January 26, 2019
This morning we had a change of plans! Originally, we had intended to go to the zoo but when we heard there was a tour of the capital in English we decided we should head there first.
When we arrived we were shocked to see the lack of security into the building as there was only one single metal detector. This is obviously much different than in the United States. The National Congress building had several pieces of art, and the architecture was interesting to see. Our tour guide was able to describe the relevance of each one. We were able to see a gift that Bill Clinton gave Brazil during his presidency which was a famous glass plate from the White House.
After the tour there we had an early lunch at the mall. In the afternoon it began to rain, but we trekked to the zoo anyway! I was expecting there to be lots of exhibits but the zoo is actually rather small. To my surprise the exhibits were very far apart and not overly secure. I suppose the Brazilians must not worry about it as much as we do! It was nothing like the Columbus Zoo so many of us are familiar with. Even with all of the differences, it was really cool to see some of the of the native species of Brazil. This included capybara, the largest rodent in the world, the maned wolf, and many colorful birds. After the zoo we were able to go back to the hotel and get some much needed rest. Some of us chose to relax poolside. We are most definitely taking advantage of the warm Brazilian weather.
For dinner we went down the street to a nice steak house. For an appetizer we had this delicious fried cheese which came with a fantastic sauce! The steak was quite different than what we are used to in America. This is mostly due to the breed and feed common to Brazil. The meat was much tougher and more lean than at home. After dinner Leticia took us to see some live music and socialize with the locals!
We signed in at the National Congress!
Our guided tour in English!
The Brazilian version of the House Chamber!
Don’t feed the animals!
-Milan Pozderac