Inter) was formed a few years after Grêmio and had a pretty rough start – losing their first game to their local rivals 10-0. While things didn't start well off the pitch, the club grew quickly after being known as a team that was more inclusive of the various ethnic communities in Porto Alegre at the time. The founders, from Italian background, weren't able to play for the two existing teams in the city, and instead decided to start their own team where everyone could play, regardless of origin or nationality.

Back at Beira-Rio to watch Inter

While Grêmio has had some good success, it doesn't compare to what Inter has accomplished since that first game in 1909. Inter has won the Campeonato Brasiliero Serie A three times, as well as the Copa do Brasil once. Internationally, they've won the Copa Libertadores twice (2006 & 2010), Copa Sudamericana once and Recopa Sudamericana twice. The biggest prize though, was in 2006 when Inter won the World Club Cup, defeating Barcelona in the final.

Inter are also one of just five teams in Brazil to have never been relegated to the second division of the national league and has played in every season since it's inception in 1971.

Another area that Inter dominates is in supporter base, with 106,000 paid up members – the most in all of South America and one of the largest in the entire world.

Both teams play in the state championship as well – something quite different from many other countries. Every year, after completing the national league, professional teams in Brazil play against other clubs from their state, some of which could barely be described as “semi professional”. While it is odd to see such unevenly balanced teams playing against each other, it means that the big name teams are brought back to their roots and play meaningful games in smaller cities and towns all over the state – something that is lost in many sporting leagues in other countries.

Watching Inter win the Campeonato Gaucho, while drinking Chimarrao

A rivalry is only as good as the two teams, and luckily both teams are very good, meaning that the rivalry is always fierce. We don't really have anything like this in Australia, where our two major sports are heavily based in two cities. That both teams have had success both in Brazil and internationally, helps push both sides to continually be better.

The Australian Football League (Australian football, not “soccer”) has 18 teams, with 10 of them based in Melbourne. While there are some great historical rivalries, it isn't the same as having a two team city. The closest we have is in Adelaide or Perth, with each having two sides, but in both cases, the second team is only around 20 years old, so there isn't that history. There is a similar situation in Australia's other major sporting league, the National Rugby League, where eight of 16 teams are based in Sydney.

Going to a game is very different here than back in Australia too. Not being able to drink beer in the stadium is quite an adjustment. I'm so used to being able to watch my favourite team play, while having a drink in my hand. Here in Brazil, with alcohol banned in stadiums (except during the World Cup) things are a little different. One of the ways the locals overcome this is by getting to the stadium early to have drinks and food before going in to the game. With street drinking allowed on the street, the outside of the stadium is effectively one big tail gating party, which can be fun.

What happens during the game is different too. In Australia, fans of both teams sit together without any problems, while here (more like in Europe) fans sit in sections that keep the home and away supporters apart. This is somewhat sad, but it also creates an environment where singing and chanting can happen. With the fans of each team concentrated together, Colorados and Gremistas spend the entire game singing, chanting and cheering for their team, practically in unison.

Gigante Beira-Rio

The football played on the pitch in Porto Alegre may not be world class, but the passion of the fans in the stands truly is.

Having been to games at both teams venues – both of which I'd love to take back to Australia with me – I can appreciate both teams, but at the end of the day, there was never any doubt over which team I would pick as my own here in Porto Alegre. It was a game a Gigante Beira-Rio that brought me to the city, and since then I've had nothing but great experience at the stadium supporting Inter, as well as watching the Rolling Stones.

Adding to that, my wife and her family are fans of Inter, and if I've learned anything in the first month of my marriage, its to keep your wife happy. 

Looking for somewhere different to eat in Porto Alegre?

Anyone who has met me since I have lived in Porto Alegre knows I have been enjoying the food. Rio Grande do Sul serves up some of the best grilled meat in the world and Gaúchos take great pride in sharing this treat with guests and new arrivals. The trouble I had fitting into my suit for my wedding a few weeks ago is evidence that I have been taking full advantage of that hospitality.

If I have one problem with food here though, it is the lack of variety. Coming from Melbourne I am used to being able to go out and find virtually any cuisine on the planet without much trouble. You want Chinese food? Little Bourke Street has you covered. Vietnamese is more your taste? Victoria Street is like heaven. If you're feeling like Greek food head to Lonsdale street or Italian food go to Lygon Street.

