Drinks

Well, I lost my laptop this week. And that's what I've been working on since we arrived in Brazil, so I have no pictures to blog with. When I say lost, I mean it like "We lost great-grandma, she just had to go sky-diving". I revived it earlier today long enough to grab some work files, but not transfer photos. So for now, just some thoughts, with photos that we took the first time we visited Brazil.

The thoughts, what are they about? They're about drinks. Probably could have guessed from the title, huh? As you may recall earlier, I have a tough time getting water to drink here. People seldom offer me water. I have to beg. And usually I still don't get it. A lot of people here pride themselves on their juices, but I'm pretty sure one or two times I've been fed pre-packaged juice, under the guise of fresh-squeezed. I ain't having it. I'd rather have water. The problem is, here, water costs just as much as anything else (at, say a restaurant...at home I'm sure it's cheaper). The tap water isn't drinkable, so when out to eat, why not get a beer, coconut water or soda. It's all pretty much the same price. It makes sense to me. But in people's homes, I just can't seem to get water either. Must be habit of the people. Along with things like reading (family is almost to the point of worried that I haven't tried to plug in the TV yet) and exercise (also worried that I walk too much...?) the "healthier" option isn't really the most common one. Not saying the US is any different, probably the same. Except for the water. 

Anyway. I'll drink these fun drinks when they're offered to me. Below we're drinking something that I haven't had since our first visit: caldo de cana, sugarcane water. It is deeelicious. I first had it after a day of sightseeing, and man, it was refreshing and a jolt of sugar that got me back on my feet. So good. Probably  not very good for you. But natural, at least.

Also, coconut water is one of my favorite drinks. In the grocery store it's actually not cheap (coconuts are EVERYWHERE, how is this not cheaper!), and it has additives, sugar and preservatives, so I stay away. But on the beach or walking around, there's not much better than drinking it out of the coconut. Yum. And, I mean, I don't think it needs to be said that I like the beer here. Another favorite drink. More on drinks later (as I type I realize that there's a lot to talk about on this subject).