Casa-Alto-Vidigal

Watching Brazil vs Mexico

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Casa-Alto-Vidigal

Casa Alto Vidigal is a hostel and bar sitting right at the top of the Vidigal favela.

 

Well, Brazil have played 2 games now and I think it’s fair to say that most people have been pretty underwhelmed. So far there have been no dominant displays and no goleadas – just a feeling that something isn’t quite clicking when the team get out on the field.

I have a few Mexican friends living here in Rio, and they had all decided to watch the game at Casa Alto Vidigal, a hostel/bar at the very top of Vidigal favela. The journey would normally take a little over an hour, so I gave myself a little over 2 hours and set off on my journey. Within minutes I received messages from other friends who were also trying to get to Vidigal – everyone was telling me that the traffic was the worst they’d ever seen in Rio.

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santa-teresa-copa-graffiti

World Cup 2014 day 1: post-match

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brazil-football-dogs

On my way to the game, I saw that even the dogs were getting in on the act.

 

Well, things didn’t quite go as scripted for Brazil: an underwhelming performance, an own goal, a very dubious penalty decision and many people saying that Neymar should have received a red card. However, the score finished 3-1 and Brazil have the expected 3 points.

I was planning to watch the game at the FIFA Fanfest on the beach in Copacabana, so I hopped on the bus. I decided to stop off in Ipanema first to see what the World Cup atmosphere was like. With just a couple of hours to kick off, the beaches were eerily empty.

empty-ipanema

Where is everybody? Getting comfortable in front of a TV somewhere…

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vespera-da-copa

World Cup 2014 – Day 1

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vespera-da-copa

This was the scene on the beach in Ipanema yesterday. Mostly cloudy with the beaches fairly quiet. Was this a bad omen?

 

Well, after all the anticipation, speculation, worry and protest, the day has finally dawned. Day 1 of the World Cup 2014. Yesterday was my first chance to get out of the house and wander the streets of Ipanema to see how things looked and I have to say it didn’t look great.

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Acarajé-SkypeSavvyChallenge

#SkypeSavvyChallenge Competition!

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Brasil-rumo-ao-hexa

Obligatory World Cup image.

 

In case you missed it, Brazil is currently hosting one of the biggest competitions in the world. With the help of my friends at Skype (I’m their Food Ambassador, remember?), I’m starting up a new competition and you’re all invited to take part.

 

#SkypeSavvyChallenge

The challenge is simple – tell us about a fun, unusual or inventive way you use Skype. Do you carry out training sessions with your band mates when you can’t all be in the same place at once? Are you one of those people who can tell an entire story using emoticons?

Here’s one of my tricks. When friends are working late in the office, I’ve been known to tempt them out to play by hanging around the vicinity of their office and Skyping them a photo of something tasty…

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A photo, an update and a competition with a prize

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backlit-butterfly

 

Well, the World Cup looms ever closer and, like many people, I can’t wait for things to get going. Putting aside doubts and objections about chaotic organising efforts and public spending, I love international football and the thought of having the best players in the world playing for their countries in my own back yard – well that’s pretty awesome.

I’m also looking forward to the start of the tournament because I’ll finally be able to break away from my laptop and enjoy a little free time in Rio. It’s not easy to blog when you hardly leave the house and that’s part of the reason I haven’t been posting so much recently.

Today I’ve got a bit of a mish-mash for you. Firstly, check out that nice butterfly I saw this morning. It landed in a patch of sunshine on my jasmine plant and stayed there just long enough for me to get a photo.

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