How To Make Brazilian Chimarrão: Aussie Gaúcho's Guide For Gringos

Some friends back home have asked me about the strange looking drink I’ve been pictured drinking a few times, chimarrão, so I thought it was time to write a guide for all the other gringos out there.

What is Chimarrão?

If you’re walking around Porto Alegre or other parts of southern Brazil you’ll notice a lot of the locals are carrying around a strange looking wooden cup. That weird cup is a ‘cuia’ and the drink is a hot beverage known as chimarrão. And gaúchos are obsessed with the stuff. 

Chimarrão is a hot drink made from the green tea like erva leaf. Like tea, erva mate is rich in antioxidants and is also caffeine rich, making it a popular morning or afternoon drink around this part of the world. The plant is native to South America and was consumed by inhabitants of Paraguay for hundreds of years, and spread throughout the rest of the continent after European colonization. Brazil is now the biggest producer of the plant.

Unlike tea, rather than commonly served in bags or a tea pot, chimarrão is served by putting the loose leaves into the cuia after they have been ground down to an almost powder. Hot water is then added and the drink is then consumed through a special metal straw known as a bomba. The bomba has acts as a sieve to filter out the leaves from the straw when the person takes a sip.

Is Chimarrão Similar To Mate In Uruguay And Argentina?

Yes, it is more or less the same thing. Just like coffee is still coffee despite the huge differences in flavour, preparation and serving throughout the world, Chimarrão and mate (sometimes yerba mate) are different ways to do the same thing. It is the same plant, and while the preparation can be different, the end result is very similar. Just don’t tell locals in any of the places that. As with anything in the world, the way it's done in the country you happen to be in now is obviously the ‘correct’ way to do it.

Uruguayan "Yerba Mate" on the left and Brazlian Erva Mate on the right

Interestingly, this is a tradition that the people of the state of Rio Grande Do Sul share with their Spanish speaking neighbors and not other parts of Brazil. 

How To Make Chimarrão

I’ll admit I’m still a novice at this. Gaúchos are very particular about how to make Chimarrão and even after a year I’m struggling to get my head around it.

Obviously you need to start with the right equipment. Cuias come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some are more like a bowl, while others are taller and almost cone like. They’re also great for gifts as they come with a huge range of decorations, often symbols of the state’s history or - as is common now - football logos. 

The Bomba is usually made of metal these days (though you can find more ornamental versions with other materials) and will often have a simple decoration near the top.

A Bomba

The first step is to put the leaves into the cuia. This may sound easy, but you actually need to ‘stack’ the leaves to one side. This allows the bomba and the water to have room on the other side of the cuia. This is achieved by filling the cuia two thirds full of erva and then covering it (with a hand or small plate). You then hold the cuia horizontally and shake the leaves on to the bottom side. Once you remove the cover you'll see the leaves stacked on one side (hopefully). 

Once you’ve got the leaves on one side, you add some cold/room temperature water, which helps to keep the erva in place.Then, with your thumb over the end of the bomba, insert it into the cuia with the sieve end at the bottom.  You can then suck out the cold water and your chimarrão is ready to drink by adding the hot water. 

How To Drink Chimarrão

As they are with preparation, Gaúchos are very particular about the rules of drinking chimarrão too. 

One of the best aspects of drinking chimarrão is that it is usually done in a social setting. You’ll see friends in a park with one cuia being passed around and a thermos full of hot water for top ups. The usual way to drink it is for one person to fill the gourd with hot water and then drink until they can no longer suck anything up through the bomba. They then fill it up with hot water again and pass it on to the next person.

This goes on until you run out of hot water, or there isn’t any flavour left in the erva. If you’re with a big group you might only get a chance to drink once, but in a smaller group you may have it passed to you a number of times.

Because of the ‘wall’ of erva on the side, the drink retains flavour for longer than you’d think because you tend to get extra leaves infusing each time water is added. This does tend to result in some of the leaves never actually being part of the drink, which I’ve always thought of as wasteful, but it is just how it is!

