words, words, words

There was a parade on Thursday, and it was raning like crazy. That, and the fact that I was telecommuting, meant I watched it from the sofa with a computer on my lap. There were hundreds of horses and people dressed in traditional clothing. Basically, all the Gauchos from the park rode through the town (see previous post). Looked like a lot of fun, but perhaps more fun to be in the parade rather than watching it.

Today we got up a bit late and decided to go and take a boat tour on the Guaíba River. Basically to tool around a bit and see what there was to see. We went to the riverfront with some friends to walk their dogs, and while wandering, we stumbled across a huge Gaúcho Rodeo! Again, this is not the cliche Brazil of palm trees and bronzed dancing women. (Alas) These were people wearing cowboy boots, crazy pants and knives.

Everywhere you turned there was a slab of meat hanging over a fire. It felt bizarre — like a movie set — with all these wooden building that the Gaúcho’s are staying in during the Farroupilha Week. But this wasn’t a theme park or something they put on for the tourists. This was real.

Every year this park basically becomes a temporary cowboy city. And there was plenty of rodeo action to be had. I bought a chicken heart sandwich and a churro stuffed with dulce de leche and we wandered over to the cattle roping competition. There was so much activity it was pretty overwhelming. You had to stay on your toes, as well, because every once in a while somebody on a horse would come careening around a corner through the crowd.

In the pen, where they were waiting, the cows looked really distressed to be involved in the roping competition.  (I say cows, but honestly I didn’t look close enough to tell for sure.)  I didn’t know that it bothered them so much, but you could see in their eyes that they exactly what was going on.  They were going to run across a field full speed, have some joker on a horse throw a rope around their neck and pull it.  Of course, they should have been happy that they weren’t covered with salt and being slow roasted over a fire.

We didn’t go on the riverboat yet, I figure we can do that some other time. Also, I’m keen to see the penguins. (Penguins in Brazil?) Once again, I’ll put up some pictures soon.