No Centro

I got to go to the wonderful world of downtown Rio de Janeiro today.  I can´t help it but I love that place. It´s the knick knack capital of Knick Knack Hell!  Hoarders beware, you will not make it out of the centro alive!

My first favorite thing is that, no centro, I´m the slow walker.  Karma is a bitch people and I´m blocking your way.  It´s like walking on train tracks. I was taken down 3 times this afternoon.

I can´t help it. I become a looky loo when I get down there.  There´s so much going on.  You have the vendor selling black market dvds, the guy throwing the glowing ball thing up in the air, H Stern, clothing stores with sales, shoes, shoes, more shoes, and the biggest newsstands in the city.  It´s like an acid trip gone bad, or good, depending on your preference. 

And I love the mix. There´s a little bit of everything down there.  The super star executive, the movie star doing a commercial, the patricinha going to the bank, the street kid, the artist, the vendor, the English teacher, and the regular guy. We all chill downtown. 

The best part, you can get a metro straight there.  The 3 main point of downtown are covered.

Maybe I like it so much because I´m comfortable down there. Downtown is where I basically starting teaching.  I know my way around pretty well for a Gringa.  I even managed to buy a good keyboard and get a 20% even though I paid with a card. Not bad I say. 

Saara, the happy place on Earth

I'm planning on heading to the wonderful world of downtown (centro) Rio, most specifically Saara.  My maid thinks I'm crazy.  I have a wonderful maid that comes twice a week.  When I mentioned my afternoon plans with her she immediately asked, with Rafa?  Rafa is my 17 month old.  Of course with Rafa. I take the little monkey everywhere. I guess most Brazilians wouldn't take their baby down there by choice.  Well, I'm not most Brazilians... I'm not Brazilian at all. I think that's what accounts for my considered craziness in this country.

Anyway, the wonderful world of Saara. Imagine, if you will, rows and rows of stands selling cheap crap from batteries to hats to underwear to goodness knows what the other things are.  Next to that are the stores. Oh the stores. You can get cool baskets, clothes, shoes, beads, souvenirs, everything for world cup celebrations, everything for festa junina celebrations, Christmas decorations, knick knacks, paddy wacks, and probably a dog to give a bone.

It's going to be absolute madness today with the first Brazil game being next week.  I figure the sooner I go, the better the situation will be.  Keep into consideration that it's always madness down there. At least it's not Carnaval. Saara is the place of choice for Carnaval shopping thus it's insanity that time of year.

To get to this Rio Random shopping land, take the metro and get off at Uruguaiana or Presidente Vargas.  Uruguaiana is the best bet. You exit right at the beginning of the fun.

Wish me luck! My goal is to get one shirt for each of my kids and mayby myself. This all depends on the prices.  I also want to get some noise makers of some sort and all around fun stuff for the kids to play with while the grown ups watch the game.

Here's a link to Saara's site. Yes, they have one.  See, Brazil isn't nearly as disorganized as everyone says. wink wink.  By the way, it's in Portuguese:  Saara - Fun no Centro