This does not have a lot of pictures of food since I stayed at an Airbnb in an area frequented by students and went to the convenience store to buy everyday essentials. However, I experienced a lot ! This led to a lot of gradual subconscious growth.
Day 11:
The aerial shots are amazing and I wish I had a better camera to capture. As soon as I land, the phone network appears to be disconnected. A local taxi driver senses my predicament and charges me double the fare. At the Airbnb, I just remember waiting for a bit since I have no way of contacting the host.
I head to the convenience store and then to St Antonio de Lisboa. It's peaceful, spiritual and quiet . Having followed my instincts it took me by surprise. Darkness begins to fall and I see no taxi stand in sight. I see a pattern , I can easily catch an Uber from the Airbnb. The return trip is the problem. Again I a local taxi driver charges me double the fare. The sensibility in me wanted to be home before 9 pm so I didn't argue.
Day 12:
I study the geographic map around the area. I figure at the rate that I am being charged double, it is better to get some more currency exchanged. The place- Turcambo seems walkable at 20-30 minute tops. It is a two storied building called the Trindade Shopping Centre and I don't see anything on the ground floor. This minute detail is very important as you keep reading.
So I continue walking down the road Paula de Linhares until I reach the end and decide to turn back. I fuel up at Subway. I was so happy to see something familiar. Yellow Pizzeria seemed tempting but it was closed.
I stop by the post office and two helpful ladies attempt to solve my problem. One offers to drop me at the bank. So I end up visiting Banco Brasil and Bradesco Bank with no luck. At Banco Brasil I go though a revolving door wherein we deposit my phones . Super tight security.
Day 13:
I'm determined to make the most of the situation so I head to a mall looking for currency exchange that I do manage to find. Next stop Barra da Lagoa ( Lagao means lake). The ferry to Campeche Island did not have space since online booking had to be made in advance. I decided to find my own island like a pioneer of unchartered territory.
I walk along a beach called Praia da Mozambique. Little did I know it was the longest stretch of beach 7 km long. I see a crescent so I figure the other end will be midway across the town. I could then take a bus or a taxi to a different beach.
So after 4 hours of walking, I start getting tied under the hot blazing sun. Around 1 pm there is a midpoint where I see some people so I see hope. It is 2 pm and I am calculating whether to go forward or backward. Either way it will get delayed. After about an hour when I am sure I am in the wrong direction. At 6 km, I see a huge log of wood and a young decent student at about 6 km. So approximately only 1 km is left. The student tells me it is a dead end.
I'm so exhausted that I rest my head underneath the wood that acts as a shade for my face. I observe the student out of the corner of my eye .We start talking after sharing a beer without understanding each other but figure out that we both have studied Biology. I have way too much pride to ask for help so when he offers to drop me at a bus station, I am grateful.
The bus went on to take a tour of the entire city and stops at a terminal hub like Square One or Union Station in Toronto where I have to change buses. A lady is helpful when I mention the Paula de Linhares Rd. I feel so happy again when I find myself in familiar surroundings.
Now comes the super funny part. I stop at Trindade Shopping Centre and have an Omlette and Acai. I start exploring the 2nd floor out of curiosity and find the currency exchange called the Turcambo. What a waste of time and unnecessary stress the last 48 hours has been. I then have to walk back another 20-30 minutes to finally get a chance to rest.
Day 14:
I meet up with my extended family and eat Churrascaria and Acai again. Most of the meals I eat in this idyllic beach town is alone and am okay with it. I get some keychain souvenirs from the Mercado, market. The last evening, it rained heavily, but I wanted to eat something different so headed to the nearby café Disencobar.
I was waiting to get back to the protectiveness of family back in Sao Paulo. I figure if I am able to survive in a town that speaks Portuguese, I will be able to survive anywhere.
The final bad luck was that my earring's backing got lodged in my ear lobe and I had to go to hospital to take it out with a local anesthetic. Coming from a hot place to a frigid place , I caught the common cold.
So when people think a vacation to Brazil was relaxing for me , it was a mixture. I appreciated it since it took a lot of time to manifest and there were a lot of ups and downs that enabled me to be stronger and be okay with the unknown.
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