Another oddity is that it is normal to not say ‘thank you’ (obrigado/a) to the person passing the drink to you, as that implies that this will be your last one. It is also very important to not try to move the bomba once it is in. At times the bomba can get clogged and you’re not able to suck up any of the water, however it is considered rude to try and adjust it with your hands. I’ve had a few dirty looks!

Where To Drink Chimarrão

The only real downside to chimarrão for a gringo is that,

because of its social nature, it isn’t something that is easy to try. You can’t just go to a cafe and ask for one, you need to make it yourself or hopefully be invited by some locals to join them for some. 

Making it yourself means buying the equipment and the erva and then attempting to follow my amazing instructions. The better option is try to meet locals. If you’re invited to a social gathering during the day in the South of Brazil (or in Uruguay or parts of Argentina) it is almost certain that you’ll be offered some chimarrão. For some people getting over the issue of sharing a cup may take some time, but if you stick around long enough they’ll likely start sharing a glass of caipirinha too and the cachaça in that should kill the germs. 

Recap: How To Make Brazilian Chimarrão

1. Fill the cuia two thirds full of erva
2. Cover the top and while holding the cuia horizontally, shake the erva to one side of the cuia
3. Remove the cover, and while on a 45 degree angle, gently fill the cuia with cold/room temperature water
4.With your thumb over the 'straw' end of the bomba, insert the 'sieve' end into the cuia and move the cuia back to vertical
5. Suck out the cold water and discard
6. Add hot water to the cuia and drink until you cannot get any more
7. Refill the cuia with hot water and pass to the next person
8. Repeat and enjoy! 

Good Beer In Porto Alegre / Boa Cerveja Em Porto Alegre

Anyone who reads my blog will now I like a beer. You'll also know that I'm not a fan of Brazilian beer in general. Luckily, Brazil - and in particular Porto Alegre - is in the middle of a craft beer boom, meaning there are plenty of places where you can get some good beer. Between brewery pubs, and small scale breweries you don't have to go too far to find a good beer.

October is a good time of year to try some new beers too, with seemingly dozens of beer festivals in honour of Germany's original Oktoberfest. Last year I attended the biggest Oktoberfest beer festival in the state down at Sant Cruz Do Sul. While it was a fun day out, the beer on offer wasn't great, which certainly takes a lot of the fun out of things.

This year we'll be staying local, and there are plenty of beer festivals. Already this past weekend there were at least three different beer festivals with plenty more to come.

The one I'm looking forward to the most is at VIDAL Mercearia + Cafe (Rua Mata Bacelar 52) who are hosting Oktoberfest da Vidal. Vidal will be partnering with local brewery Cervejaria Zapata to create a beer especially for the event. The hosts (one of which is an actual German) will also be serving authentic pretzels and sausage, making it a cant miss party.

There are countless other ways to get good beer though. Small breweries like the Veterana Beer Truck seem to be at every food festival, and with the weather getting better you can follow them around Porto Alegre chasing good beer. Other good breweries you often see represented at these food festivals are Cervejaria Elementum, Baldhead, Perro Libre, IrmãosFerraro and Seasons. 

In fact, these food truck festivals that seem to happen every couple of weeks in Porto Alegre seem to have as many craft breweries turning up as food truck - a fact you won't soon have me complaining about. 

When I first wrote about beer in Porto Alegre, I wrote a list of some of the good places to buy beer in the state capital. I'm happy to say that list has expanded. Here's my updated list of places to get good beer in Porto Alegre.

Dirty Old Man Cocktail Pub

Rua Lime e Silva, 956

The moment you walking into this Cidade Baixa favourite you know you are going to get a good beer. Space may be at a premium, but it is worth fighting for. Dirty Old Man has a beer and chopp (draught beer) list that includes Baldhead, Seasons and Whitehead. As you can expect by the name, the bar also servces a wide range of cocktails and has some good food as well – I recommend the batatas rústicas.

Hooroo House

Avenida Nova York, 835

You know that to be considered a good Australian pub/restaurant you're going to need good beer and Hooroo House gets it right. Hooroo serve Imigração beer on top with pilsen, American pale ale (my favourite) and IPA varieties all available by the jug. Hooroo regularly shows sporting events such as Inter and Gremio games, UFC fights and American football, and when combined with regular drink specials meaning its a good place to drink some beer!

