We are finally back in our home in Kentucky. It was, once again, a long and tiring airplane ride. We did slightly better at sleep this time as our plane was not quite full and we were able to move to other seats so we each had some room. On our car ride home we stopped for the milk and other groceries everyone needs when returning from vacation. We also grabbed a McDonald’s meal where no one asked if we wanted ice in our drink and we could have all the catsup we wanted – just a couple of little things we missed while in Brazil!
As previously posted in my blog, we really enjoyed our stay in Brazil. However, the process of exiting Brazil is starting to cloud those enjoyable memories. We allowed an extremely conservative amount of time to leave Jundiaí by asking for our driver to pick us up at the hotel at 4:00 p.m. even though our plane wasn’t scheduled for take off until 10:20 p.m. Jundiaí is only about an hour from the airport but São Paulo traffic being unpredictable, it took almost two hours to get to the airport. Marcos was as friendly and helpful as ever and we were glad we were in his hands in that traffic.
One unusual side note – all along the divided multi-lane highways in and around São Paulo (these highways compare to our interstates) – there are vendors on the shoulders and in the median selling everything from water and chips to cell phone chargers and bicycle tires. Some of these vendors have elaborate set-ups with little cook stoves, umbrellas, and tents. If traffic is slow enough or stopped, a vendor will walk amongst the cars selling his wares. Can you imagine that on I-65?
At the airport, Continental Airlines shares ticketing counters with Swiss Air so we had to wait almost an hour for Swiss Air to ticket their passengers before we could check in. Check in with Continental went well as all of the gate agents speak multiple languages. As we checked through our luggage, the agent told us the customs officers were on strike (work slow down) and it could take as long as three hours to clear customs. She recommended we get in line NOW. We did. The line snaked around and through the terminal and we did stand in line for well over two hours, approaching that three hour time we were given. As we approached the immigration agents, along with approximately 3 to 4 thousand other passengers also leaving Brazil that evening, we noticed there were only three agents working. The man in front of us, who we got to know while waiting, started to move up to the open booth. The immigration agent said, no, he was on break. He took a drink of his coffee and then allowed the man to approach. And all of this just because he could. After that, we had to go through the metal detectors and then on to the gate with just 20 minutes to spare. However, the plane had to wait for take-off while 25 additional passengers cleared customs.
Our arrival in Houston went well. We cleared customs, claimed our bags, and then rechecked our bags on to Louisville. This seemed unusual but I suppose it was to allow the drug and explosive sniffing dogs and their handlers to see which passenger claims the bags with the contraband.
So that is all for our trip to Brazil. We are glad we went to Brazil but we are glad to be home.
So long until we take another trip.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Good-Bye Brazil.....
Well, today is our last day in Brazil. We have arranged for a late check out and then our driver will take us to the Sao Paulo airport. We have had a great time and will miss the country and it's people.
The last two days here have been fairly uneventful. David followed up on some items with the company. We did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Jundiai Museum of History and Culture. I researched it and thought, according to Google Maps, that it was within walking distance of our hotel. David, ever the cautious one, thought it best if we hired a taxi. Once again he was right. The museum was EAST of our hotel, not west as Google said and we would have to walk through the same park we had encountered our first Saturday here. Our taxi driver spoke a little English and got us within two blocks of the museum. This is as far as she could go as some of the streets in the Centro district are closed to cars. She was concerned about leaving us and us having to walk but we assured her we would be okay. The museum was interesting. We were able to read a lot of the signage on the displays. We think the museum was a probably a house prior to becoming a museum. We were amazed at the height of the rooms. To help with the heat, the ceilings were at least 14 feet if not 16 feet high. Then in the bedroom areas, there was a "chimney" shaft upwards to draw air up and out of the house. Very ingenious. Besides historical displays of the Jundiai area, the museum also has displays of art work. The most beautiful part of the museum is the court yard garden or jardim. It was completely walled in with stone paver paths and lots of shade and flowers. There were also benches for resting and enjoying the peacefulness. Speaking of peace, there was a peace monument presented to the city from President Franklin Roosevelt and the citizens of the United States in 1935.
