Thursday, February 16, 2012

Shit Showers?!


So this is a bit of a public service announcement. The newspaper Globo was kind enough to take away any shred of doubt I had about the cleanliness of the showers at the beach.

You see, one of my absolute favorite things about the beaches here is that they have showers at the top of the sand where you can cool off, hose off, and let your kids play. Given that the ocean is said to be beyond polluted here, it is a lovely alternative.

Of course I have had more than one friend inform me that the shower water isn't "sweat water" as Cariocas call it. Since they were not making these claims with a research paper in their hand it was easy enough to ignore. Ignorance is bliss and I really like those damn showers.

This morning I read this article in Globo stating that the showers on the beaches in Zona Sul contained not one but many contaminants and were proven to not be coming from the city's clean water source. Awesome.

A presença, em sete pontos de coleta, de coliformes termotolerantes, que se desenvolvem em fezes humanas, indica a possibilidade de contágio por vírus como o da hepatite A, rotavírus e salmonela, que pode provocar diarreia, gastroenterite e febre tifóide — explica Fernanda.


This says that they found fecal coliform in 7 collection points, which are developed in human feces. This means there is a possibility of infection by viruses such as hepatitis A, rotavirus and salmonella, which can cause diarrhea, gastroenteritis and typhoid.

So yes, you are showing in water that was once, and maybe still is, swimming with poop.

And before you say that you live in a "rich" neighborhood in Zona Sul (ie. Ipanema and Leblon) so you should be ok, Baixo Bebe in Leblon had the highest levels.

So rich or poor, those showering on the beach in Zona Sul are surrounded by the same shit. Oh the irony. 

25 comments:

  1. Urban beaches in Rio are totally polluted since the 70's. Visit Itacoatiara instead.

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  2. The shark problem stops people peeing in the sea so they pee while pretending to have a shower.

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  4. Typo queen(me). Gross, gross! What's worse, the polluted ocean water or polluted agua doce? Loved the Mr. Hankey photo, very funny!

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  5. Rachel, check out your rachelsrantings@gmail.com account.. I sen't you an email

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  6. Rachel, you are really turning me off about returning to live in Rio. Let's count the reasons. The cost of real estate or rents; the noise pollution, the exhaust pollution; ocean water polluted, the beach showers polluted, the armed robberies, the high cost of private health insurance; the heat and humidity; the high cost of books, electronics and cars; etc. Like every big city, it's nice to visit but it does sound like a civilized place to live. Do you really prefer Rio to Southern Califonia where you came from?

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    1. "Do you really prefer Rio to Southern Califonia where you came from?"

      Really James you're acting As if Southern California is so much safe and has clean water for it's "trendy" surfers. In Brazil they use no or less fluoride than in our so called "great waters" where they add fluoride (real poison). Typical attitude again from the US, prefer to look outside rather than within and claim everything is just sooo much better because government statistics says its so "civilized". Try to have a REAL unbiased view on Detroit, LA, San Diego, Miami and even NYC. I bet you can't because it will burst your bubble. Live is still cheap here in the US, but question is, untill when since we all know the true deep trouble economic situation in the US is not getting better, thouhg majority loves to deny..again, denying is just so much better.

      I'm not typing here that Rio de Janeiro - RJ is super save, but you're acting as if it so bad that it's not civilized that. That's just pure ignorance and no wonder Brazilians aren't fan of us here at all. Lack of education and knowledge, getting info from hollywood, wikipedia is fact here and you know that.

      So do me a favor, act like a educated person as you claim to be..if you can do that.


      "the high cost of books, electronics and cars"

      Here we go again. Since we all here are hooked to cheap made in China products, majority of us cannot and will not see the devastating results in the US of outsourcing. We're so hooked to cheap stuff, we complain ( a good complain, don't get me wrong) but without understand why it's cheap here in the US. fact is, they are made overseas by cheap labor, not in the US, what is bad for the nation and we see the results.

      In Brazil they do produce those products, that's a fact. Does Brazil needs a tax reform (just as desperate we need one here too)..yes, because they have European taxes and bad services. Here in the US we have low taxes and still get ripped off. Something is wrong in both countries.

      I'n not typing here you cannot complain about anything, but i'm typing here, you exagerate and prefer to look outside rather than within when it comes to problem. the more people here in the US have that attitude, the worse it gets and embarrass yourself and nation you claim to love so much.