A Virgem

Rua Olavo Bilac, 251

When you walk into A Virgem – again in Cidade Baixa - the first thing you notice is how beautiful it is inside. Great artwork is all over the walls, while a very beautiful beer garden awaits out back. The menu is just as beautiful, featuring a large range of craft beers – both bottled and and draught. Regular happy hour specials mean that not only do they have great beer, but also some great value beer. They also have a great range of cocktails (with non alcoholic options) and pizzas making it a great option for a group catch up.

Penz Bier

Rua José do Patrocínio, 366

A Cidade Baixa newcomer, Penz Bier serves a selection of its own specially made craft beers, including the award winning Porter Alegre, as well as some other local brews. The owners work in the establishment and it is clear that they put their love into everything on the menu. As well as the quality beer, Penz Bier serves up some very good food, with the highlight being the Penz Burger.

Great beer goes with great burgers at Penz Bier 

Heilige Brew Pub

Avenida Getúlio Vargas, 1157
Heilige Brew Pub could easily be a bar in my home city of Melbourne. It has a god atmosphere, great beer and very friendly staff. As well as serving their own very tasty brews, they also have a good selection of other craft brews on tap and in bottles, meaning you're sure to find something you like. The night I was there they had an all night happy hour of two for one beers which meant it was also great value.

Locals Only CB

Sarmento Leite, 1086
Yet another Cidade Baixa favourite, Locals Only stocks only local beer from Rio Grande do Sul - hence the name. Serving their beer in jars gives it an inner city Melbourne hipster vibe, and while I generally prefer something bigger than their 300ml serves, it does give you the opportunity to sample a bigger selection of their beers on offer. 

Lagom Brewery & Pub

Rua Bento Figueiredo, 72
Lagom Brewery & Pub have had a couple of different locations, and I hear they'll actually be closing down their pub to concentrate on brewing, so I recommend you check them out while you can. They have a good varied list of beers made in house (many of which are on the strong side!) and a small but tasty food menu, meaning it is great for a night out with your friends. 

Bier Markt Vom Fass

Rua Barão de Santo Angêlo, 497

This German style beer hall, based in Bairro Moinhos de Vento has an enourmous list of beers available, both bottled and on draught. Even stocking one of my all time favourite beers – English ale, Old Speckled Hen – it is virtually impossible to try all of the beer on offer. With regular specials and different offerings there is almost always something different to try each visit to Bier Markt. They have a good range of food options including the exceptional brie burger and have some spicy mustards to add to your dish – just be careful with the extra hot. I learned that from experience.

Duplex 312 Gastro Pub

Rua Comendador Caminha 312
Duplex was opened on the original site of the old Lagom pub. Luckily, they kept up the reputiation of serving good beers. This place is perhaps a little louder than many others on the list, with live gigs and events here regularly. For those of us that like a place where we can just sit, chat and enjoy a beer (ok, us oldies) it may be a bit much to go to regularly. At least it provides a good alternative.

Bairro Anchieta

Sometimes you have to go to the source, and when it comes to craft beer in Porto Alegre, that souce seems to be the Achieta neighbourhood in the north of the city. Within just a few blocks are several small breweries where you can try many different kinds of brews. Baldhead Craft Beer recently celebrated their five year anniversary with an event on their premises featuring music, food trucks – and of course great beer. Other breweries in the area include Seasons, Távola, Tupiniquim and Vintage.

The search continues 

I'm always on the look out for the best place to buy good beer in Porto Alegre, and my friends, I'm very dedicated to this project!

There are still some places on my list that I haven't gotten to yet. Two places have consistently been recomended to me that I haven't yet had a chance to go to. The first is Quentin's, (Rua Gen. Lima e Silva 91) a Tarantino themed bar in Cidade Baixa who are having their own Oktoberfest party this Sunday. The other is is Hidden Brew Pub (Rua Gregório da Fonseca, 680) which I've heard incredible things about, but as it is located in the south of the city, requires some more planning!  

