que supresa!

From the time I arrived in Brazil everything has gone smoothly. Well, sorta...well, let's say it's already been an adventure. But then again, I think that in some language somewhere, my name means adventuress, so I'm lovin' it.
Finally got a guarana (my favorite soft drink ever) on the TAM airplane. Saturday's arrival in Recife was picture-perfect. Except for the fact that Recife is not a very pretty city - it's as if someone just kept putting up unimaginative, ugly buildings with no thought of creating a skyline. My passage through customs and immigration was uneventful, with a smiling Drew and Sueli on the other side.
We grabbed a quick hamburger at Bob's in the airport and got on our way...south! South? Joao Pessoa is north of Recife.
"We have a surprise...it's a good one." Marta, who teaches in the university and works as a tour guide during holidays, has brought a group of teenagers to Maragogi, a resort on the sea. In Brazil it's considered a 5-star resort (www.miramarmaragogiresort.com). Que supresa! (what a surprise!). Because she's the guide, she can just add people to her tour, so she added the 3 of us. I'll go back to Joao Pessoa with her and the group on Sunday afternoon. I like Brazil! I haven't done any work yet and I'm getting rewarded with a nice resort stay.
But let's talk about our route to get here. Recife is in the state of Pernambuco and this resort is in Alagoas. We were told it was just about 30km over the border. Each state in Brazil has its own borders and taxes are collected from the trucks each time they cross into another state. Along the way, there was gorgeous scenery. I would say mountainous, but I don't think the height qualifies them to be mountains. However, they are larger than hills. It's as if God just stirred up very lumpy "earth batter" (wouldn't you know I'd relate it to cooking?) and just drizzled it over the area. All over these very high lumps there grows sugar cane. Kilometers and kilometers of it, with occasional banana trees for added visual texture. Sugar cane, of course, is used to make the alcohol/ethanol for gasoline. For quite a while we drove without encountering any oncoming traffic...only to be stopped by a huge traffic jam. Yes, in the middle of the countryside. As is often the case, people get out of their cars and trucks and begin talking with others along the way. We discovered there was an overloaded sugar cane truck that had broken down on the one-lane bridge about 1 or 2 km ahead. So we sat for almost an hour. However, Drew, ever the resourceful guy, drove further ahead...intending to, shall we say, cut in the line? About 20 minutes after we made our move, we saw the first oncoming traffic...about 5 cars. Then it was our turn, and because of Drew's decision, we were in the first group of 6 cars (we were second to the last!) that went over this one-lane bridge, hastily erected by the army...just wide planks across with a few going lengthwise. Behind us were probably several km of cars and trucks and it would have been a couple hours' wait had we stayed way back in the line. I think they were going to alternate sides, 5-6 vehicles at a time. Say it with me now, "cutting in line is a good thing."

[Brings back the eerie memories of one of Terry's and my trips to Brazil, when we had to fly to Caracas, Venezuela and then come in to Brazil on an overnight bus through the jungle. Of course it's blacker than black in the jungle at night. Every once in a while we would slow down considerably and then bump along for a while, then speed up. It's probably better that we had no idea what was happening, because later, we discovered that the slow-downs were due to rivers or deep gorges where we crossed wooden make-shift bridges similar to this one - only not built as well, sometimes only the 2 planks lengthwise...and no sides!!! The bus driver just had to keep the wheels on those planks! Then there were the soldiers who boarded the bus and came straight to the 2 Americans - pointing machine guns at our heads...well, we've had some adventures.]

