So long ago I hatched a plan to do this big trip around Brazil. I mentioned it to my friends Thomas and Ari and they expressed interest in coming. Weeks went by they dropped out and I started liking my job and I gave up on the trip. Months went by and they simultaneously wondered if it was too late to do the trip. I said no and we started making plans. The culmination of all those plans came together yesterday when I picked them up at the bus station.
I got back in from a refreshing bike ride and saw that I had received an e-mail from them saying that they'd been waiting at the bus station for my "booch ass". I hustled down there and there ensued a heartfelt reunion. We went back to my place I introduced them to my roommate Ramon, who remained relatively quiet, and my friend Peter who will resume my "lease" and job. Peter, Thomas and Ari hit it off quite well due to the English charm of my friend whom I met in Jundiaí.
We got some lunch at an all-you-can eat feijoada restaurant I frequent, however they didn't have feijoada. My friend Kathrin from Germany tagged along. After the filling lunch we caught the bus, and then another bus and then another bus all the way to a beach on the south of the Island called Armação. Armação was a former Whale Blubber processing plant. I'm not quite sure how one would go about processing blubber these days. From Armação we trekked along the beach called Matadeiros where I assume many of the whales were slaughtered. From there we hiked along a rocky trail to the secluded beach cove of Lagoinha do Leste. We marched along the trail being poked by plants and slipping down a well walked trail. We arrived at the beach and immediately plunged into the frosty water. The waves tossed around leaving our bodies purple from the forceful surf. We took a few shots for our upcoming 2009 Best of Silver Spring Hunks calendar and got dressed. Along the way to the exit trail we encountered dead penguin after dead penguin and even the impressive skeletal cage of a large fish of some sort. We meandered finding the trail exiting to the neighborhood of Pantanal do Sul. I received flack that I didn't know where I was going but my keen sense of direction eventually lead us to where we needed to go. The trail leaving the beach was much steeper, aerobic and direct. At the height of the trail we stopped at a miranda and too some more goofy pictures. We finally were spit out at the bottom of the trail and the mosquitos annihilated us.
We went to a legendary restaurant of the Island called Bar do Arante. Arante is some guy and this is his bar and restaurant. We ordered some beers and looked out upon the ocean as the sunset. We decided to get some fish dishes complimented by salad, rice, beans, pirão and lots more beer. They brought complimentary shots of cachaça, (Brazilian rum.) We got ourselves more beers by quizzing the waitstaff about world capitals. They in return quizzed us about Brazilian State capitals. It was a draw. Our waitress told us about the witchcraft legends of the island and the stories they inspired. We were given scraps of paper to leave our mark upon the massive collection of notes written and posted to the walls ceilings and any other spare spot available.
Thomas wrote
Dawg,
The Food Was Mad Good Dawg.
-Cooney
Katherin drew,
We took our elaborate system of buses back to my apartment as the wind started picking up. We showered up and got ready to hit the town. We were about to go to a college party but got word it was weak. So my friend invited us to go out to one of the biggest clubs in Floripa to dance the night away listening to thumping house music courtesy of a German DJ. We accepted, I braced the gang that my friend Marcos drives like a maniac and he did not disappoint. We all sighed with collective relief when we finally got to the club in one piece after many close calls along the way.
We danced, hit on girls and drank some beers. Most of us were rejected except for Marcos who escorted a young lady back home leaving us without a ride. We had to take a taxi back home and I fell asleep on the way. As I write this entry at 1:45 I'm the only one awake and they are loudly snoring.
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