Also still on my list are Malt Store, Apolinario Bar and Mercado do Chopp, so I hope to try them soon. 

If any of you know of another great bar or brewery let me know and I will give them a try.

Cheers! 

10 Struggles For An Australian Living In Porto Alegre, Brazil

A coupe of weeks ago I wrote a piece about the 10 things I love about living here in Porto Alegre. Now, in the interest of balance, I'm writing about the things that I have struggled with over the last 12 months. 

I hope this list doesn't offend anyone as that isn't what I'm here to do. However, any time you live in a different country (or at times just a different city) there are going to be certain differences that take some effort to deal with. It has been true of every country I've lived in. 

When I lived in Canada I couldn’t handle the crazy cold winters (-39 degrees, that is crazy), when I lived in England I struggled with the bars closing at 11pm, while in Ireland I found there was very little to do socially other than drink. 

Meanwhile, even being back in Australia doesn’t make me immune to these issues. The last time I was back in Australia I missed being able to watch Canadian hockey, drink English beer and do whatever it was that I did in Ireland for a year (seriously, I know I had fun, but I can’t quite remember). 

Every country has it’s positive and negatives, and Brazil is no different. 

Some of these are minor inconveniences while others are more serious, but they are all a struggle!

1. Brazil Lacks Food Variety

I’ve mentioned this a few times, but having come from Melbourne it is very difficult to get used to the lack of variety in dining available here. The food that is available here is generally very good - Churrasco being the best example. But if you want to get something that isn’t meat with beans, rice and salad there aren’t many options, especially if you also want something other than burgers, pasta and pizza. I have found a few great restaurants that offer something different, but I miss being able to go around the corner to find Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican, Afghanistani or Polish food

2. Security In Brazil Is A Problem

This is probably the most serious of my struggles here. While, like any other big city in the world Melbourne is not immune to crime, coming to Porto Alegre is a completely different level. In Melbourne I can walk around late at night without more than a passing thought to my safety. Here, when going out at night it has to be the front of your mind. Even going to a place just minutes walk away from your house means you have to think about your travel. The situation here appears to be getting worse too, with funding cuts to the police department, meaning this is going to stay a major concern.

3. Brazilian Beer Is Mostly Terrible

The major beer producers in any country are generally not great (VB in Australia or Budweiser and Miller in the US) but here in Brazil it's even worse. The big brands here such as Skol and Polar are close to undrinkable. Thankfully the local custom is to serve them estupidamente gelado (stupidly cold) which means you can’t really taste anything. If you get a slightly warmer one though, they’re practically undrinkable. 

There is a great craft brewery scene in the country now, and especially in Porto Alegre. Unfortunately though, the costs are relatively high due to the cost of importing the quality ingredients. Life is too short to drink bad beer!

4. Expensive Imported Goods

It isn’t just the cost of quality barley and hops that is expensive here. Due to a combination of being far from the rest of the world and government taxes and fees, importing products into Brazil is an expensive business. If you’re craving a taste of your home country there are import shops here in Porto Alegre, but you’ll definitely be paying a premium for it. A 200ml bottle of maple syrup recently set us back about US25. High import prices are across the board, with electronic goods up to twice the price as they are back in Australia. 

5. Brazilians Like To Keep You Waiting

Getting anything done here takes time. If you’re waiting on some government paperwork that will take some time and usually result in you having to visit two or three (or possibly more) different government agencies to get things sorted. You’ll get used to waiting rooms, lining up and waiting for public transport. Schedules are merely guides rather than rules to be followed. 

This doesn’t just relate to companies or the government either. Your friends will keep you waiting too. There is a different relationship to time here, whereby saying you’ll meet for dinner at 7pm means sometime after then. Possibly even hours after then. They’re no being rude, that is just the way it is. 

I've realised that it is an adjustment that I need to make rather than them (I am in their country) but I do still struggle with it. I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve made my wife get ready in a hurry and then been the first people to arrive at a party - including the hosts. 