That is about all until the next time we visit Brazil.
The last two days here have been fairly uneventful. David followed up on some items with the company. We did manage to squeeze in a visit to the Jundiai Museum of History and Culture. I researched it and thought, according to Google Maps, that it was within walking distance of our hotel. David, ever the cautious one, thought it best if we hired a taxi. Once again he was right. The museum was EAST of our hotel, not west as Google said and we would have to walk through the same park we had encountered our first Saturday here. Our taxi driver spoke a little English and got us within two blocks of the museum. This is as far as she could go as some of the streets in the Centro district are closed to cars. She was concerned about leaving us and us having to walk but we assured her we would be okay. The museum was interesting. We were able to read a lot of the signage on the displays. We think the museum was a probably a house prior to becoming a museum. We were amazed at the height of the rooms. To help with the heat, the ceilings were at least 14 feet if not 16 feet high. Then in the bedroom areas, there was a "chimney" shaft upwards to draw air up and out of the house. Very ingenious. Besides historical displays of the Jundiai area, the museum also has displays of art work. The most beautiful part of the museum is the court yard garden or jardim. It was completely walled in with stone paver paths and lots of shade and flowers. There were also benches for resting and enjoying the peacefulness. Speaking of peace, there was a peace monument presented to the city from President Franklin Roosevelt and the citizens of the United States in 1935.
That is about all until the next time we visit Brazil.
Monday, October 29, 2007
The Food!
I could make this an extremely short post by just saying it is unbelievable - but, I am going to try to describe just how wonderful all of our dining has been.
Each morning the hotel has a breakfast buffet. My two favorite features are the fresh fruit and the Brazilian coffee. I don't know if I will be able to drink American coffee after having café. It is extremely strong and a little bitter but I have developed a taste for it. And each morning, I start the day off with fresh pineapple, bananas, and once papaya (only once as it is not my favorite). There is also a wide selection of other fruits, cereals, breads, and pastries along with eggs and bacon and fresh juices.
After this huge breakfast, David would go to the plant for his seminar where a buffet table was set up for the group. The "snacks" consisted of mounds of fruit, candy, nuts, cookies, etc. And then after all of that, the group would go out for lunch. There was so much food that David started bringing some fruit and other goodies back to the hotel for me. It would be enough for my lunch the next day.
Last Friday the seminar group celebrated the end of the course by going out to eat at O Espetão Grill. This translates to The Spit - like a skewer, not the other spit. David was so taken with this place that he arranged for a taxi to take the two of us there on Sunday. It is a huge buffet but with some interesting twists. Each table has a card on a wheel. One side says "Sim Por Favor" (yes please) and the other side says "Não Obrigado" (no thanks). As long as your card says yes, they will keep bringing you meat and potatoes. Even if your card says no, they will still stop and ask. If you hesitate even for a bit, you will have another chunk of meat on your plate. There is also a salad bar complete with all the usual greens plus quail eggs, hearts of palm, green beans, and many other salad type dishes. A pasta bar is also available although I didn't see many people taking advantage of that. In addition, a chef will prepare an omelet if you wish. The waiters that come to the table carry skewers (the "spits") of every meat imaginable. We had lamb, several different cuts of beef, along with pork and fish. Check out the pictures. I did manage to get a glimpse of the dessert cart as we were being seated so I paced myself in order to get dessert. I even talked David into a dessert but he couldn't finish his - I had to help. :)
At each place we ate here in Brazil, the staff was always concerned about how we liked the food and if we had enough. It is apparent they take great pride in their foods. Hospitality is also important and we were treated like royality everywhere.
