Brazil – Days 6 & 7

Yesterday was a relaxing Sunday. I started by doing my exercises outside on the deck under the gorgeous Brazilian sun. No sooner did I finish than my host invited me for a walk around Maringa Park – the same 5km route we did the previous day. The second trip was much easier. Upon our return, we took a drive around the city in his roadster.
Breakfast and lunch were delicious, as always.
In the afternoon, I said goodbye to the other guests who stayed here this weekend. Hopefully I will see them again in Sao Paulo before my departure. We wound down the day with a movie, and I re-learned that subtitles are great. The movie was in English, but watching the translation helped with my reading comprehension. The beauty is, I can do that any time, not just here. Excellent.
I also found that one of the only flight that I was successful in getting tickets for was to the wrong city. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my mistake, and someone told me I was going to the city for which I got the tickets, but who knows? Anyway, another trip to the travel agent appears to be called for tomorrow. At this point, I’m tempted to explore other transportation options. I wonder how much a chartered helicopter goes for these days…
My first international loaf of bread was a success. I had to improvise on some of the ingredients, but successful in not turning it into an international incident.
I used cash for the first time today to buy some nasal decongestant. Apparently I picked up a little bit of a head cold, but between hot tea, my neti pot, and the meds, I should be fine. Given that my cash reserves are low, and I’m having to use my backup credit card as my main, I figured it would be good to get some more cash. Problem: I don’t have the PIN for my one working credit card, and the other doesn’t support cash advances. Fortunately, Amex came through again and supplied me with a temporary one, good for 7 days and up to $500.
This evening I went to Aikido Maringa. I liked the training and the people there. It’s a 30 minute walk from here, so I was already warmed up by the time I arrived. Class was hot, and sticky. After a week of resting and recovering, it was good to swing back into high gear. I’m looking forward to returning tomorrow evening.