Thursday, February 25, 2010

Beer Review Number 3: Brazil

Carnival, the tannest endurance test I've ever witnessed, was quite a beast. Think you're good at drinking? Think you can hang with the hombres grande? Well pack your liver in a suitcase and come on down, because this bitch takes some talent to get through.

Theres beer on the beach. On every street corner. In every store. On every menu. And seemingly in everyones hand. I think there was beer in my cereal. Everyone drinks. In the morning. All through the day and way into the night. I saw a mother puking on her child who inturn puked on their dog. Everybody be hammered here.

"So" you might say, "the beer must be amazing with all those people drinking it up."
I would reply in return, "No. It isnt. In fact it tastes like piss. And it doesn't matter what brand you drink, its all coming from the same penis. " (HA unintended play on words there)

I'm not going to do an individual breakdown of the beers. As they're all pretty much the same. Skol, Devassa, Antartica, and Brahma. All terrible in there unoriginal, indescernable ways. Instead i'll just continue to complain.

Truth be told. Not all the women in Rio are hot. Not are all in shape. Some are fat. Everyone is tan. And the beer is terrible. I mean real bad. Bad like in you better drink that beer ice cold, straight from the cooler, in 1 minute or less or you'll have a can full of dog pee pee to deal with. I can not understand why people make bad beer. Moreover I really cant understand why people make lots of different types of bad beer. Some things in this world I guess are beyond me.

What do you get when you force piss flavored beer down your gullet all day and all night in the hottest weather youve ever felt? Why the worst hangovers you've ever had of course. The kind that make you pray for the sweet mercy of death. Waking up with a mouth so dry you could grow corn and potatoes on your tounge. Headaches so blinding you wish you could take your eyeballs out with mellon ball peelers. Bad stuff man. Not advisable on any level.

What then to do during Carnival if you're going to avoid the beer. Drugs are always an option, especially if you want to goto jail and be rapped by a tranny. Option number two, you could go the hard alcohol route, but its kind of expensive and will likely end in the same suicide inducing state of hangover that beer does. So...I say drink the piss. Drink it cold. Drink it proud. Let that golden pee shower over your face and drink it all in one gulp. You're in Rio after all, there's boobies to see!

*Perhaps the best beer related story during Carnival was the presence of Paris Hilton promoting Devassa beer. Whatever ad agency is responsible for landing her as a spokesperson for a beer whos name literally means 'dirty slut' should be awarded a medal. Brilliant marketing. Here's said spokes person gracefully promoting the beer at a Night club in Rio. Bravo Paris, you make all of America proud.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Valporaiso Pics-


I apologize for talking such shit about this place. Turned out to be really amazing.

Click here.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Its official...I hate my haircut.


I have a hair problem. Everyday I go back and forth about what the fuck I should do with it. When its short I wish it was long, when its long I wish I had an afro. I can never make up my mind as to what to do with it.

On this trip i thought I had it all figured out. I wanted to look as Euro as possible, but since I can only grow the facial hair of a 10 year old italian girl I figured the hair on my head would have to do most of the heavy lifting. So I researched Euro hairstyles that would go well with a traveling lifestyle. The perfect balance between style and ease of use. I thought I found the answer in the Euro Soccer player style. Here you grow your hair long and use a thin head band to hold it back. Makes the front look clean and the back a wild mess. It works for all the popular soccer players over here so I figured it would work for me. Then I tried it and realised I look like a fucking moron.

So whats next. I know maybe Ill go full Hippie adventure travel guy and pull my hair back into a ponytail. Its almost long enough (no it isnt). Well I did that too. And low and behold I once again look like a fucking moron.

Finally I got to the point where I'm just not washing it anymore. To hell with it I say! What happens? My hair resorts back to the haircut i had in college , the ole Zack Morris Butt Cut, only my butt is much much greasier. So again fucking moron.