Here in Porto Alegre is a little different. There are plenty of good restaurants, but the majority of them serve up the same kinds of food. Meat, rice, beans and salad. I've still yet to get used to Gaúchos and other Brazilians eating rice and beans every day – and often for both lunch and dinner.

That isn't to say there aren't some good restaurants in Porto Alegre offering different cuisine – you just have to look. Fortunately I have found some great options for when you want to eat something a little different.

Hooroo House

Avenida Nova York, 835

I've written about Hooroo House before, but it definitely deserves to be on this list. Run by Gaúchos who spent some years living in Australia, Hooroo House brings Australian flavours and ideas to Porto Alegre and mixes them with meals that locals will be more familiar with. Dishes like the Aussie BBQ platter, potato wedges and the old classic, Fish & Chips, make Hooroo a far more authentic Australian experience than that other restaurant that claims to be Australian (but in reality, is American).

If there was any doubt that Hooroo House was a favourite place to eat for me in Porto Alegre, just last month my wife and I had our wedding reception there, with Andre and the team providing great food, as well as a great atmosphere for our special occasion.

Lola – Bar de Tapas

Rua Castro Alves, 422

A lot of restaurants these days claim to serve tapas, but most just use that as an excuse to serve small portions of expensive food. Having spent some time in Spain (yes, I just “place dropped”) I've been forever ruined for tapas restaurants outside of Spain, as they rarely live up to expectations.

This made for a very pleasant surprise when I visited, with Lola proving to be easily one of the best tapas restaurants I've been to outside of Spain. As well as serving up individual portions, Lola serves giant platters will filled seafood, meats, breads and dips, and you'd be hard pressed to leave this tapas bar still hungry. As a bonus they serve sangria, as well as a great range of local beers, making this a place I'll be going back to soon.

Muju Restobar

Rua Coronel Bordini, 684, Auxiliadora

As an Australian, before visiting South America I thought alll South American food was much the same. Much of that comes from “Latin” restaurants in Australia serving everything from Brazilian style churrasco to Mexican tacos. While travelling through Latin America a couple of years ago before arriving in Brazil I discovered there were vast differences in Latin cuisine, and one of my favourites was Peruvian food. Specifically I fell in love with the dish, Lomo Saltado, which is kind of like a Peruvian version of a Chinese stir fry – with potato fries added. I ate this meal a lot in my weeks in Peru, so I was excited to find about about Peruvian restaurant Muju Restobar being close by.

Muju certainly didn't disappoint. It was certainly a more gourmet restaurant than I experienced in Peru in my backpacking days, but they made sure that the simple flavours that make Peruvian food so good still shine through. My lomo saltado, made with very tender file mignon along with the perfect mix of spices and vegetables, certainly satisfied the craving I was having for a genuine taste of Peru. The other highlight on the menu was their extensive list of ceviches, each with different fish and other ingredients. My wife ordered the trio of ceviches, giving us (one of the early benefits of marriage) a chance to try three different ceviches, all of which had unique flavours.

Mao Sut – Thailand Bar

Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 1374

When you first walk into Mao Sut the first thing you notice is how beautiful the restaurant is set up. With a large outdoor area for warm days complete with a beautiful bar, it is one of the best places in Porto Alegre to enjoy outdoor dining. With a range of Thai curries and other dishes – including the signature Khao Phad Sapparot served in an entire pineapple – Mao Sut is one of the few choices in Porto Alegre for genuinely great Asian food*. Again, as a bonus, they have a good list of craft beers available by the bottle as well as some tasty and some delicious cocktails, decorated to enhance the tropical theme.

*Porto Alegre, and Brazil in general does do one type of Asian food pretty well – Japanese. Though I've had some good Japanese food so far, nothing has been incredible yet.

O Butiá, Itapuã

Rod. Frei Pacifico, 4100, Vimão, RS

While not strictly in Porto Alegre, O Butiá is a short drive away and well worth the trip. Open only on Saturdays and Sundays (as well as special events and weddings) O Butiá is surrounded by parkland and the Guaíba, making the surrounds as beautiful as the dishes.

