The primary language spoken here in Brazil is Portuguese. There are a few small indigenous groups that speak other languages, but crossing paths with native people is extremely rare where I am.
The Brazillian Real is used here. Currently the exchange rate is 6:1, favoring the USD. When I first arrived it was 5:1. This means that since I have been here inflation has increased making the price of goods higher for locals, but cheaper for me. This is unfortunate but I benefit via the privilege of having the US dollar. The currency looks similar to US dollars, but it is much more colorful and features both people and animals on it.
A bottle of water costs 1.56 $R, which is about 27 cents in US dollars.
The best meal I had this week was a nice steak, with a salad and mashed potatoes at a resturant called "Ok Gastrobar". This meal stood out because I have not been the biggest fan of the cuisine here overall, but I always remain open-minded to trying new things. I really enjoyed this meal, so it was a nice suprise. Red meat is a staple here, even though Rio is a coastal city.
A typical Brazillian meal consists of rice, beans, fries and steak.
