DAY 31 TO 32
WELL WE GOT A LATE START TO THE AIRPORT AND ARRIVED TO DISCOVER THAT OUR FLIGHT NEVER EXISTED. IT WAS ALL FOR THE BEST AS WE WOULD NEVER HAVE MADE IT ANYWAY. WITH A LOT OF WORK, WE WERE RESCHEDULED TO A PLANE INTO RIO AT 2:30. JOSE HAD MADE A COMPLAINT TO A SUPERVISOR AS WE REALLY HAD A HARD TIME WITH ONE OF THE CHECK IN LADIES. ONCE SHE REALIZED THAT OUR FLIGHT DID NOT EXIST, SHE WANTED NOTHING TO DO WITH US. SHE LITERALLY TOLD US TO GET OUT OF THE LINE. WE WENT TO ANOTHER COUNTER AND GOT EVERYTHING SWITCHED, THEN JOSE MADE A COMPLAINT. THEY APOLOGIZED AND GAVE US ALL A FREE BUFFET MEAL, ABOUT $25 USA PER PERSON. THIS IS THE FIRST RUDE PERSON I HAVE RUN INTO IN BRAZIL. SO WE GOT TO ENJOY A NICE LUNCH. IT WAS VERY HARD SAYING GOODBYE TO JOSE AND MARCOS (COTRIN), AS THEY HAVE BEEN OUR BACK BONE HERE IN BRAZIL. MARCOS IS THE POOR GUY STUCK IN A VAN FOR 2 DAYS WITH 6 WOMEN. BUT IN SOME WAYS IT WAS A LITTLE EASIER WITH THEM , AS I TRULY BELIEVE I WILL SEE THEM AGAIN. THEY HAVE WORKED SO HARD FOR US. WE LOVE THEM BOTH. JANINE (FROM THE BRAZIL TEAM) AND DULCE (FROM THE BRAZIL TEAM) AND HER MOTHER ALSO SAID GOODBYE TO US. DULCE HAD GIVEN US EACH A BRACELET AND JANINE A BRAZILIAN ROTARY PIN.
WE ARRIVED IN RIO TO RAIN. ABOUT HALF WAY THRU THE PROCESS OF GETTING OUR LUGGAGE OFF THE BELT, IT BROKE. TOOK ABOUT 20 MIN TO HAVE THEM CHANGE BELTS. DURING THE CHANGE MICHELLE KEPT SEEING PEOPLE GOING UP TO A GUY FROM OUR FLIGHT AND GETTING THEIR PICTURES TAKEN. SHE WENT UP AND ASKED WHO HE WAS AND HE WAS FROM THE GROUP “BLACK EYE PEAS” ONE OF THEIR SONG WRITERS. NATALIE GOT THEIR PICTURE.
WE ARRIVED AT THE GUEST HOUSE AROUND 6 OR SO AND JUST LOVE IT. IT IS UP ON THE MOUNTAIN JUST BELOW THE STATUE OF JESUS THAT EVERYONE ASSOCIATES WITH RIO. THE HOUSE IS A BEAUTIFUL OLD COLONIAL HOUSE AND THE ROOMS ARE COLORFUL. TERESA AND ROSIE MET US AND HAD A WELCOME SIGN FOR US. THEN SHERRY AND I BUMMED A RIDE WITH ROSIE WHO WAS GOING TO THE FOOD STORE. MY GOD, I THOUGHT OUR GROCERY STORES WERE CROWDED ON FRIDAYS.
WE ARE ALL SO LOOKING FORWARD TO EATING MUCH LESS. IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO TELL FAMILIES NO WHEN THEY ARE OFFERING FOODS AND REALLY PUSHING YOU TO TRY SOMETHING. SO I PICKED UP A LOT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, AND THEN WE UNLOADED AND RELAXED. GOING TO BE EARLY TO DAY. DO NOT PLAN ON DOING ANYTHING UNTIL AFTERNOON.
DAY 32
WELL, CERTAINLY DID NOT MEET MY EXPECTATIONS ABOUT GETTING GREAT SLEEP. WE ARE CLOSE TO A DISTRICT CALLED LAPA AND THEY HAD ONE HECK OF A PARTY LAST NIGHT. TERESA APOLOGIZED AND STATED THAT SOMETIMES THERE IS A COMMUNITY PARTY. JUST HAPPENED TO BE ON MY SIDE OF THE BUILDING. IT ENDED AROUND 5 AM OR SO WITH FIRE WORKS. LOVELY. SO SLEPT UNTIL 9. BREAKFAST IS INCLUDED IN OUR GUEST HOUSE AND WE ATE WELL. ACTUALLY HAD WATERMELON JUICE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEN WE ALL (EXCEPT NATALIE) WALKED DOWN INTO THE CITY (TOOK AN HOUR). WE COULD HAVE JUMPTED ON THE TROLLY OR TAKEN A BUS AND BEEN THERE IN 15-20 MIN, BUT IT FELT WONDERFUL GETTING EXERCISE. WE HIT THE ONCE A MONTH CRAFT FAIR AND HAD A GREAT TIME. AT THE RATE I AM GOING, I’LL BE FINISHED WITH XMAS SHOPPING BY JULY! NATALIE WAS NOT WITH US BECAUSE HER HUSBAND, PAUL, WAS FLYING IN FROM VIRGINIA TODAY. HE WAS THE ONLY SPOUSE ABLE TO GET AWAY. HE WAS DUE IN LATE AM, BUT HIS FLIGHT HAD BEEN CHANGED AND DELAYED IN HOUSTON , SO ARRIVED AROUND 2 OR SO.
WE HEADED BACK HOME ON THE BUS, BUT MANAGED TO GET ON IT IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. AMBER SHOWED THE ADDRESS TO THE DRIVER AND FOR ABOUT 5 MIN HE SEEMED ANNOYED. WE QUICKLY REALIZED WE WERE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, BUT HOPED HE WOULD EVENTUALLY TURN IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AT ONE POINT HE STOPPED AND WE THOUGHT WE WERE TO GET OFF, BUT HE TOLD US TO SIT DOWN. THEN HE HEADED BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WE EVENTUALLY FIGURED WHERE TO GET OFF. A GREAT ADVENTURE.
OUR GUESTHOUSE DOES HAVE AN INTERNET ACCESS, AND IT IS FOR A RESONABLE CHARGE- 4 REALS /HOUR (ABOUT $2.50 US). SO AM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS TO CATCH UP MY JOURNAL AND UP LOAD SOME PICTURES
UPON RETURNING , WE LEARNED PAUL DID GET IN AND HE AND NATALIE WERE DOWNTOWN. THEY ARRIVED BACK AROUND 6 OR SO. I THINK THE “YOUNG PEOPLE” ARE HEADED OUT TO DANCE TONIGHT, BUT AS YOU ARE PROBABLY REALIZING FROM READING OUR JOURNALS, NOTHING REALLY STARTS UNTIL 10 PM OR SO. ME, I’M GOING TO UPLOAD SOME PICTURES, EAT CHICKEN FOR DINNER AND TRY THAT GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP AGAIN.
HAVE A GREAT VIEW OF THE CITY DOWN BELOW AND THE STATUE OF JESUS ABOVE.