Each morning the hotel has a breakfast buffet. My two favorite features are the fresh fruit and the Brazilian coffee. I don't know if I will be able to drink American coffee after having café. It is extremely strong and a little bitter but I have developed a taste for it. And each morning, I start the day off with fresh pineapple, bananas, and once papaya (only once as it is not my favorite). There is also a wide selection of other fruits, cereals, breads, and pastries along with eggs and bacon and fresh juices.
After this huge breakfast, David would go to the plant for his seminar where a buffet table was set up for the group. The "snacks" consisted of mounds of fruit, candy, nuts, cookies, etc. And then after all of that, the group would go out for lunch. There was so much food that David started bringing some fruit and other goodies back to the hotel for me. It would be enough for my lunch the next day.
Last Friday the seminar group celebrated the end of the course by going out to eat at O Espetão Grill. This translates to The Spit - like a skewer, not the other spit. David was so taken with this place that he arranged for a taxi to take the two of us there on Sunday. It is a huge buffet but with some interesting twists. Each table has a card on a wheel. One side says "Sim Por Favor" (yes please) and the other side says "Não Obrigado" (no thanks). As long as your card says yes, they will keep bringing you meat and potatoes. Even if your card says no, they will still stop and ask. If you hesitate even for a bit, you will have another chunk of meat on your plate. There is also a salad bar complete with all the usual greens plus quail eggs, hearts of palm, green beans, and many other salad type dishes. A pasta bar is also available although I didn't see many people taking advantage of that. In addition, a chef will prepare an omelet if you wish. The waiters that come to the table carry skewers (the "spits") of every meat imaginable. We had lamb, several different cuts of beef, along with pork and fish. Check out the pictures. I did manage to get a glimpse of the dessert cart as we were being seated so I paced myself in order to get dessert. I even talked David into a dessert but he couldn't finish his - I had to help. :)
At each place we ate here in Brazil, the staff was always concerned about how we liked the food and if we had enough. It is apparent they take great pride in their foods. Hospitality is also important and we were treated like royality everywhere.
The Magic of the Harley T-Shirt
David and I wore our Lincoln Trail Chapter HOG t-shirts to Campinas on Saturday. We had planned on changing out of them after the visit to the Harley store but didn't have a chance. With João as our guide and with us constantly, we didn't feel like we had to disguise the fact we were tourists. During our visit to Dom Pedro Mall and while eating in the food court, a man and his son came up to us and asked if we were HOG members. Of course we were but the t-shirt was the ice breaker he needed to approach us. He was also a HOG member and so we talked bikes for a bit. He had an Ultra and a Road King.
On Sunday morning at the hotel breakfast, we noticed several couples with Harley-Davidson t-shirts on and all were from H-D dealerships in the Florida. We didn't want to interrupt their breakfast but when we saw a few of them later in the lobby, we asked. They were Brazilian riders who had traveled together as a group to Florida and were planning a trip to Milwaukee for the 105th and then were motorcycling on to Las Vegas. My wish for them is that people in the United States treat all of them as well as we have been treated here in Brazil.
Later that morning from our balcony, we heard them leave the hotel parking garage. We spotted a Soft Tail Heritage, a Road King, an Ultra, and a Sportster.
By the way, everyone is so surprised when I tell them I have my own bike. Some young women ride the small metric bikes but I have yet to meet anyone female who rides her own Harley.
There are metric bikes all over but Harleys are rare. We are used to hearing the whine of the metric in traffic but when we hear the occasional deep throaty VROOOOM of a Harley, we always try to look.
On Sunday morning at the hotel breakfast, we noticed several couples with Harley-Davidson t-shirts on and all were from H-D dealerships in the Florida. We didn't want to interrupt their breakfast but when we saw a few of them later in the lobby, we asked. They were Brazilian riders who had traveled together as a group to Florida and were planning a trip to Milwaukee for the 105th and then were motorcycling on to Las Vegas. My wish for them is that people in the United States treat all of them as well as we have been treated here in Brazil.