      FYI...I'm not Brazilian, but I'm Dutch who lives in the US and witness with sad eyes how the people here are dumb down (include in Europe) and make a fool out of themself while the US is burning. pretty sad.

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    2. Spider,

      I am loving your commenting passion but let's keep attacking other posters to a minimum ;)

      James is asking an honest question. There is nothing offensive about it. And it is true that cars are grossly expensive down here. Trust me, we're going to have to buy a new one because our old one is finally dying. So not looking forward to it.

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    3. James,

      I do prefer Rio. I miss the organization of part of San Diego and good free public schools. But there really is very little culture. But really it is because my family is happy here and we enjoy the way of life. I have no problem having less things (though my computer is breaking and it would be nice to have a Best Buy located near the Fastshop)

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  7. I agree with James: Southern California is so much better than Rio. California is also better than most European countries (the ones I have been to at least). I think James lives in France, and California is far superior to it as well.

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    1. Gritty, Did you not realize that S. Cali is a hub of flip flop wearers...

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    2. Blasphemy!
      I see the flippers are expanding their rule, but still; I love California and would even be , momentarily, flipper tolerant during a visit ( plus they have the drainage for flipper life laid out over there, so flake-flop use isn't so senseless).
      Cali is soo much better than Rio ( and Europe). C'mon, it's undeniable: have you seen the amount of cuties California boasts, plus the infrastructre, the way things work sooo much better (or just plain work), the weather is awesome as well, and so much more.

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    3. Oh, goodness. The public school in San Diego are atrocious- even in the better districts.

      IMO, while there's a lot to love about So Cal, it, too, is a nice place to visit.

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  8. What's not to love about San Diego!? America's Finest, right? :-) It's a great city. I moved from there to Brazil 8 months ago. I have been enjoying my time here in Brazil (beautiful culture), but boy to I miss that AMAZING weather!!!!

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    1. Hi Tova,
      I loved the clip linked at your profile page. Ended up posting about it actually. I thought I'd leave the youtube link here, for others to enjoy as well.
      Você tem bom gosto.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW0i1U4u0KE&feature=player_embedded

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  9. Ah the science to back it all up makes all the difference. My daughter loved playing in the showers when we were there and I totally let her until some random woman on the beach came to tell me they were "xixi" showers. Ugh. She was right. Though I must say every time they release a report on Lake Michigan here in Chicago it kind of freaks me out too. Beach closures because of E. coli . . .

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  10. I LOVE the beaches in San Diego. I spent countless hours walking OB and around Hotel Del in my younger years. SD beaches are cleaner than those in Rio but being able to rent chairs, umbrellas, buy beer, esfihas or kibe in Rio just trumps the sterile atmosphere of SD and most of the other beaches in the US. I mean, how can you not love the characters cruising around the Rio beaches adding to the flavor of the cultural environment. Mr. Abacaxi or that old 80 yr. old woman still walking around in white flossa thinking that she is the bomb. Totally unique stuff.

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  11. With all due respect to our Dutch poster The Spider, I've been to Holland and found the Dutch people very friendly and helpful and the country is fascinating. Remember, this is the country of the great Dutch Master Painters.

    I live in France where I don't have to worry about people robbing me at gun point on the street. It rarely gets too hot in the summer or too cold in the winter and we get very little snow here in the low elevations. Electronics are a bit more expensive than in the US mainly due to the 19.6% VAT tax. My French car was about the same price as a similar car in the US even given the VAT tax which surprised me. There is abundant cultural life here and we have many French friends.

    I wasn't comparing Detroit to Rio. I was comparing So. Cal to Rio because both have beaches and warm weather. I have never lived in San Diego but I assume there is a crime problem there because of the abundance of guns all over the US. In France, it's very difficult to get a license to won a hand gun but, of course, the criminals get them illegally. However, the rate of violent crime using guns is way below Brazil or the US.

    It should be noted that I did live in Rio for a year in 1984 and traveled to work there on assignments for 7 years. I have traveled extensively on business throughout Brazil. I am fluent in Portuguese having been taught by my Carioca wife of 30 years who only speaks Portuguese to me. I have read the history of Brazil in Portuguese and English. I have also lived and worked in Mexico and have been to almost every other Latin American country and speak Spanish and French as well as I speak Portuguese. I have a BS in Mathematics and Computer science and an MBA. Therefore, any comparison to ignorant Americans is clearly erroneous.