This is my hell. I know if I cut it off Ill hate it, but if I leave it in this in between limbo I'll hate it even more. What to do! Should I braid it like the sunburned little fat girls do in the bahamas? Or maybe Ill grow dreads. I think that carries alot of travel street cred. Or maybe for once have the balls to do a real mohawk. On the other hand maybe I'll perm it. Then again...

**I'm open to suggestions.

Share a coke and some roofies


Thanks to America I've turned into a gigantic pussy. I'm scared of everything. Terrorist. Dogs. Terrorists who own dogs. It's unbelievable. I won't go into Michael Moores whole theory on our government terrorizing us into submission, but i will say he makes a good point.

Take yesterday for example. We're sitting in a small street side restaraunt enjoying our lunch. Suddenly a stranger comes up to us with a fresh bottle of ice cold coke. He manages a few words in broken english. "where are you from". My mind takes a minute to compute what language hes speaking in and what language I should respond. I choose slurred english. Uhhhh English, I mean America. He then lights up "oh I studided in America!" as he places the bottle on our table and gives the universal sign "here, a gift for you." He leaves just as quickly as he came, saying to us as he parts "a gift from me, my country is very friendly."

Wow. What a nice guy. I mean who in America would do that? Offer up a free coke wanting nothing in...hold on wait a minute..I think he put drugs in it. He must have. Why else would he give us a coke? Its got some kind of mind erasing poison in it. Hes waiting for us to drink it and then he's going to jump us outside.Then he'll take us to his house and use us as sex slaves and not the good kind you see on the Playboy channel. Or maybe its some kind of weird foreign tradition. Maybe if I drink his offered coke he gets ownership of my kindneys. Or maybe I'm supposed to give him Sabrina in return. Thats got to be it. There's no way he could just be doing it out of the kindness of his heart.

So as we left the sidewalk cafe, an untouched bottle of Coke sat sweating in the afternoon heat on the cafe table.

Thanks alot President Bush, you've created a country of pansies.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Fav Santiago Pics


Santiago city of parks, buildings, and God sent Panasonic stores.

Fav Rio Pics


Trannies, boobies, trannies with boobies, and beaches..enjoy.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Night to forget morning to remember


There are moments in life (at least mine) where i wish I had a mental camera capable of capturing an exact moment in time so that years from now I can go back and remember it. This morning was one of those moments.

After a night spent losing my favorite camera and filing police reports, I spent the morning swimming in the ocean at sunrise.

The best moment of the trip so far came when i was floating in the ocean looking out towards the horizon, with the sun breaking into the sky directly infront of me. It looked as if the sun was coming straight out of the water. I've never experienced anything like that. Awesome.

Sorry folks parks closed


yeah so my camera got stolen last night.

score 1 for underprivelaged yuths
and 0 for stupid white guys.

we'll be back up and running image wise once STA fufils their whole end of the insurance deal.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

You say Futbol I say Tomato


Last night i attended my first Brazilian soccer game and lived to tell the tale.
Was it fun? Yes. Was it more fun than watching an American football game? Nope, sorry Pele, it wasn't.

Here were the highlights.

From the moment we stepped on the train you could tell this was a different sport. Yes Carnival is going on at the same time and yes half the people on the train were probably wasted, but holy moses were they rowdy. The train was COMPLETELY packed. I mean like NY + SF subway packed. I think I might have actually been standing on a small child. He felt soft beneath my tired feet. Some how we managed to get on the right train, and off it, only losing a pair of sunglasses (which is better than our lives). A nice Brazilian took it upon himself to escort us from the crowded train, through the crowded station to the correct connecting train. Did I mention I saw a 60 year old woman throw an elbow towards Sabrinas face as she tried to exit the train. Shit be serious here.

So onto the stadium. It was huge and yes thats what she said. We searched around for scalped tickets. Ran into a fellow traveler we met several nights earlier at an irish bar, and he proceeded to kick us in the balls by telling us that the tickets he bought were 2 times the price we wanted to pay. Never one to focus on the negative, we wished them well and walked around the corner where we bought two tickets in the covered area (which is important because the non covered areas come with a complimentary golden shower from fans throwing their piss from above.) for half the price of his.