Later that morning from our balcony, we heard them leave the hotel parking garage. We spotted a Soft Tail Heritage, a Road King, an Ultra, and a Sportster.
By the way, everyone is so surprised when I tell them I have my own bike. Some young women ride the small metric bikes but I have yet to meet anyone female who rides her own Harley.
There are metric bikes all over but Harleys are rare. We are used to hearing the whine of the metric in traffic but when we hear the occasional deep throaty VROOOOM of a Harley, we always try to look.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
A Day in Campinas
Not much happened on Friday - David left early per usual. This was Rena's last day here so I went to lobby to wish her a safe trip home. I went out for a walk to "scout" out a different restaurant for us and found the Italian place we had heard about. When David got back, he was hot and tired from a long day of touring the forge shop and machine shop so after a swim, we just ordered room service.
On Saturday, João from Campinas arrived at our hotel at 8:00 to take us to Campinas and show us his town. Campinas is about 30 or 40 miles from Jundiaí and João, who spoke English very well, was a great tour guide, furnishing us with information about the area, the towns we passed, and in general, answering our many questions. Our main purpose for going to Campinas was to visit the Harley-Davidson dealership and to buy t-shirts. João showed us some of downtown Campinas as we waited for the Harley store to open. We were glad the clerk at the Harley store, André, spoke English and have promised to email the pictures we took at the dealership.
Campinas is home to about 1.4 million people and is just what you would expect from a large city - lots of traffic and hard to find parking spaces. João knows many people in Campinas and knows how to get around - he even talked to a hotel where he does business (as an executive taxi driver) about letting us park as we walked around downtown. We also used the hotel bathrooms (see note below about the bathrooms at the park). And, João was able to get me selos so now I can mail those postcards.
We saw many parts of Campinas - the military post and Taque Lagoa (lake) which was pretty and used as a recreation area for people walking and jogging but if you go - don't use the bathrooms - no paper in stalls or for drying hands and no soap. We also saw many schools, universities, shops, and then the famous Dom Pedro Mall. The mall is the place people talk about when they talk of shopping in Campinas. It has over 700 stores and with many of them the trendy boutique types and several jewelry stores. I really didn't see any bargains and again saw the signs with either the 10x or 20x plus the price. There was a science/history/arts fair on one of the concourses and we walked through looking at the student displays. It was much like the student Science Fairs we would see in the States. We ate at the food court but did not go to either the McDonalds or Burger King (they are everywhere). We ate at a self-serve, one-price place - fill your plate for R$10.
Our final stop in Campinas was back downtown at the vendor fair. This was the place for bargains as the vendors will negotiate. We picked up a few things but I was disappointed when I went back to a booth from an earlier pass around the fair and found it closed. Most all the vendors were either packing it up or and already closed by 2:00 p.m. (14:00 as I try to get used to). I didn't know why other than either tradition or it really starts to get unbearably hot and humid in the afternoon. On our ride back to Jundiaí, I told David he had to keep his car window up so we could get the full effect of the air conditioning.
Saturday night, David and I walked to that Italian restaurant about 8 blocks from the hotel. We got there about 6:10 only to to find out they don't open for evening meal until 7:00. So we waited as there are not a lot of choices for restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. At about 6:45, the staff let us in. And when we asked our waiter if he spoke English, he said no but brought us an English menu. Towards the end of our meal, another waiter came by our table and practiced his English with us. We have found that if someone here speaks some English, they are eager to practice.
On Saturday, João from Campinas arrived at our hotel at 8:00 to take us to Campinas and show us his town. Campinas is about 30 or 40 miles from Jundiaí and João, who spoke English very well, was a great tour guide, furnishing us with information about the area, the towns we passed, and in general, answering our many questions. Our main purpose for going to Campinas was to visit the Harley-Davidson dealership and to buy t-shirts. João showed us some of downtown Campinas as we waited for the Harley store to open. We were glad the clerk at the Harley store, André, spoke English and have promised to email the pictures we took at the dealership.
