A Sunday Market

We took an Uber somewhere in the city yesterday, possibly downtown but we were close to the university that I know.

They closed a six lane highway to cars for four and a half miles (7 kilometers) and every bicycle and every rental machine with two and three wheels seemed to be out mingling with runners walkers and two lone foreign tourists.

We tried a couple of food stands, a capirinha drink first, made from sugar cane liquor, the national drink not unlike a mojito. In this case with the addition of strawberries:

It looks like a Bloody Mary but tastes nothing like it. We shared one as the cane liquor is quite strong enough. 

For a lunch appetizer we had a “calabresa,” 

The southern countries of south America all pride themselves on their “asado” grilled meats. Brazilians have nothing to be ashamed of in this department. 

Time to donate to the animal rescue after we took the pause that refreshes:

I can just imagine Rusty the grump’s joy had we returned home with a local street dog. He’s what stops me from rescuing them all 

Then on to the main course, grilled fish  and we took it with no sides as we knew how filling it would be:

They also deliver:

The mission of mercy: 

And thus we took a walk to see what else was what. 

Sugar cane squeezed for juice: 

And just like in Key West: 

And we also picked up a decoration for GANNET2: 

And the Uber came to whisk us home in twenty minutes, first through the university housing and shopping.

This guy was out hunting the elusive ripe mango, a very appropriate Sunday afternoon activity. 

Classic student cheap eats and drinks: 

The same the world over. South America is much more familiar than the scaremongers would have you believe: 

And then we crossed the wide open spaces to get back to our vast apartment complex. 

Including the Venezuelan refugee camps.

And not far away but hidden out of sight the Presidential Palace, the “Dawn Palace.”

It was the first building erected in the new city, and refurbished in 2004 and still very much in use, as attested by the security perimeter. 

And so home to the sleeping dog.