Gaucho culture in Brazil

In the morning I got on the plane from Foz do Iguazu to Porto Alegre. A city that probably few tourists have integrated in their plans. I made a detour not because of the city, but because of my good Brazilian buddy Pedro, whom I had met in 2012 during an exchange in Serbia and whom I had last seen in Amsterdam the same year.

Porto Alegre is located in the very south of Brazil in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, already very close to Argentina. Its culture is correspondingly similar to that of its southern neighbours. The inhabitants here also call themselves gauchos, as it is the case in Argentina and Uruguay. And they share the same fondness for meat.

Staying in a gay / lesbian flat share

First, I went by train to the centre of the city and from there I went by Uber to the chic quarter Cidade Baixa, which is one of the main nightlife areas of the city today and where you can find many bars and clubs. My buddy lived there together with his lesbian friend. My Brazilian buddy also had his coming out in the meantime. He was doing his doctorate in geology at the local university. He was just as hilarious and crazy as ever, and he hasn't given up smoking marijuana - quite the opposite. In the living room he had prepared a sofa bed for me. One week I stayed in the gay / lesbian flat share. Everyone was real nice.

A crazy dog full energy and emotion

When I crossed the threshold to the door, his very lively dog barked at me angrily. Pedro had picked him up from the street after he was hit by a bus and is now taking care of him. After some caressing and sniffing between my legs the dog accepted me as a "friend". Good thing, because at night his bed was practically right next to mine. The dog grew to my heart, as loyal as he always looked at me with his differently coloured eyes and the black and white spotted fur.

From time to time we took him for a walk. You had to pull the leash quite heavily to restrain the boundless energy of the dog. And whenever his owner left the house, the dog would burst into a terrible grief and start running up and down the apartment whimpering. Probably the dog has had a trauma since his former masters put him on the street.

One day my buddy had the idea to bring a little kitten to play with. Not a good idea. The dog chased the frightened little kitten without mercy and certainly didn't want to just play.

Visting a gay club

On Friday I went out with Pedro and some of his mates for a few beers. We saved our strength for Saturday, because we wanted to visit the Sinners Club, a gay club. In the beginning I didn't know if it was really a good idea, because I'm neither into clubs nor men. But I must say: it was a really cool evening! The music was good and we had a couple of Red Bull vodkas! And fortunately there were also some pretty girls there, who probably also liked the fact that for a change a man showed interest in them. I discreetly refused the male advances and sometimes I got to hear that it was a pity that I am not gay.

Seeing my favorite Brazilian death metal band

I also went out the next evening, this time alone, because I had tickets for one of my favourite Death Metal bands. Coincidentally they were playing here in their hometown when I was here. The concert was held in the bar Opinião just around the corner from where I stayed.

Krisiun, a three piece sibling couple, played extremely fast and brute death metal. In between they proudly waved the flag of the state of Rio Grande de Sul. Some time ago there had even been the unsuccessful efforts and struggles to found their own state.

The next evening I went out with my Dutch friend for a couple of drinks. I had met him just a few weeks before in Paraguay.

A very alternative vibe

Together with my mate Pedro, who has a very relaxed university schedule, I checked out the city. I was given his roommate's lovely lady wheel. We drank some tasty sugar cane juice and we saw the historic center with the Mercado Publico and the city's promenade.

It is not so much the sights that make the city so special. It is the alternative flair of the city. I think nowhere else have I met so many gays, lesbians or transgender people as here. The city is known for this in Brazil and my buddy Pedro moved here for this reason too, because he is actually from Minas Gerais. Also it was very easy for me to find vegetarian places here.

On the other hand there are also a lot of drug addicts here, so you see a lot of junkies on the street. The homicide rate here at times even surpasses that of Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Also Pedro and his roommate have been threatened with a gun here. Luckily I have been spared from that.

So all in all I had a great time here thanks to my buddy Pedro!

After 1 week I left the city and drove north to Florianopolis