    At my age of 70, the beaches don't interest me anymore. The heat and humidity does both me. The cost of things one would have to buy should be a concern for all people who move there as it would mean a heavy outlay of money which is precious when you are retired. The street crime does concern me but my wife says it's just a matter of looking like you belong there. We have many friends in Rio. We have decided to maintain residences in both countries but I will likely never live there permanently. I also don't intend to go live in the US either, which may amuse you. For me, France is my country of choice but I love to visit many countries.

    Lastly, there is no paradise except that which we create for ourselves mainly within ourselves and our family. Those who are unhappy within themselves will not find anywhere good to live. Friends are friends but nothing compares to family so one can be happy anywhere if he or she is happy in their family.

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  12. Rachel, when you say there is very little culture in San Diego, what kind of culture are you looking for. There is a symphony orchestra and summer pops orchestra isn't there? There are a universities and community colleges where one might take courses, right? I bet there are book reading groups as well that get together to discuss books. I have a friend there who is a stained glass artist and gives lessons. I'm sure there are other types of artists there who give lessons as well. What culture does Rio have that SD doesn't have except the Canival but to me that's a show, not culture but then we get back to the definition of culture.

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  14. Just a follow on to Spider's reference to always thinking everything in the US is better, I have to say that the reason I stayed in France rather than return to the US after retiring from the United Nations in Geneva is because I didn't like the degradation I saw happening in the US over the 20 years I lived outside the US. Perhaps I just never recognized it until I lived among people who had very good manners although they were poor in Latin America. However, every time when we came back to the US on home leave, I found some things more disturbing like the growing obesity of the people, the continued existance of people living on the streets or under bridges, the idea of everyone should look out for themselves even these poor homeless people, the worsening of the manners of people, the profusion of opinionated people who were extremists in their views including many political leaders. Yes, Spider, the US has many problems and I'm disgusted that the US can't fix them given so many idiot Americans boast of the US being the greatest, the richest and the most powerful nation on earth. No other peoples I know boast of their country. They love their country but they don't make boastful statements about it like we American's. However, these same idiots forget that our military power couldn't beat a peasant army in Vietnam and was brought to a standstill in Korea by the Chinese peasant army as well. They forget that we were "rich" because we were borrowing money to pay for things we couldn't afford from the taxes collected just like the PIIGS countries in the Eurozone.

    However, there are many things that work well in the US so I have to ask you Spider, the same question I always asked to fellow employees who constantly complained about their employer. If you are so unhappy about the US, why not move on to another country or back to Holland. From what I saw in Holland, I would be proud to be Dutch. They are a very industrious people with a lot of ingenuity for solving major problems like the sea dikes, the development of the world class bulb and flower industry, etc. They did have too many messed up highway reconstruction projects that even frustrated the Dutch people who helped us find our way when we got lost in the detours. Why be so continually frustrated and unhappy with your current US environment?

    There is a woman's group in Paris called 3Bloom Where you are Planted3 aimed at helping wives of expats to adjust to France and Paris by seeing the opportunities available to them right under their noses. Otherwise they would be sitting in their apartments frustrated without being able to speak French or to appreciate what good things there were about France.
    Many stupid Americans denigrate France but France is highly organized, very efficient, very polite and very humane society. The US could learn a lot from France and perhaps other EU countries but the American society continues to think that they always know best. Just my humble opinion.

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    1. I've enjoyed reading your comments, James. Do you have a blog?

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  15. Back to the contaminated showers....is the contamination so high that it's unhealthy? I remember Oprah testing for 'bacteria' and found e-coli on movie seats, among other unsavory thing in public spaces.

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  16. Jennifer, I don't have any blog. I just felt it necessary to respond to that incoherent attack by someone who has deep rooted emotional problems about Americans and yet says he lives in America. It boggles the mind why anyone would live in a place he hates so much. Move on and save yourself the grief, I would say. Life is too short to let your environment eat your insides. Bloom where you're planted but if it's a desert where you are, move to where the water flows for you. He says I'm not being intelligent but it's certainly not intelligent to be so unhappy all the time. BTW, the EU is flooded with Chinese goods as well so it's not exclusively an American issue. Maybe Brazil is also.

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