The Forgotten Item

I said that I would forget something and I did... and I did forget probably the most stupendous thing that happened this year.

17. Rio de Janeiro

A million shits happened before it but in the end turned out to be the best trip I did to date. I spent a week at the city we call "Cidade Maravilhosa" and almost everything I've heard about it was confirmed. The smart and funny people, the hot weather, the breathtaking sights, the hot men... all was there for me to see and drool on. And the violence, the thing people warned me the most, wasn't a bit close to anywhere I went; not the Rio is a safe place, I guess I just went lucky.

I made nice friends there and hung around with Alais at beautiful historic and modern places: Santa Teresa, Laranjeiras and Lapa, the artistic neighborhoods; Copacabana and Ipanema, the place with the hottest shirtless people; Leblon, the fanciest place I've been; Cinelândia and the old downtown, the most charming neighborhoods I've seen so far.

Also in Rio I saw live one of my favorite singers, Roberta Sá [brunette on the pic] in a pocket-show that felt like a true carioca event: close-to-people but very glamorous and hype. The connection between the audience and Sá was inevitably delicious, considering the stage was actually part of the dancefloor separated for the band. She played favorites such as Mais Alguém, A Vizinha do Lado and Samba de Um Minuto; but the highlight was when she sang Fogo E Gasolina looking straight at me!!!! I died a million deaths at that singular moment. Later, after the show, I and Alais went backstage for autographs and pictures; Roberta was nice and gentle and signe the hundred autographs I was charged to ask.

Next year she's going to Salvador. I hope it's not in Carnaval, because my wanderlust will take me to the farthest place till then: Rome!

[Song: Mais Alguém - Roberta Sá]