Tuesday, July 20

Our time in Rio ends today. Too bad, so sad. Tis a lovely city (at least along the coast) and we had such a great time. Hummmm.

A little continental breakfast after packing. I'm talking about the good stuff, not just a pastry and thimble of orange juice: eggs, bacon, ham, hash browns, five types of bread. Yummy! Okay, so the orange juice glass was more like a shot glass, but apparently that's universal. There are probably aliens from Pluto who complain about the itty-bitty size of the orange juice glasses.

	A shot I took of the Logoa and horse track from Corcovado. You can see the clouds starting to roll in on the right.

By 10:30 we were back on the Dutra (the interstate between Sao Paulo and Rio) and weaving around big, old and slow trucks that spewed more carbon monoxide in the air while chugging up the hills than a tire-burning plant. It is definitely NOT the Autobahn.

The drive home was a good time to learn more about the country's history and culture. I have got to buy a book on the country when I get home (post-script: I did). The geography itself is amazing.

WARNING: you might learn something here. I didn't know, but Brazil is larger than the continental U.S. That'll give you some perspective! Not to mention that the citizens don't have our adventurous spirit of Manifest Destiny. 25% of the people are crowded into five metro areas in Southern Brazil alone. Imagine if 58% of Americans were crowded into Texas, and the remaining 42% lived sparsely across the rest of the continental U.S.

The country's two largest regions are also its least populated. The north, home to the Amazon rain forest, occupies 42% of the Brazilian land mass, an area large enough to accommodate all of Western Europe. Yet its population is smaller than that of New York. South of the Amazon is the Central-West, dominated by a vast elevated plateau and covering 22% of Brazil's territory, but only 7% of the country's population.

There's so much empty space in Brazil that in 1955 the president decided to build a capital in the interior to spur growth. Thus Brasilia was born, in the middle of nowhere, but the architecture looks fascinating (in books that is). I wouldn't have minded a visit just to see how a city can be built from ground up, complete with a huge man-made lake and every road and building. Imagine if 80% of Americans lived in the 13 original colonies and the government built St. Louis from scratch in five years just so we'd move there. No, we Americans are more adventurous.

	I'm sorry God, I had to have a Portuguese Playboy, especially with those femme-fatales on the cover!

Back in Sao Paulo after a six-hour trip by 5 p.m. I tell ya what, travel can sure make you tired. Sorry for making you drive so much Dad, next time we'll fly! We ate a very good Italian restaurant for dinner, where they give immense proportions (like every place in Brazil) and good service.

This was the first time that the restaurant was full when we arrived. Brazilians eat dinner late by our standards, after 9 p.m. The restaurants don't even open until 7! Can you imagine? People in the U.S. freak out because Outback Steakhouse doesn't open until 4! So when we would eat at 7:30, we'd be almost alone until we left. Maybe that's why we received such good service all week: we were the only ones in the restaurant.

Wednesday, July 21

Last day in Brazil. Even sadder than leaving Rio. Not to mention we were a pooped bunch.

When we checked in to fly home, we had to pay a $36 departure fee! Talk about a total ripoff. Maybe they know that the entire week we made fun of their country and people, so it was payback time. Either way, it was bad enough we had to pay $55 for a stinking Visa just to enter their country.

Part Two of Dad's Memories: 1) Vicky humping Pooh 2) Danielle & Jenn hoping the rain would stop in Rio that Sunday so we could go out.. the boys hoping it would continue so they could finish the British Open 3) laughing our asses off over Van de Velde 4) Jeff carrying his bed up and down the hotel hallway 5) your first visit to a churrascaria 6) Jeff's wonderful bed at our apt.. I am so sorry that we didn't have something better. When I was folding it back up, I realized there was a board running right down the center. I don't know how you slept on that. 7) is that incense coming out of her ass? and that one out of her ?????? 8) would customs stop me if I bring in a bong??? 9) did that guy really turn right from the left lane of a 4 lane road? 10) Dad.. don't kill us!!!! 11) danielle and jenn all cozy (????) in the rear of the blazer.. did you hear any snoring???

The flight was jam-packed for the flight home, so me, Scott and Jenn were to be crammed in our row for nine hours. Why is the flight home always more crowded than the flight down? Somewhere it has to even out, right?

Naturally, as soon as the plane brings in the wheels on takeoff, the guy in front of me lowers his chair as far back as it will go. Bastard. It didn't even faze him that I had my knees purposefully in his back for an hour. Even when we ate he had his seat back. That just isn't right! So eating dinner like that was quite an experience of trying not to smack the guy upside the head in frustration. Don't worry, I got over it the next day. Actually, I'm quite relaxed, thank you very much, that's why I didn't open a can of whoop-ass on him. I'm looking forward to being in management and more wealthy in general so I can sit in business or first class. If that's not motivation to work hard then I don't know what is!

Thursday, July 22

Only one movie this time, as Shakespeare in Love came on about 2 a.m. after the CNN Delta Horizons programs finished. I watched most of it, but there was some turbulence as we flew through some lightning-packed thunderstorms. Then all that bouncing around made me have to use the bathroom, which is quite an experience in turbulence. By the way, if you have to use the toilet on a plane, flush while still sitting. It's quite a feeling as the air blows your buttocks.

We tried our best to sleep normally, but it is not easy to sleep while cramped in coach. We tried having Jenn lay across me and Scott so we would all have more leg room, but Scott couldn't stop bouncing his legs so Jenn couldn't get any sleep. Dangit Scott, just sit still! For breakfast they offered in part Danon yogurt, which in Portuguese says "Sua dose diaria de saude". Ooh, yummy, diaria for breakfast!

Arrive in Atlanta at 7 a.m. to the lovely heat and humidity us Southerners adore. (By the way, that was sarcasm) I immediately missed the comfortable 70-75 degree temps and fresh breezes of the past week. No problems getting through customs, but I still wonder what happened to the group of students from Brazil who lined up behind us in the U.S. Citizens line. You'd think a countryman in the next line over would have said something.

So, we're home, what to do next? Why, sleep of course! Then wake up, see Eyes Wide Shut and Scott and Jenn drove back to Nashville. The vacation is officially over. Time for work Saturday night. Bummer.