O Butiá serves a set menu which includes two starters, a main and a dessert and uses some fine locally sourced ingredients. The menu changes regularly, and on the day we visited the focus was on seafood, with the main course being a white fish with a lime mouse sauce. Simple food, done incredibly well. Bookings are essential through their website.

Does anyone know of any other great restaurants in and around Porto Alegre that offer something a little bit different? I'm always keen to try something new, and very much accepting of recommendations, so let me know! 

Travel Makes You Fat

Update: The trend has continued in Brazil! With so much food here in Brazil revolving around meat, and specifically red meat I've certainly been indulging! Churrasco, pacoquina and pao de queijo are among the things that have "helped" me put on a few extra kilos, but the food is so good its hard to imagine I'll stop any time soon!

It is a little different this time, because I am living in Brazil and not just passing through, so I can cook, which certainly makes a difference. Having said that, when you go out for dinner here it usually revolves around meat, rice and beans, so you're gonna struggle to stay in shape!

This piece was originally written in December 2013 during my year long trip which brought me to Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Little did I know that would end up in me living in Brazil!

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They call it the Heathrow injection. The extra few kilograms that Australians tend to come back with around their mid sections after a working holiday in the UK and Europe.

Whether its the stodgy food, the copious amounts of ale or the cold weather comfort eating, its rare that an Antipodean returns home from his or her time abroad without a little more to love.

Fish & Chips in England

I'm far from immune. After over two years in the UK & Europe I returned home with around 15kgs (33lbs) extra baggage – and I'm not talking about souvenirs. Just to prove that Heathrow is not the culprit, I returned with a similar result after two years in North America.

One of my favourite things in Canada, Poutine

This has become an inevitable part of travel for me, and one that I'm willing to accept. Why? Because I love food. For me, trying all of the local food in each country is a huge part of the reason I travel. Sure I love meeting people, and obviously have an addiction to live sport, but on a day to day basis, its almost always the food that is most memorable.

The last two weeks in Mexico have been foodie heaven. There's been tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, chalupas, mole, quesadillas and many other types of food that I cant remember the names of. Everything seems to come with salsa, cheese, cream and chili – even at breakfast - and its becoming evident that my travel gut is well and truly back.

Tostadas

It didn't just start in Mexico though. After leaving Australia in pretty good shape, things were actually looking pretty good for the first month or so, travelling through Burma and India, where I ate a mostly vegetarian diet to avoid falling victim to any sketchy meat handling practices.

Vegetarian tali

And then I got to the UK. While I think British food is sometimes unfairly maligned for being boring and drab, there is really no doubting that the traditional fish and chips, pie and chips and increasingly these days, kebab and chips are anything but healthy. Throw in the aforementioned copious amounts of ale and the need for a “full fry up” to ease the inevitable hangover, and the beginnings of travel gut 3.0 were well established.

One of many fine ales consumed in England

The next leg of my trip saw me return to the US and Canada where I caught up with a lot of good friends, but also got reacquainted with some of the food I'd been missing. Poutine, chicken wings and visits to my favourite burger places were almost daily occurrences. By the time I'd finished in the US, I could start to feel my travelling diet catching up with me. I certainly wasn't the same person who completed the Tough Mudder event in February.

A Krusty Burger

All of that, though, was just a warm up. It's been Mexico that has given me some of the most delicious food I've ever had, but also the biggest contributor to the gut. It appears to be virtually impossible to eat out in this country in a healthy way. To be honest though, I'm loving it.

Enchiladas with mole (chocolate & chili)

Arriving in Mexico City after a long day of delayed and cancelled flights, to be greeted with enchiladas swimming in a delicious salsa verde, its hard to be too conscious about your body shape. You just have to enjoy.

Some of the best street food in the world

And if nothing else, when I arrive home and people ask if I bought back any souvenirs, I'll know I brought with me the best reminder of just how good a time I had.

As I move ever closer to Brazil for the World Cup starting in June, I'm looking forward to trying all the food that Central and South America can throw at me. And hey, its almost Christmas...

Who else loves eating as much as me when they travel? What are your favourite travel foods and what are you most looking forward to trying on your next trip?