We crossed the bridge into the state of Alagoas, thinking we had just about 30 km to go. Wrong. We just kept driving and driving...no cell phone signal so they were unable to call Marta...but I love how helpful everyone is. We stopped and asked people several different times and most of the time their directions agreed. The number was more like 70 km! At one point, one man told us that the road ahead was out, but a farmer had allowed some of his sugar cane to be cut down in order to make passage available. In the states we usually have several options of getting from point A to point B. In other countries, many times there is only one road with no other roads crossing it for miles and miles. So if a road is out or under construction, you might just have to turn around and go hours out of your way.
We found the way into the field and drove along, 12-ft. sugar cane stalks on either side of us. By this time it was dark because sunset begins around 5:30. It had rained sometime during the day here so already there were deep ruts in the still gooey mud. Hard to believe, but we again encountered a "traffic jam". This time only about 5-6 vehicles on either side of a really big quagmire where a heavy truck had sunk down to where the back wheels and the back end of the truck were entirely covered with mud. I'm wondering how he ever got out (or maybe he's still there) because it was just a bunch of guys with some ropes and smaller trucks with no chance of decent traction! Drew measured the space between the truck and sugar cane and figured we had just enough space to squeak past, so we decided to go for it. Of course one needs to keep one's foot on the gas lest one also gets stuck in the mud! I'll usually take on any driving challenge, but let's just say I'm glad I was not the driver in this case. When we finally arrived back on the main road, almost 6km later, it was so potholed that we had to slow down tremendously so as not to break an axle or get a flat tire...some of those spots were canyons! Think about it for a minute...black night outside, no street lamps, no towns, very few cars at all, no gas stations...you get the picture. I was glad I had not drunk too much water at lunch.
We arrived at the resort at almost 7pm, after leaving the Recife airport at 2:30, and were greeted by Marta, waiting in the lobby...we hugged and she apologized to me for such a stressful arrival. Stress? Who, me? I was laughing and taking pictures the whole time. We got our little bracelets that allowed us to do all of the activities, dropped off our luggage in our rooms, and met for a delicious dinner, after which we all went to bed. All except Marta, that is, who went dancing with her tour group. Sleep came very easy to all of us.

if it seems too good...