6. Overly Attentive Shop Assistants

Because a lot of people who work in shops get paid by commission it is almost impossible to look around without workers following you around trying to help. They’ll sometimes give you a shopping basket or bring random things for you to look at, but most of the time they’ll just follow you around the shop hoping you’ll need their help. I find it very creepy and often I’ll leave the store as it makes me feel all kinds of awkward. Again, I know they're just working within the system they've been given, but it doesn't make it much easier to deal with. 

7. Brazilian Communication Is Difficult.

Communicating with Brazilians isn’t easy. Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of this is on me. If I made a better effort to learn Portuguese it wouldn’t be as much of an issue. I am learning, and I am definitely getting better and more confident, but that still isn’t the only problem.

The more I understand, the more it becomes apparent that Brazilians don’t communicate well to each other. Every single conversation seems to take detours which only serve to confuse the message. 

Rather than asking a direct question, Brazilians first need to chat about the weather or how work is going. Then, when someone finally asks a question, they’ll leave out a crucial piece of information which changes the context of the entire conversation - then they’ll get confused when the answer doesn’t make sense but still not actually question it. 

Meanwhile, directions of “get on that bus and get off after an hour when you see the supermarket” are very difficult for someone expects a street name and number.  

8. Infrastructure

This has a lot to do with the economic issues, but infrastructure problems here - specifically electricity and water - have been a struggle for me here.

This is definitely a “first world issue” for me, but I can’t get used to not having hot water from every tap in the house. For a hot shower you need a “power shower” where you often need to make the choice between water pressure or heat. In the depths of winter that can be tough. And that is assuming your power hasn’t gone out. 

A lot of homes here appear to have had their wiring done in an ad-hoc manner which means you’ve often got all kinds of different sockets and wires all over the same house. Many of which don’t work. This isn’t just in houses either. If you’re walking around the streets you’ll see a mess of power lines tangled up everywhere. It seems as though when lines go out, rather than taking away the old lines the city just adds new ones. This haphazard approach means there are long power outages almost every time there is a storm, or wind or rain...or heat. 

9. Public Affection

What is wrong with a good handshake? Brazilians are very affectionate people, which is great, but I sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by it.

If you meet up with someone you know or are meeting for the first time it is expected that you show some affection. If you’re meeting a girl you’ll likely be expected to kiss on the cheek (usually once, but often twice - I still don’t know the rules!) and even with guys there’s an embrace that is somewhere between handshake and hug. I still don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing. 

Then, even if you’ve met someone in the street and spoken to them for 30 seconds, you’ll be expected to embrace them again before you walk away! Don’t even get me started on arriving at or leaving parties! 

I often feel I'm being cold or standoffish when I don't fully embrace this part of the culture, but it is difficult to undo 36 years of living!

10. Brazilian Politics Is A Mess

The political and bureaucratic system here in insane. You have politicians who have been convicted of actual crimes acting as innocent patriots during the impeachment of the nation's president. Then other politicians taking kick backs while not paying government workers including police and teachers, and a bureaucracy that features a tangled mess of government agencies (and semi government agencies) who seem to make up the rules as they go along. 

No country is perfect, obviously, and governing 200+ million people is no easy task. Having said that though, it seems as though much of the government system in this country is interested only in keeping the status quo, There are so many real problems facing the country that they could be focused on, and yet self preservation and "what is in it for me?" seem to be the only priorities.

Um Guia Brasileiro Para O Futebol Australiano

Sempre que tenho uma conversa com um brasileiro sobre esportes, fica claro que a maioria das pessoas acha que o maior esporte na Austrália é Rugby. Muitos nem estão conscientes de que existem dois tipos diferentes de Rugby, e muito menos um outro esporte que é ainda maior em todo o país.

Embora ambas as formas de Rugby sejam definitivamente grandes na Austrália, o maior esporte no país é futebol Australiano.