The game was fun. The fans were completely out of their minds. Shooting off fire works from their seats and singing the entire game. Quite a different scene from what Im used to ..ie Atlanta fans refusing to show up for Braves world series games, or Hurricane fans refusing to show up for anything...much like the team...oh burn yeah Im talking to you underachieving Hurricanes.

The score. I'll give you one guess what it was. Guess. Come on. Ill help. It had zeros in it. As in 0-0. The entire GAME! And people around the world wonder why Americans hate soccer. We were there for 3 hours and no one scored. I could see the same thing hanging out with my old partner Joe in Santa Monica on a sat night. GET IT JOE? Word play. Ha.

But seriously. Soccer is boring. The fans are awesome. The fireworks, dangerous and cool. But soccer. Eh. Whatever.

In the end, the game came down to a shoot out. Sabrina was correct when asking, "three hours of nothing and it comes down to this? Why didnt they do this from the begginning?" Indeed, my well endowed friend, why indeed.

The Negative:

It was soccer.

Oh and did I mention...THERE WAS NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED OR SOLD IN THE STADIUM!!!! As in completely dry. Nothing. Nada. No alcohol.

Can you believe this?

So let me get this straight. I'm supposed to sit through 3 hours of guys running back and forth across a field, without a damn point scored...without alcohol?

I hardly do anything without alcohol..I'm serious..I was doing my laundry last week wasted and i passed out in the laundry basket for half the day.

Un-bee-lievable.

In the end it was a really great experience, and I had a blast. I swear I had a great time and would totally do it again. Next time, I'll mainline some heroin before I walk through the turnstiles. Either that or down a six pack of Zima.

Goooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Carnival pre and post alcohol




PART 1: 18:35 PM Friday

Welp its here. Carnival starts today, and as I sit here in my underwear with AC blasting on my slightly sunburned legs I can't help but wonder what the reality of it all will be like.

I've been anticipating it for weeks and now its here. I half expect a party to break out in the elevator on the way down to the front door of our place. But will it? Will it be as crazy as I think or have i over hyped it in my mind much like the Phantom Menace and the last 3 seasons of Hurricane football?

Will there be boobs?
Will there be lots and lots of boobs?
Will people be making out everywhere?
Will there be music?
Can i last until 7 in the morning if I start drinking now?
Can I last for 4 straight days of drinking?
Will I want to??
Will there be boobs?
Will the music take over the minds of hot women and make them make out with each other?
Will i need a costume?
Where will I pee?
What should I drink (the ciprianas give me acid reflux and the beer is weak as well water)
Will I dance or just stand there tapping my feet like I did at every middle school dance I went to (1)?
Will it be the wildest party I've ever been to, or more like Fantasy Fest in the Keys, where I expected naked hedonism and ended up sheilding my eyes from the sagging boobs and balls of 50 + year old moms, dads, and grandparents.
Will it be better than Burning Man? Better than Spring Break? Better than the season finale of Dexter?
What will it be like and most importantly will there be boobs?

There's only one way to find out...cheers!

PART II: 12:35 PM Saturday

Well Id like to say it was an insane party and somehow I managed my way on stage to perform my rendition of Ants Marching, but alas, it wasnt.
Id like to say i got so drunk i woke up wearing someone elses pants. But no. Im wearing mine.
Id like to say that we pretended to sing along to the samba songs and danced until sunrise. We didnt
We fought. Came home early.
Yippe.
Good thing theres always tonight.

Monday, February 8, 2010

I think I see a boobie



For the last couple of years Ive watched the Superbowl on a 15 foot HD screen at my pal Lews Superbowl party.

He throws a great party. Free drinks. Best tri tip youve ever eaten, and did I mention the 15 foot HD screen?

Well this year I missed the party...because well you know...I'm in Rio.

Its at this point in the story I realize I have a problem.

I have a huge dependence on American football. I'm a junkie. I'll sleep with you if you have the Direct TV NFL package. Seriously wether you want me to or not. I'll do it.