Campinas is home to about 1.4 million people and is just what you would expect from a large city - lots of traffic and hard to find parking spaces. João knows many people in Campinas and knows how to get around - he even talked to a hotel where he does business (as an executive taxi driver) about letting us park as we walked around downtown. We also used the hotel bathrooms (see note below about the bathrooms at the park). And, João was able to get me selos so now I can mail those postcards.
We saw many parts of Campinas - the military post and Taque Lagoa (lake) which was pretty and used as a recreation area for people walking and jogging but if you go - don't use the bathrooms - no paper in stalls or for drying hands and no soap. We also saw many schools, universities, shops, and then the famous Dom Pedro Mall. The mall is the place people talk about when they talk of shopping in Campinas. It has over 700 stores and with many of them the trendy boutique types and several jewelry stores. I really didn't see any bargains and again saw the signs with either the 10x or 20x plus the price. There was a science/history/arts fair on one of the concourses and we walked through looking at the student displays. It was much like the student Science Fairs we would see in the States. We ate at the food court but did not go to either the McDonalds or Burger King (they are everywhere). We ate at a self-serve, one-price place - fill your plate for R$10.
Our final stop in Campinas was back downtown at the vendor fair. This was the place for bargains as the vendors will negotiate. We picked up a few things but I was disappointed when I went back to a booth from an earlier pass around the fair and found it closed. Most all the vendors were either packing it up or and already closed by 2:00 p.m. (14:00 as I try to get used to). I didn't know why other than either tradition or it really starts to get unbearably hot and humid in the afternoon. On our ride back to Jundiaí, I told David he had to keep his car window up so we could get the full effect of the air conditioning.
Saturday night, David and I walked to that Italian restaurant about 8 blocks from the hotel. We got there about 6:10 only to to find out they don't open for evening meal until 7:00. So we waited as there are not a lot of choices for restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. At about 6:45, the staff let us in. And when we asked our waiter if he spoke English, he said no but brought us an English menu. Towards the end of our meal, another waiter came by our table and practiced his English with us. We have found that if someone here speaks some English, they are eager to practice.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
I Look Brazilian??
Today started out like yesterday; rainy. I finally got a break around 11 and was ready to venture out to buy stamps (selos). I knew there would be a language barrier so I was trying to do some research online on how much it would cost mail a postcard to the United States. After about an hour and no clear answer, I decided to wing it and hope I could make myself understood. Just as I was gathering up my stuff, it started to rain again. So I had another couple of hours waiting for it to stop raining.
I had tried to buy stamps on my journey out on Monday but couldn't find the post office. The bellhop (who spoke some English) told me to go to the Banco do Brasil. The website for the Agência de Corrêio (Post Office) didn't have any prices for the stamps but it too said I could buy stamps (selos) at the Banco do Brasil. When the rain stopped I went to the bank and stood in line. I had no idea what the sign said for the line I was in and I don't really like thumbing through my phrase book when I am in a crowd as I am sure this draws attention to myself as a foreigner. So when I finally get to the window I tell the man, "não falo Portuguese" he says just as clear as can be "how about English?" Whew! I told him I needed stamps - selos. He was confused because he didn't know they sold stamps. He said he had only been at that branch a short time and would check. Bottom line, the bank does not sell stamps. Next bottom line, I am tired of trying to buy stamps. No one is getting a postcard mailed from Brazil.
I did manage to do a little shopping for errands; more razors for David and more water for our mini refrigerator. I had no problems with these two transactions. The man at the drug store said "cinco" clear enough for me to give him R$5 and the women at the convenient store know me well enough to hold up the correct number of fingers.
