The trip opened with a huge treat, a visit to one of the seven wonders of the natural world. I took a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain, which provides a spectacular view of the harbor, as well as a distant view of Christ the Redeemer.
I was awestruck on Sugarloaf, and I must admit that pictures don't properly capture the majesty of the place. The view also made me wish I had paid more attention in high school earth science and could understand how the mountains I were seeing were formed. I hope you're happy Mrs. Oshry.
My research began in ANDEF, located in Niteroi, a suburb of Rio. Even with my embarrassingly limited Portuguese, I managed to buy a ferry ticket to meet my contact Dani on the other side.
I loved our drive through the hills of Niteroi. It was a refreshing break from the rush of the big city, and as we bumped through the streets I felt like I had traveled from a bustling metropolis to a jungle town built into the side of a mountain. ANDEF is located on the edge of Niteroi, and Dani and I had a quick lunch there before we began our tour.
ANDEF offers a huge variety of services. One major part of their service is training and job placement for people both with and without disabilities. The job training program helps fund the sports programs, which are also available for people with and without disabilities. Dani walked me past the pool, the basketball court, the soccer field, and the dance studio. The facilities also serve as training centers for many successful paralympians, who are displayed proudly on banners in the offices.
ANDEF felt like the summer camp I never had. There were smiling faces all through the cafeteria, the offices, and the fields. The organization's president says that people are drawn to ANDEF because "they are winners". Indeed, it was easy to feel that the people there had something to be proud of. The integrated dance troupe (half members with disabilities, half members without) were kind enough to show us the routine they had been working on. The number ended with one member doing a handstand in his wheelchair. I was floored.
The organization is one that draws some of the most talented people with and without disabilities, so it was easy to feel the sense of empowerment that reined throughout the grounds. Watching warm ups for a game of blind soccer while the sun set over the hills of Niteroi, I felt like there was little the people around me couldn't do.
Of course, the standard of living for people with disabilities is strongly connected to economic prowess, and poverty is a major issue here in Rio. The next day I left my westernized hotel in Copacabana to visit a social services center in a much more impoverished neighborhood. The center is one of 6 around the city that provides free services such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy. They try to act as an early intervention for children living with disabilities. The centers also provide important education for parents who may not know how to properly care for their children with disabilities. One therapist told me that she sees children with disabilities who are 4 or 5 years old when they first learn to communicate. The services offered are essential but in a city of this size more resources are definitely needed.
I did promise I would write about food. On Friday night I visited a friend of a friend of a friend who had me over for dinner. She served the biggest first course I have ever seen in my life. My favorite dishes were artichoke heart salad, sesame studded tuna skewers with teriyaki sauce, and roasted eggplant. For the main course we had fantastic beef, potatoes, roasted okra, and roasted hearts of palm. I didn't even realize that they could be eaten if they didn't come out of a can. But you know what they say, once you go roasted palm you never go back.
There are only a couple more days left in Brazil and I'm trying to enjoy some quality time on the beach and hopefully visit Tijuca Park. Argentina is coming up on Tuesday!
No comments:
Post a Comment