So whats a junkie to do on Superbowl Sunday, when hes far from his supply, dealer, and any tv that will be showing the game?

Watch the entire thing on scrambled cable of course. Duh!

That's right I watched the entire superbowl from my apartment, on scrambled TV...thanks to my youth I'm extremely gifted at this.

The picture was waving this way and that and the audio was in spanish. Come to think of it I could have actually been watching reruns of Gossip Girl. Not quite sure.

Congrats to the Houston Texans on their victory. I think it was them.

Fav pics from Foz de Iguacu


Click here for more.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Hot Hot Heat


Brazil is hot. From the moment i stepped off the bus I could feel the change. Heat so hot you feel like you're wearing it as a coat. It weighs on you. Surrounds you. Makes it hard to breathe. Your lungs work, hard, to take in the nearly 100% humidity.

Fast forward to Rio and add a sun that literally feels like its a few feet away from you. This is what living on the sun is like.

Nights are hotter than the day for some strange reason. Its as if the wind stops blowing and the heat is just trapped in the city. Sitting on you like an elephant. Stale stagnant air. You sweat while you sleep. AC is a must. We tried not using it a night. That experiment ended at 4am.

But it's great. The heat is amazing. It makes you feel alive, even though it feels like its killing you. The beads of sweat trickling down your body while you sit in the shade. The burning sensation of your skin. The tanned bodies everywhere, just reminds you that you're not sitting at a desk anymore. The flourescent sun replaced by the real one.

Its a great feeling.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Fav Pics from Iguazu Falls


Click here for waterfalls and rainbows....not kidding.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

I love places where the only thing that happens is weather.

Wealth, not poverty, is what's shocking.



This is a lesson I learned unexpectantly on the ride from to Bolivia to Argentina. Sitting on a comfortbale bus watching Star Trek with the AC blasting, I turned my attention to the world outside if only for a brief moment.
What was vast stretches of land, houses made of salt, kids playing shoeless in the streets, was now replaced with mega marts, paved roads and mansions that spanned the length of entire towns.

When did wealth become so shocking? Streets lined with cars. Neighborhoods sliced into sections like those at home. Street lights. Cross walks.

Where were the lamas in the road? Or the cities that lost power during the slightest rain storm?

I couldn't believe how much this affected me, watching from my cushioned bus chair with my shoeless feet propped up on the foot rest. It was like I'd landed on the moon.
I quickly realized that wealth, not poverty, takes some getting used to. I figure if you're born in the middle of the Bolivian salt flats with nothing but a soccer ball and a goat, you learn to live the most rewarding life you can with your soccer ball and your goat.

It's funny how quickly your perception changes of what is defined as "nice". In the states a "nice" hotel for me was at least 4 stars. It was not called a motel. Had to have cable, AC, a comfortable bed (preferably a dream matress), a rain shower, a pool, a sauna, a gym, jacuzzi (that I may or may not use), an in room snack bar (which I would def not use), a complimentary bathrobe, a tv in the bathroom, and oh about 10 other things.
Now, a "nice" hotel for me is one that has a bed, won't flood while I'm asleep, and isn't over run by scorpions or other creatures of the night.

Forget the dream bed. Give me a rice bag filled with hay and I'll sleep for 10 hours.

Forget the AC (well give it to me if you have it) but just give me a room that has a roof on it.

Forget the shower. Shit I don't even shower anymore so it doesnt matter.

But that's exactly my point. You don't need what you don't have.

These folks here know that, or they don't know that, which might be even better. Ignorance is bliss.

Its amazing the smiles Ive seen. Kids smiling while they kick a rolled up piece of paper through make shift goals. Kids swinging from trees as they use sticks and their imaginations to pretend they're transformers...not some $30 toy from toys r us...a stick...for free...from the earth.
People laughing out loud eating from carts on the side of the street, or from in the walls of their cinder blocked house. No AC. No Direct Tv. No nothing. Just them and their laughter.

P uts things in perspective real fast.

Turns out I don't need Direct TV...and it absolutely kills me to say that.