Farewell/Hello!

Arriving to a new continent for the first time is like no other feeling. Even though I feel the ground through the shocking bounce of rubber tires colliding with the gray asphalt of a run way, I still very much feel the physical connection with a new slab of earth below me. That just can't be denied. What is 'It' that can't be denied, I must ask myself: It is the unavoidable embrace with the unknown. It is the amazement of how far one can travel in such a short period of time. It is the curiosity of what kinds of food will be my first meal.

And these thoughts bring up other questions: How large and cheap are the avocados, and how close are they? Where will I take my first night of sleep? Which direction will I rest my head? Who is the first friend I will make? When and where will I first get really, really lost? Will I go north or south along the coast first?

All signs point to north, right now. It is warmer that direction. I have been told that it would be most enjoyable to head to the north eastern states of Bahia and Minas Gerais. Though, I am not in the least daunted by the weather here. Being that it does not rain enough while I am in Colorado, I am willing to stick around in the drizzle for several days. And this is their winter now. Pretty mild for what I am used to. Feels like a Houston winter, which isn't much for temerature swings.

Karin's dad, Ron, picked up myself and Karin's mom, Marlene, at the airport today. Marlene got in a couple hours after me. It took us a while getting through the city, the freeway snaking along a river slightly lined with plumerias, oleander, and grafitti. Motorcycles race between cars on the move. I was told that atleast one person on a motorcycle dies every day in Sao Paulo traffic. This is not surprising after seeing their attempts to pass the cars and 18 wheelers. Not to mention, there are more than 20 million people here in this city, and with that kind of human density one death a day on a motorcycle is pretty much expected in my book. Ron nearly got into two accidents and he is a fairly good driver. I am glad that I don't have to get behind a wheel while I am in the city.

I was fed twice today by Ron and Marlene and their house keeper. Lunch felt like dinner and dinner felt like a dream. I am very excited about the many pastries and desserts that I will be trying down the street from Karin's place over the next 5 weeks. We stoped in for some bread and I was assaulted by the array of sweets that lined the walls and counter tops! Tomorrow will be a good day of taste testing. I will do my best to control myself..... from controlling myself. And yes, the avocadoes are huge, freaking Huge! And cheap, super Cheap! I will try to include a picture some day.

I am going to sleep on this long sofa cusion that is now an extra here at Karin's apartment. The school she teaches at pays for her apartment, and I get to sleep in this room on my curved, worm-like, C shaped bed at though I were meant to inhabit this space. And I guess that I am meant to, because this is my home base for some time to come. Sweet dreams everybody.