Yeah, it was an eye opening experience for me. A few more tidbits...
The compound of houses we stayed in had electrical power, but it was only on 8-10 hours a day, and would randomly shut off. Not a big deal for the most part, but it was only on in the daytime. They had a generator running all night so that if you had to get up to use the bathroom you could still flush the toilet. (This is why all these people screaming about being out of power for a week or two after the ice storm makes me chuckle).
When you wiped after using the toilet, you threw the used toilet paper in a wastebasket next to the toilet. The pipes were too small to flush TP.
You don't have a right to access medical care in Brazil. Even if it's a life threatening injury, hospitals won't treat you unless you are a rich white American, or if you pay first. If you need surgery, they'll provide you with a list of things you'll need to find yourself and buy (rubber gloves, scalpel, etc.), then you bring it all back to them with payment, set an appointment and get treated. If you're poor, you just suffer, or die. I helped treat all kinds of medical issues, from bad cuts to abscesses to horrible sunburn. There was an 8 months along pregnant woman with pus coming from inside her because the baby was dead, no heartbeat, and the decaying infant was going to kill her. We offered to pay for treatment, but she had no way to get to the city to have the procedure done (no one to look after her role in the family).
The police literally shoot first and ask questions later. We were told not to run in the airport because a trigger happy 16 year old Federale might think you're a terrorist. This was pre 9/11, BTW. Look online, you'll see plenty of videos of the cops down there shooting people who run, beating suspects into the trunks of police vehicles, etc. There's no such thing as a citizen complaint forum for it either.
When on the houseboat, we were told "Don't splash water when you wash your clothes, it attracts the
jacare." That's Brazilian Portuguese for alligator.
When you go swimming, you need to stomp on the ground as you walk out into the water. Stingray rest on the ground, and if they feel the vibrations they'll take off before you get too close. If you step on them, they'll sting your leg, and you just might die before you're treated, if you can get treated. Swimming in the jungle is a lot more exciting then at a local lake, let me tell you.
Most roads aren't paved. The city we stayed in had a population of 1 or 1.5 million IIRC, and I didn't see a paved road the whole time, and we had to drive all over to pick up supplies.
With all that being said, it's a beautiful country. Some of the best sleep I've ever had in my life was on the roof of that houseboat, days and days from the nearest telephone, sung to sleep by the sounds of the rainforest. It's right by the Equator, so it's very warm, and life is easy...everything shuts down from 12 noon until 2 p.m. or so for a siesta.
When I came home to an endless supply of hot running water, plenty of channels on cable TV, power on all the time, police and fire departments who're minutes away at the dial of 911, it was a bit of culture shock.
All in all, it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
![[grin]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/041.gif "Grin [grin]")