Since it was raining last night, David and I went for a pizza that is right next door to the hotel. If you are thinking, pizza - boring, you are wrong. This is not the same pizza as United States pizza. First I think they will put anything and everything on the pizza. I took a menu with me and have yet to translate everything listed but just some of the things are eggs, peas, green beans, corn, hearts of palm, veal, catsup, mustard, potatoes, etc. This pizza place named their specialty pizzas after people: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Chaplin, All Pacino (their spelling), Bardot, Al Capone (Al spelled right here), or Spilberg. I can't figure out what each pizza has in common with the namesake. Instead of one pizza divided between us, we each had a pizza and David's was half and half. Not exactly what we thought we were ordering but at least we ate.
Today when I left the hotel for my errands, I accidentally got off the elevator at the convention floor instead of the lobby. The woman there said something to me and I did my usual "não falo Portuguese" and she gave me a strange look and said "não Portuguese?" I repeated. She then told me I looked Brazilian, whatever that means. That could also be the reason I don't have too much trouble going a few blocks down the street for errands.
I had tried to buy stamps on my journey out on Monday but couldn't find the post office. The bellhop (who spoke some English) told me to go to the Banco do Brasil. The website for the Agência de Corrêio (Post Office) didn't have any prices for the stamps but it too said I could buy stamps (selos) at the Banco do Brasil. When the rain stopped I went to the bank and stood in line. I had no idea what the sign said for the line I was in and I don't really like thumbing through my phrase book when I am in a crowd as I am sure this draws attention to myself as a foreigner. So when I finally get to the window I tell the man, "não falo Portuguese" he says just as clear as can be "how about English?" Whew! I told him I needed stamps - selos. He was confused because he didn't know they sold stamps. He said he had only been at that branch a short time and would check. Bottom line, the bank does not sell stamps. Next bottom line, I am tired of trying to buy stamps. No one is getting a postcard mailed from Brazil.
I did manage to do a little shopping for errands; more razors for David and more water for our mini refrigerator. I had no problems with these two transactions. The man at the drug store said "cinco" clear enough for me to give him R$5 and the women at the convenient store know me well enough to hold up the correct number of fingers.
Since it was raining last night, David and I went for a pizza that is right next door to the hotel. If you are thinking, pizza - boring, you are wrong. This is not the same pizza as United States pizza. First I think they will put anything and everything on the pizza. I took a menu with me and have yet to translate everything listed but just some of the things are eggs, peas, green beans, corn, hearts of palm, veal, catsup, mustard, potatoes, etc. This pizza place named their specialty pizzas after people: Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Chaplin, All Pacino (their spelling), Bardot, Al Capone (Al spelled right here), or Spilberg. I can't figure out what each pizza has in common with the namesake. Instead of one pizza divided between us, we each had a pizza and David's was half and half. Not exactly what we thought we were ordering but at least we ate.
Today when I left the hotel for my errands, I accidentally got off the elevator at the convention floor instead of the lobby. The woman there said something to me and I did my usual "não falo Portuguese" and she gave me a strange look and said "não Portuguese?" I repeated. She then told me I looked Brazilian, whatever that means. That could also be the reason I don't have too much trouble going a few blocks down the street for errands.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Should Have Gone Out Yesterday
It started raining before we got up this morning and has been raining since. I can't even walk to the corner convenient store without getting wet so I am stuck here in the hotel today. Should have gone out yesterday.......
When David got back last night, we walked over to that same little restaurant we went to on Saturday (Sábado) where the waiter/owner spoke no English at all. When we stepped in the door, he said " have chicken feeesh". He had practiced and was waiting for us to come back. Made me glad we did. For our meal last night we ordered chicken Parmesan meal for two (refeição por dois). He shook his head and said "por um" (for one). We didn't understand. Did that mean he only had one meal? No, por dois too much. He brought us a meal for one and we couldn't finish it! Besides the very large chicken breast, the meal came with two kinds of potatoes, rice, beans, and a salad. Our waiter brought us the potatoes served as an appetizer (diced with cheese and french fries). He then served us the salad, left the salad bowl on the table in case we wanted more. He then came back with the rest of the meal and insisted on cutting the chicken into manageable portions, served the beans (navy type beans in a soupy mixture but he scooped out only the beans) and the rice (arrôs). We once again did the "American" thing and left him a tip. Still doesn't seem right not to reward such wonderful service. And the price tag for that meal we couldn't finish? R$26.40 or about US$14.70.