Futebol Australiano explicado

Como quase todos os outros países que já estive, a maioria das pessoas aqui no Brasil nem sequer tinha ouvido falar de "Aussie Rules" (regras australianas) como um esporte, muito menos visto um jogo. Muitos querem saber se ele é mais parecido com o futebol, Rugby ou futebol americano. Na realidade, enquanto os elementos são semelhantes entre todos os três, também é bastante único.

Com a final da Liga de Futebol Australiano (Australian Football League ou AFL) deste sábado, eu achei que era um bom momento para que os brasileiros conhecessem algumas noções básicas do grande jogo australiano.

As Regras do Futebol Australiano

Futebol australiano é jogado entre duas equipes de 18 jogadores em campo e quatro jogadores para substituição. O campo é uma forma oval e aproximadamente duas vezes o tamanho geral de um campo de futebol ou de rugby. A bola é muito semelhante a uma bola de rugby ou de futebol americano.

A partida é jogada por 4 quartos de tempo de 20 minutos cada.

O estádio MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground)

Os jogadores passam a bola para outros jogadores chutando-a ou por "handball". O handball é quando um jogador segura a bola com uma mão e dá um soco em seu outro lado para que a bola seja passada para um jogador perto. O handball é geralmente usado para passar a bola para um companheiro de equipe próximo ou quando o jogador está sob pressão de defensores.

Defensores estão autorizados a atacar o jogador com a bola, agarrando-o pela camisa ou pelo tronco. Se o jogador não é capaz de passar a bola por chute ou por passe de mão (handball) enquanto ele está sendo agarrado, o defensor é premiado com um chute livre (free kick).

Os jogadores estão autorizados a correr com a bola, mas devem tocar a bola no chão pelo menos a cada 15 metros que eles correm. A maioria dos jogadores consegue isto quicando a bola enquanto correm.

Se você chute a bola para um companheiro que pega a bola sem ninguém tocá-la (ou bater no chão), é conhecido como um "mark" e o jogador ganha um chute livre e não pode ser agarrado, se ficar parado. Se o jogador começa a correr, no entanto, eles podem então agarrá-lo.

Futebol australiano é um esporte de contato e os jogadores não podem ser expulsos do campo por jogo duro. Os jogadores precisam ser fortes, porque é um jogo de contato, e também precisam ser rápidos. Não é incomum para um jogador correr 25 quilômetros em uma partida.

Pontuação

Em cada extremidade do campo estão quatro postes verticais. Os dois postes centrais são mais altos do que os postes de cada lado. O objetivo do futebol é marcar um "gol", que é quando você chuta a bola entre os dois grandes postes centrais. A bola deve vir do pé e não deve ser tocada por qualquer outra pessoa antes de ir para o gol. Cada gol vale 6 pontos.

Se a bola cruza a linha sem ser chutada, tocada por uma mão ou se for chutada entre um dos postes mais altos e um dos postes menores ao lado, isso é conhecido como um "behind" e vale apenas 1 ponto. Da mesma forma, se a bola toca o poste de gol, isso também vale apenas 1 ponto.

Australian Football League (AFL)

O AFL era originalmente um campeonato de futebol estadual conhecido como a Liga de Futebol de Victoria (Victorian Football League). Desde os anos 1980, o campeonato se expandiu de 12 para 18 equipes, no entanto, 9 das 18 equipes ainda se baseiam na capital do Estado de Victoria, em Melbourne.

Futebol australiano está atualmente sendo jogado em dezenas de países em todo o mundo, e o AFL agora tem jogadores da Irlanda, do Canadá, da Nova Zelândia e dos EUA, embora a maioria dos jogadores ainda sejam australianos. Há pelo menos um jogador australiano na liga que tem origem brasileira, Heritier Lumumba.

A final (AFL Grand Final - AFL Grande Final)

A final  vai acontecer neste sábado, primeiro de outubro na estádio MCG em Melbourne, com 100 mil espectadores. Quase todos os outros australianos vão assistir pela televisão.

