Vitoria, Brazil - 4 to 5 August 2015

So we caught our flight from Iguassu and made our connection in Sao Paulo with no issues. We landed in Vitoria, grabbed our bags and met Jaime's friends Andrezza (Drezza) and her boyfriend Patrick (pronounced Patreeka). Jaime and Drezza had a hugging reunion and introductions were made all around.

(The trip to Vitoria (a coastal city about 8 hours north of Rio) was made early on during our trip planning when Jaime made it clear she had a goal of visiting one of her Brazilian friends she met during her time in New Zealand. Both Jaime and Drezza were ecstatic that everyone's schedule was able to come together.)

After we left the airport, we headed back to their apartment and dropped off our bags before heading off to a traditional Brazilian steakhouse....aka the kind of place where you eat meat until you're ready to explode...

It was late by the time we arrived at the restaurant....about 9 o'clock at night. But the food was delicious. We had various cuts of beef, bison, pork and chicken....plus, we had a great salad bar with a bunch of seafood dishes and other sides. The highlight of the meal was Drezza insisted we have chicken hearts....apparently, she loves 'em...

Both Keith and Jaime agree to have them and this is when the entertainment really began. It's actually a shame, because words cannot do justice to the images that resulted from Jaime eating a chicken heart....but Keith had trouble remembering the last time he laughed that hard...he's also very upset he didn't document the incident with any pics....

So this is how it played out...

Keith received the first chicken heart...at which time he ate it without much ceremony. He was expecting the texture and didn't give any outward signs of an opinion as he knew Jaime was watching him like a hawk....looking for any clue as to what he thought. This is most likely because Jaime was looking for a way to NOT eat a chicken heart...

So Keith chewed and chewed...it was actually a little over cooked. Jaime asked him how it was and he gave a very informative "not bad"... or something equally noncommittal. At this point Jaime placed the chicken heart in her mouth....

She stated it was "terrible" even before she started chewing...this was when Keith and the rest of the table started to smirk...

Immediately thereafter, Jaime began a dry heaving extravaganza...but that didnt stop her...it merely slowed her down. She was a trooper and never gave up. She fought long and hard trying to swallow the chicken heart and she incorporated a couple different techniques in an attempt to get it down. She did the "quick chew"....in that she chewed very fast (think Bugs Bunny eating a carrot)...and she did the "hand wave"...in that she waved her hand in front of her mouth and face very quickly while she had her eyes closed tight. Her eyes watered and she finally used half a glass of red wine to finish it off...

Her first words when she could finally speak coherently were to ask Keith why he did not tell her it was awful...

This is when Keith really had a good laugh.... Jaime couldn't understand how Keith could keep a straight face while he ate the chicken heart. Once he stopped laughing....Keith calmly explained that he had known what to expect and that he kept his poker face on purpose because he wanted to see her reaction. An objective observer could allege that it would have been possible for Jaime to have 'appreciated' this response a little better....but since no one is perfect, we move on...

Like I said, the dinner was awesome....the food and beverages were amazing.

After dinner we were given a tour of the city...including the waterfront. Drezza and Patrick explained how they like to paddle outrigger canoes and Jaime was immediately making plans for her and Keith to do that the next morning.

After our tour, we went back to their apartment and hung out on the balcony...this allowed Jaime and Drezza a chance to catch up. Stories were told and laughs were had...and drinks were consumed. Needless to say, too many drinks were consumed and the canoeing never occurred.

The next day we woke up and were given a full breakfast....unfortunately, we were all still full from the night before. We then ran a few errands (laundry/atm) and explored the city. We saw the Vitoria government building, the cathedral and a mountain overlooking the city. Later, we had a lovely fish stew lunch (local delicacy) and then hung out at the beach. Late that afternoon we visited a convent on another mountain outside the city...the views were awesome.

After our long day, we went back to their apartment and ordered a couple pizzas. Keith drank some beers Patrick recommended (Ashby Weiss)...and they were delicious. Jaime polished off a bottle of cabernet sauvignon...and some beer.

It's now approximately midnight and we are on another night bus...this time to Rio de Janeiro.

(I know, I know...you thought the buses were over....I promise, I did too...but it was cheap and the timing worked out...I promise there won't be any more lowbrow poems...)



.Read more