I am going to be extremely lazy today. I did wash some things again today but with the rain, I don't think they will dry well. I have the door open to my balcony and am watching it rain. I step out every so often to see if the cars are using their wipers; they are. So I will just play on the computer and research some more. By the way, I keep the door to balcony open most of the time when it isn't too hot and just listen to the sounds of the city. For some reason, there are no bugs.
David is trying to arrange an outing for us this weekend. He had the secretary/administrative executive/travel arranger at the parent company call me today to ask what we would be interested in seeing. I told her we were open to suggestions. She is going to try to find us something to do. I do know there is a museum within walking distance of our hotel and if nothing else, we can go there. She did tell me she had heard that I walk by myself while David and Rena are at the seminar. She asked if that were true and I said yes. Apparently visitors don't do that much. I have had no problems, though. The people here are extremely friendly and eager to help.
Speaking of no problems, I forgot to mention how customs went. As I said before, we had no problems. It wasn't until later when I got to thinking about it, we weren't finger printed. I know that it has been the policy of the Brazilian government to finger print all U.S. citizens upon entry into Brazil. This is a retaliatory action because the United States finger prints Brazilians. When I mentioned to Fernando on Sunday that we weren't finger printed, he was surprised. Maybe the tensions between Brazil and the United States are finally starting to lessen.
When David got back last night, we walked over to that same little restaurant we went to on Saturday (Sábado) where the waiter/owner spoke no English at all. When we stepped in the door, he said " have chicken feeesh". He had practiced and was waiting for us to come back. Made me glad we did. For our meal last night we ordered chicken Parmesan meal for two (refeição por dois). He shook his head and said "por um" (for one). We didn't understand. Did that mean he only had one meal? No, por dois too much. He brought us a meal for one and we couldn't finish it! Besides the very large chicken breast, the meal came with two kinds of potatoes, rice, beans, and a salad. Our waiter brought us the potatoes served as an appetizer (diced with cheese and french fries). He then served us the salad, left the salad bowl on the table in case we wanted more. He then came back with the rest of the meal and insisted on cutting the chicken into manageable portions, served the beans (navy type beans in a soupy mixture but he scooped out only the beans) and the rice (arrôs). We once again did the "American" thing and left him a tip. Still doesn't seem right not to reward such wonderful service. And the price tag for that meal we couldn't finish? R$26.40 or about US$14.70.
I am going to be extremely lazy today. I did wash some things again today but with the rain, I don't think they will dry well. I have the door open to my balcony and am watching it rain. I step out every so often to see if the cars are using their wipers; they are. So I will just play on the computer and research some more. By the way, I keep the door to balcony open most of the time when it isn't too hot and just listen to the sounds of the city. For some reason, there are no bugs.
David is trying to arrange an outing for us this weekend. He had the secretary/administrative executive/travel arranger at the parent company call me today to ask what we would be interested in seeing. I told her we were open to suggestions. She is going to try to find us something to do. I do know there is a museum within walking distance of our hotel and if nothing else, we can go there. She did tell me she had heard that I walk by myself while David and Rena are at the seminar. She asked if that were true and I said yes. Apparently visitors don't do that much. I have had no problems, though. The people here are extremely friendly and eager to help.
Speaking of no problems, I forgot to mention how customs went. As I said before, we had no problems. It wasn't until later when I got to thinking about it, we weren't finger printed. I know that it has been the policy of the Brazilian government to finger print all U.S. citizens upon entry into Brazil. This is a retaliatory action because the United States finger prints Brazilians. When I mentioned to Fernando on Sunday that we weren't finger printed, he was surprised. Maybe the tensions between Brazil and the United States are finally starting to lessen.
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