Principais jogadas da semi final de Sydney Swans

As duas equipes são os Sydney Swans (Cisnes) e os Western Bulldogs (Buldogues). Os Swans têm sido um dos melhores times na liga pelos últimos 12 anos e têm o jogador mais famoso, Lance “Buddy” Franklin. Os Swans ganharam o campeonato em 2012 e jogaram a final em 2014. Os Bulldogs não têm o mesmo sucesso. A equipe fica nos bairros no oeste de Melbourne, não ganhou um campeonato desde 1954, e a última vez na final foi  em 1961.

Principais jogadas da semi final de Western Bulldogs

Pode ser difícil encontrar um lugar para assistir ao futebol australiano aqui no Brasil, mas se você tiver uma chance, você deve tentar encontrar um bar que pode estar mostrando o jogo. Infelizmente, a grande final será em torno de 04:00 da manhã no horário brasileiro.

No entanto, se você estiver em Porto Alegre, pode se juntar a mim e a outros australianos no Hooroo House para assistir a uma reprise do jogo no sábado à tarde. A partida vai começar às 12:30 da tarde. Fazer uma reserva.

Te vejo lá!

10 Things I Love About Living In Porto Alegre, Brazil

On Wednesday I will have been in Brazil for exactly one year. In that time, I've been asked about my thoughts on Brazil dozens of times and specifically people asking me why I'm here. Even when I let people know the one (obvious) major reason why I'm here, people seem to think that I must hate it here. That is far from the truth. 

There are a lot of reasons to love life in Brazil. Here's a few of the big ones.

This Is My Wife's Home

Obviously the number one thing I love about living in Porto Alegre is that this is where my wife is. She is the reason I’m here and - despite plenty of other things on this list - really the only reason I still am. Getting a chance to live in her home city, get to know her friends and family and the culture she is from has been an amazing experience. One that I wouldn’t change.

There Is Some Great Food - And Heaps Of It

If you’re hungry, Brazil - and in particular Porto Alegre - is the place to be. Everything seems to be ‘all you can eat’ with ‘buffet livres’ on just about every corner. 

Of course the best food here is Churrasco. While the rest of the world knows it as “Brazilian Barbeque, Brazilians know that Gauchos do it better than anyone. 

While variety isn’t the best for dining here, there are some very good restaurants offering Peruvian, Spanish and even Australian food. 

Craft Beer Scene

I’ve mentioned before that the standard beer sold here in Brazil is almost undrinkable. Luckily though, for the last few years the country has been going through a craft brewery boom, meaning there are heaps of places to get a good pint. It can be pretty expensive (most of the ingredients have to be imported) but the result is some genuinely great beer. Life is too short to drink bad beer!

Brazilians Are Really Friendly

Pretty much everyone I’ve met since I’ve been in Brazil has been incredibly welcoming and friendly. While in Rio recently for the Olympics a crowd of dozens of strangers gave me a round of applause for simply being Australian. While everyone was obviously happy during the Olympics, I’ve found people all over Brazil are really interested in knowing more about me and making me feel as welcome as possible.

Brazilians Love To Share

One of the truly great things about Brazilians is that they tend to do things together. So many of their traditions are done as a group, rather than as individuals or couples. Look around a park in Porto Alegre and you’ll see groups of people passing around the chimarrão. At a party they’ll be doing the same with the national alcoholic drink, Caipirinha. 

Here in Porto Alegre, friends and family of my wife couldn’t wait to invite me over to their house or to a park to enjoy a real Gaúcho churrasco. 

Open Container Laws

In most parts of Australia (and the world) it is illegal to drink alcohol on the streets or other public places. That isn’t the case in Brazil. Here, you’re allowed to drink pretty much everywhere (except for at football games…). This makes celebrating anything so much easier. Pop up street parties and festivals don’t have to worry about licensing regulations and with people selling beers pretty much everywhere during any major event, you don’t have to worry about queuing anywhere to buy overpriced beer from official vendors. 

Paçoca Is Amazing!

