update from florianopolis, # n+1

greetings from the southeast of brazil.

after a few crummy days it looks like thigns are looking up.

p(there is a one second lag between wheni hit the keys and when the stuff appears on the screen, so ignore typos. i don~t have time for this shite internet connection - im too good for it).

 

some observations and life lessons courtesy of isla de santa catarinha:

• the hardest of the hard core wear a speedo and a ring of 50 spf suscreen i mean sunscreen around their face, across thier nose and on the cheeks. thats it. its a locals only thing. about half the dudes wear speeds and the other half trunk it. girls wear bikinis only. if you~re a grandmohter of 8 then you can wear a 1 piece. or a bikini. whatever suits you.
• the sun in the sub-tropical summer (near the tropic of capricorn o rcancer, i think) is intense. its like a blowtorch. and we just had the summer solstice, which is the most direct sun day of th eyear. so when the sun is out, it is hot.
• the sun has not been out very much. its rained off and on since i got here. summer in the tropics. it happens.
• i wold pay whatever they asked for a computer that works like it is supposed to.  
• when you get on the bus, have exact change ready. or be prepared to feel like a jackass.
• when you get on the bus, expect it to leave as soon as your back foot hits the first step. door still open? so what! if youre not ready, you might fall into some people and feel like a jackass.
• expect all drivers to be in training to become the next ayrton senna. all drivers. buses, taxis, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and whatever else, they are driving it like they stole it.
• just because its an atm machine in a major metropolitan area does not mean that it is connected to a network that will take your card. so you have to carry around loads of cash in places where every guide, tourist, book, and travel resource tells you not to carry loads of cash. makes sense, no?
• best meal so far: lunch at praia mole, watching the surf, eating a crepe, drinking coconut water fresh out of the coconut. they put them in ice water overnight, then punch a hole in them so you can drink the sweet ambrosia with a straw. finally a deal: cost about 3.50 US. total. and it was just as good as the fish i had for lunch the previouis day at 10x the price.
• i stick out like a sore thumb here. i am embracing it.

 thanks for checking out the igazu falls pix. they took forever to upload. more photos fo follow, pending internet connection and etc.

from here i go to Rio to meet some friends for NYE. bitchin.

love you.

-c-