Arriving in Brazil

Today I landed at the Galeão airport in Rio de Janeiro and first step foot on Brasilian soil, or concrete. The flight was long and of course irony ran it's course as well.

As I walked out the front door of my parents' place in Rollag, my mom insisted on taking her bottle of children's aspirin. Let's now collectively ask, "Gee Nate, Why would you need aspirin?" Thanks for asking--a great question. Well, mom says on long flights your legs can develop blood clots, which of course lead to extreme pain in your legs and overall unpleasant travels. Seems a little far-fetched, if you ask me.

But sure enough, not long after sitting on a flight from Charlotte to Rio my left leg started making me nervous. Maybe it was the paranoia instilled by my mom, or maybe it was... Oh no! A blood clot! For the remaining 8 hours I shifted and squirmed like a 2 year old, but the tingly feeling persists as I sit at the Santos Dumont airport in Rio.

When I landed in Rio, the Portuguese barrier began in an instant. The customs officials blanketed me with an overwhelming curtain of Portuguese, to which I mustered as many sensible words as I could in reply. Their entry process was unbelievably easy. I guess they trust my bag and person do not exist as vehicles of terrorism. Remember when we were like that?

I wandered without direction through the Galeão airport knowing my next flight was 12 hours away in a completely different airport. Welcome to my taxi experience.

I'd been told by Laís' sister, Ligia, to take the Real bus, which turned out to be R $8 (about $5). Of course as I walked to the Real bus, independent taxi drivers jumped on me as fresh white meat. I was offered rides to the same place for R $40 ($24) and engaged in a nearly incomprehensible conversation. One lowered his rate to R $30 ($17) and then R $25 ($14). When he found out I was set on the bus, he offered R $20 ($12). I actually thought about it for awhile. He could get me there in 15 minutes versus the 90 minutes on the bus. I agreed and rationalized my decision with my tingling leg and rear.

I guess I didn't take into account the extra sitting in the airport that meant. So here I am. My rear hurts, and the whole idea of a blood clot is creeping me out. Thanks, Mom. I've tried calling Laís to rest her worried self that I'm alive in Rio but to no avail. I'll try again soon.