Posts tagged with "story"

The Brazen Kayaker

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Jan 20 2010

A teacher from Porto Alegre has an interesting hobby that has taken him to the other end of the country: kayaking the Amazon.

Hiram Reis e Silva, age 58, has already kayaked several tributaries, including the 1,600 kilometer Rio Solimões. Now, he’s kayaking the 950 km long Rio Negro, which has very few inhabitants along its shores.

He’s due to arrive in Manaus today after starting his journey in São Gabriel da Cachoeira no Natal in December. With a small boat that meets him at intervals and with communication and food only available when he passes a village, he’s essentially on his own.

To see photos, click here. To read Hiram’s blog, Desafiando o Rio-Mar, click here.

Weird but True

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Nov 5 2009

There are plenty of weird but true stories that come out of Brazil, and this one is no exception. This week, a man thought to have been killed in a car crash showed up at his own funeral.

Ademir Jorge Gonçalves, age 59, was out drinking with friends in Santo Antônio da Platina, Paraná when relatives believed he was killed in a car accident. They mistakenly identified the body, and set up a funeral for the following day, which happened to be Dia dos Finados, when Brazilians honor the dead. In the meantime, a supersticious friend burned all of Ademir’s clothes and his mattress.

But the next morning, another friend warned Ademir about the mix-up, and Ademir showed up at his own funeral, still drunk, to explain to his confused relatives. The body was later correctly identified, and Ademir went home to an apartment without a bed or any clothes!

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