Brazil has some very tasty treats from pão de queijo (cheese bread) to brigadeiros. But my favourite by far is the crumbly peanut butter like snacks known as paçoca. They’re amazing. They’re kind of a drier, more solid version of peanut butter, but also sweeter and make for the perfect snack. Unfortunately at times I like them a little too much. Interestingly, for a country with this as one of it’s major snacks, they don’t seem to like actual peanut butter much (and when they do, its usually too sweet and overpriced)

Cidade Baixa Feels Like Home

Porto Alegre has some nice neighborhoods. The historic downtown area has some nice colonial era buildings and Moinhos de Vento has some great bars. But by far the best neighborhood in town is Cidade Baixa. This area could easily be a suburb of Melbourne and is definitely the closest thing to home I’ve found in Brazil. It has dozens of bars, cafes and restaurants, many of which are the best in town. Within a few blocks you know there’ll be somewhere to get a good coffee, great craft beer and a good feed. 

Cheap Limes

This may seem trivial but I love limes. Paying up to a couple of dollars per lime in Australia (I’ve seen it) hurts my heart. Here you can buy limes for virtually nothing which means you can use them in everything - like you should. Overall the cost of living for an expat here is pretty good, but if you’re relying on local jobs, then all of a sudden things start to feel different. 

Brazilians Love To Party

Nobody celebrates like Brazilians. Carnaval is obviously one of the biggest parties in the world, but any time you get a bunch of Brazilians together to celebrate they're going to do it right. There'll be good food, plenty of drinks and obviously copious amounts of dancing. 

Anyone who saw the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games has a good idea of how hard these people can go. Singing and dancing for hours on end is just par for the course here. 

Bonus - Top Five Things To Do In Porto Alegre

The Olympics Are Over: Back To Reality

For a while it looked as though Brazil had changed. People were excited and appeared to be genuinely happy. The biggest problems in the country were being caused by a few American swimmers and an Irish official. During the Olympics it seemed as though Brazil had become a truly great place to be.

Everyone came together....for a while

That didn't last long.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Olympics. The doom and gloom predicted by the world's media was clearly over the top. Everyone spoke about Zika, the water issues, safety concerns and whether the people of Rio would truly welcome the world. All of that seemed kind of crazy during the 16 days of the Olympic Games.

For me it was a dream. I've been wanting to go to the Games my whole life, and after missing out on Sydney in 2000 (I was poor and lazy) I'm so glad I finally got a chance to see one in person.

My wife and I went to a bunch of different events including Rugby, Hockey, Basketball, Athletics and Beach Volleyball. A lot of basketball. 

The vibe around the city was amazing. Everyone there, from the volunteers to the bus drivers to the people selling food and even the tens of thousands of military brought in to keep us safe, had smiles on their faces and were really doing their best to make sure all of the visitors enjoyed their stay.

While ticket sales were an issue the whole time, many locals went along to sports they didn't know anything about. Seeing Brazilians in the crowd at the hockey and rugby watching the gringos to see when to cheer was funny. At times the Brazilian crowds stepped over the line with regards to sportsmanship, but for the most part they were just enjoying themselves.

It was great to see the locals also embrace female athletes. We attempted to get tickets for the Brazilian women's football team's ill fated semi final at the Maracana but it was sold out.

And Brazil did well. After a slow start, Brazil won a bunch of gold medals, including some big ticket items like the men's football, volleyball and beach volleyball. There were plenty of great news stories like judo star Rafaela who came from the "City of God" to win gold. 

The biggest moment for me was getting to watch the Bronze and Gold matches in the men's basketball competition. Unfortunately, my Australian Boomers couldn't come away with their first medal, but  it was great to be there to watch them try.

All of that seems like a long time ago now though. In the mere two weeks since the end of the Olympics, Brazil has once again regressed.

President Dilma has been officially impeached, despite the majority of those doing the impeaching being under investigation for far worse crimes. Protests have sprung up all over the country causing mayhem and some scary confrontations with law enforcement. 

And athletes haven't escaped the problems now, with cuts likely to come to the women's football team as well as the athletics program within the military that provided so much success. 

Even here in Porto Alegre, a reduction in the police force due to budget issues has resulted in a spike in violent crime that has necessitated the need for federal intervention. 

It seems nothing good lasts in Brazil for very long. Hopefully the Paralympics - starting tomorrow - can at least give us another short reprieve.