The vagabond is still daily routineless, wandering, constantly hunting with the hounds (who by now have blood on all paws), researching, reading, and eating way too much meat and drinking pools full of the irresistible Guarana.
News:
-Have reached my 30th Portuguese class. Gettin' there. Would say I can understand about 40% of what's in the newspaper. Speaking it and making the correct pronunciations is at about 20%, which encouragingly gives me enough to ask for and describe things in kinder garden argot. What's "super legal", or really cool, as they'd say down here is that Portuguese is a real back door into Spanish. I had a sneak preview of my Spanish material and talked to a few of the locals about it. To read and write, Spanish is about 75% identical, to speak about 50%. The Portuguese can understand Spanish but not visa versa. It's like killing one bird and injuring the other with the one stone. Will make it easier to converse with the Chileans and Argentians when we arrive.
-Looking at a lot of apartments. Will have moved out of Marcel's apartment by the start of June. 2 bedroom, close to the city and metro in a shared hotel, with front door security is the norm over here. I can stretch the budget to 1,200 real ( 350 euros), which should be enough. If lucky I may get access to a pool and gym, and, some cleaning services inclusive.
-Bought tickets with my friends: Lincoln and Carlos & Laura to go this Saturday morning to a "rugged, mountainous paradise", to the north of Brasil, Chamapa. We're going for a week. Will bring the camera and camcorder. The ticket to and from Salvador which is about 2,000km away cost 65 euros and the last 400km of the journey is either an 8 hour bus ride to and back, on a pot hole ridden, bumpy road that would justice to a mine field exhibition in Vietnam, for 65 euros, or, a flight for 225 euros (monopoly). We've gone for the flight. Should be great, pictures look a little like the interior of Crete (Samari Gorge) juxtaposed with something similar to the Andes. Should be plenty of cascading waterfalls, deep echoing caves, and chilly, windy, undulating mountain hikes. It should be a cerebral churning, intoxication, roller coaster, hypnotising, one-to-see, one-for-the-books, backs to your seat, hair pulled, skin pinching, eye pressing ride. Well that's what Eusebius reckons. Hope he's right. I've tried to tell him that there will be few if any other dogs there, no dicsos, no pubs to roar and bark in, ecetra, ecetra. He just turned his torso and wagged his tail nonchantly twice at me and bobbled off to bed under the table. Eusebius had a diametrical position, he'll settle for the "rugged, mountainous paradise" thing. He's looking forward to it more than Brutos. Told me he'll work on his writing there. Will give a detailed report when I get back.
-Going out with the Brazilians to see Brazil Vs France tonight. Should be a great game. It will be fun surrounded by the locals watching the World Champions.
-Gotta go get some pacanha, starving, tchau.