Ok, I knew things were going too smoothly. It really seemed too good to be true...as I waited for the Miami flight, I noticed there was about an hour delay posted on the board. An announcement to that effect was made, but I hardly had time to ask about my connection when the next announcement declared the flight cancelled. Don't you just love to hear the word "weather" in conjunction with your cancelled flight? That's the airlines' way of saying they're not gonna lift a finger to help their stranded passengers.
Somehow I found myself 6th in line at the American Airlines desk for rebooking...that never happens to me because I'm not one to push my way in line. However, it soon became clear I would be waiting for a very long time and I really began to feel sorry for the others behind me. Proactively I called Martha, the world's greatest travel agent, and even as I moved closer to the front of the line, she was able to find me another flight not going through Miami (or Singapore, for that matter, which sometimes happens when you're trying to avoid certain cities!). Finally it was my turn at the counter, and the agent told me that the reserved flight ...for which I had a seat...was overbooked by 30 people. Simultaneously, I've got Martha on the line, who says "if they give you a seat assignment, you're on!" My "friend" at the counter was probably in for a long night and already regretting having not just called in sick. She snapped at me "well, then just have your travel agent book the flight with Delta!" Which I did. When I had my confirmation numbers in hand, I returned to the woman at the counter, who called Delta to confirm and then issued me a ticket. Whew!
Next order of business was to go to baggage claim for my suitcase and bring it to the Delta counter, and check in for the new flight, which would be non-stop from Atlanta to Brasilia.
The good news was that my suitcase and I were reunited, without anyone having a chance to lose it! But now that I was on an international flight, I had to ride that little train "all the way" to the "E" terminal, where I waited in line without incident, checked in, and once again said goodbye to my suitcase.
This time going through security, I just happened to get a TSA person with an attitude, or maybe she just fought with her boyfriend - whatever, she proceeded to unpack most of the contents of my carry-on bag, looking for, as she put it, "lots of little bottles of liquids all over the place." Really?? I had deliberately packed all liquids in my checked bag, leaving only a few vitamin bottles, (capsules) which I had placed in another bag to keep them all together. I mentioned that to her, but evidently it only spurred her on to prove me wrong. Of course one is not allowed to put one's hand over the "fence" to aid/interfere with packing/unpacking, so I watched quietly, almost curious to see what little bottles she could find! Of course my things were now strewn all over her desk...but still no bottles. I thought of inviting her to totally empty the bag, but some people need to be superior without actually finding out all the facts, which might prove them wrong. I knew that she had to save face so I continued to keep quiet, even as I watched her stuff everything back with a huff and then catch the zipper on my sweater not once but twice. I realize she's "just doing her job", but it's always much more pleasant to be kind and friendly. I usually try to joke a little with the person and see how long it takes me to get a smile or a laugh, but there was no humor in Ms. TSA yesterday. Made me think of our favorite quote from good friend Roger Heuser (who married us 12 years ago in the Loire Valley) who likes to say, "I take my work seriously but I don't take myself seriously." Good idea. The need for some people to be superior just brings out the clown in me...I'm always looking for a way to crack a joke, but many of 'em just don't get it.
Found my way to the gate and sat down on the floor to recharge phone after all that time with Martha, who kindly just "hung out" on the line with me till we got everything straightened out.
By the way, if you're interested, Martha works for The Cruise Experts, in California, where another good friend, Wes, also works. Wes and Terry know each other from music groups about a hundred years ago, and everyone there always gives us such wonderful service...we've gotten some ridiculously inexpensive cruises and the best advice...for Terry's 60th birthday I wanted a nice hotel in Budapest...Wes took only about a day before he called me back to give me the name of a wonderful Boutique Hotel that was having a "birthday discount"...I've told lots of you that our room was discounted the percentage of the birthday boy! Yep. 60% off. We just couldn't stop laughing it was so luxurious!
Just a shameless plug for the best TA ever! I'm not getting any payment, and they didn't even have to ask me to do it!
Boarded the plane, doors were closed, and there were still about 6 empty seats (on the flight that was 30 overbooked). For the first time ever, I think, I had adults all around my immediate area, which made me think I might even get to sleep on this overnight flight. Boy was I wrong! Screaming babies suddenly appeared, and right behind me, a yippy little dog. In addition, the captains seemed to be looking for every little bump they could find. Sleep was definitely not in my future, but I did manage to snag a few little catnaps. For Delta Airlines, the meals were pretty bad. (let's face it, for any airlines they were bad!) I picked at the pressed chicken, and ate the dessert. Apparently someone also neglected to put all the alcoholic drinks on board because the man in front of me tried to order something and the attendant was explaining to him the terrible service they had from the ground crew, who just forgot to restock the galley.
Fortunately puppy finally stopped yipping, and somewhere over the ocean the babies stopped screaming, only to start again the minute breakfast began to be rolled up the aisles. Did I saw bad? I'm not sure I'd dignify what was put in front of me by even calling it a meal. Although there was a perfectly ripe banana to save it from being a complete disaster. Being the coffee "snob" that I am, I nevertheless ordered coffee. My mistake.
Immigration and Customs were a breeze, and again I was able to check on my suitcase. Still coming along for the ride! Got it checked in for the last time and came to Gate 8, which, of course got changed to Gate 12.
Waiting for flight to Recife, I'm hoping that Terry was able to communicate all this to Drew. I did facebook him some partial info last night, but couldn't get through by phone or text. Terry tried calling several times as well with no answer or voicemail, but Drew's a pretty resourceful guy who'll figure it out, probably by process of elimination.
Here in Brasilia the sky is perfectly blue and it feels somewhat cool for now. I'm just glad to be here because the more people I spoke with last night, the worse things got. Being 4th of July weekend understandably makes it much more difficult to change/rebook travel plans, and I know that Miami flights were full for today. If I had tried to stay on the same flight, I would not have even been able to leave till Saturday or even Sunday.
They've called my flight. Off to Recife.