SO MANY THINGS… BUT EVERYTHING IS PAID !
Iberê
I should write one post per subject, with one big picture, and not on various subjects at the same time, with several small pics. According to Iberê my nephew, who is a journalist like his uncle, that would be more interesting because it is easier to read. But the issues add up and then when I sit down to write there are already many things to tell … I will try to improve this in the future.
For now, I’m telling all the news … Finally I got my international press card. But first I had to rejoin the Union of Professional Journalists of the São Paulo. Total cost: R$ 300,00
Garmin Edge 800
I also went to Maré GPS and bought a GPS Garmin Edge 800 (about R$ 1.400,00 and a SPOT tracker, another R$ 350,00). The latter, a gift from my friends Marcos Leite and Silvia Azevedo. The GPS will help me find the way, especially in large cities, and the tracker will allow me to do a lot of wonderful things: 1) Send an “OK” (even daily if I wish) for up to 5 e-mails + 5 cellphones of pre-registered relatives and friends, 2) Notify these 10 people if I need help, 3) Post my exact location daily on Facebook, 4) Ask for help and be assisted by a rescue team anywhere in the world. Modern Times.
Brazilian soul
On Saturday before last I attended a great June Festival which was held in the backyard of my Dédo brother’s place. It rocked and was really a beautiful sight. In his words, “one of the last Brazilianness manifestation I’ll see.” For a while I hope. Eventually I want to come back and drink gallons of hot wine again.
I emptied my apartment, in Bela Vista, where I have lived for the past 10 years, and today I’ll receive a visit from the broker who will bring a girl who is interested in renting it. It seems that she will study in Mackenzie College, which is near here … In the cleaning, I filled no less than five bags of 100L and thrown it all away. But my collections of books, nautical astronomy mainly, I took to the countryside, where they will stay until my return. Just in case, I quoted them in my testament, leaving them to certain friends that I know have to do with these issues.
Breaking eggs to make omelette
Other crazy people...
My Parati is already advertised and with a “for sale” sticker. It costed R$ 120,00 to advertise it in the Folha de São Paulo. It’s a difficult time letting go of my possessions, my life, to go round the world. According to Werner Caseh, one of New Project Origin members, “the planning stage, the detachment, is very cool aswell.” It may be, Caseh, but I confess that it pains me to sell my car. That’s why I can’t wait to hit the road …
only as a last
Yesterday I retraced my enrollment in Youth Hostels, which I used a lot when lived in Europe. Now I’m older I am returning to practice some youthful activities… Gone were an additional R$ 40,00. And the daily fee is not cheap: R$ 37,00. But now, with inscriptions in Couchsurfing, Warmshowers, Servas International, CAC (Cyclo Cyclo Accueil) and Youth Hostels, and I think I’m with a better covered for accommodation (when applicable …).
Drilled as a sieve
In two days, yesterday and the day before yesterday I have had no less than seven vaccines, which were against: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, tetanus, MMR (mumps, measles, rubella), rabies, typhoid and polio – the latter was the only one not by injection. Five of them I took in the Traveler’s Clinic of the Hospital das Clinicas, where I was very well received and instructed on the safest procedures when on the road. But two of them (hepatitis A and typhoid fever) had to make in a private clinic, which costed more R$ 255,00. Hitting the road is turning out to be expensive.
Too many are the dangers of this life
An eighth vaccine, against meningitis, shall to be taken when I’ll arrive in the U.S. – because there is a shortage in Brazil. And the one against yellow fever, wich I took in 2008 to travel to Colombia and Venezuela, is valid until 2018. But malaria and sleeping sickness, because they have no vaccine, still scare me …
As if it had not spent enough, next weekend I’ll go to Rio de Janeiro, to exchange the used yellow bike that helped me so much in training for the matte black, new, definitive one. This will be my vehicle, my home and my wife for the next five years. Or for the duration of the adventure … (Some would say craziness).
