Ipanema


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Published: June 24th 2008
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I just got back from my first stroll along Ipanema beach. On the way back I was walking toward Sugar Loaf mountain with impressive waves crashing on my left and giant gloomy storm clouds stuck to hillsides in front. All the lights came on - it´s 5:30pm and going dark already.
I´ve followed all the cautions the guidebook recommends so far, but it has tended to create a slightly paranoid sense of expectation that I´m sure will wear off after a few days. It was quite a lovely walk in the end.
The plane was late out of Boston, then there was a medical emergency on board that led to quite a hair-raising descent into Miami. As the fates would have it, the connecting plane experienced a mechanical problem - first they told us all the connecting planes had left, but our arrival at 12:30am was perfectly timed for a short sprint from one group of grumpy people to the next, allowing me to take my seat at the very back of the plane for the eight hour ride to Rio. I read 200 pages into Ámerican Gods´ by Neil Gaiman, my airport purchase novel, that reads just like his ´Coraline´ book that I read to my students early last year, but with expletives and the odd naughty scene, then I slept with a crick in my neck.
The airport, taxi, hotel procedure went extremely smoothly and efficiently - much more so than ever at the Boston end, notwithstanding my entirely pathetic first attempts at Portuguese, then I caught a nap, watched CNN, a piece of some dumb Robert De Niro movie, Ronin, had a refreshing shower then took my nice little walk.
It´s a very attractive tree filled lively area. I can´t believe how excellent the sea looks, how clean the beach appears, given its location. It´s very quaint and Euro with street cafe´s and tree lined streets, with just enough run down aspects to make it seem exotic.
Well that´s about all I´ve got for this day. I´m going to eat in the hotel tonight, then take it easy with my book and cable TV - all the movies are in english with Portuguese subtitles - excellent, I can be a couch potato and learn at the same time!
Even though I slept for three hours this afternoon, I don´t think I´m gonna have trouble kipping tonight.
See you on the flypaper.
mike

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24th June 2008

made it
Glad you made it alright dude. Any idea what the time difference is between here and there? Would you believe I still don't have a plane ticket? I couldn't find my passport after 3 1/2 hiours of searching today. Steph found it in 0.00003 seconds flat...argh. Glad all is well.
25th June 2008

ZIP
Hi mike! I hope he is having fun. I am. Good luck with pourtugese exscuse my spelling. Caio
25th June 2008

ay up our kid
just logged on to your blog hope you are ok , what a start youve had , didnt realize the nights draw in so early,. hope you have a safe trip ,enjoy. im feeling ok today, gonna paint the fencing will keep in touch .thinking of you,love the youngest allen
25th June 2008

REI
Can't wait to see pictures! Glad you made it there safe. Spent three hours at REI yetserday...it was not pretty. I'm definitely traveling next summer to get my monies worth.

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