I arrived home to find things a bit upside down due to power outages. 

Fish are "ok"; kitty "ok"; freezer and linksys a bit worse for the experience, but it's all correctable. :)

It took us 37 hours to get to Belo Horizonte, Brasil.  Varig, with whom we had our tickets, declared bankruptcy hours before we left.  Many hours waiting in LAX, JFK and Sao Paolo.  But, we made it...and, that's the important thing.

After landing in Sao Paolo, Varig transported all of us by taxi to another airport in Sao Paolo. 

Brasil - I found - is a country of striking contrasts as evidenced by the local keepers of the peace protecting the arrival area of a quite modern Sao Paolo airport...

 And...one of my first sights on the streets of Sao Paolo was:

Belo Horizonte from the air...a most welcome site:

This was not an uncommon sight while traveling through Belo Horizonte:

I think this pic illustrates the contrasts well...

More to come as I filter through almost 3,000 pics...a most amazing time for each one of us...

Obrigada Brasil...thank you, Brazil...

ra

Currently Listening 40 Days By The Wailin' Jennys One Voice see related

To my friends around the world,

It is my hope for you this day that your life is filled with the peaceful certainty that you are free to walk safely in a direction of your own choosing.

um...and, that includes watching any SW movie you so choose as many times as you so choose to view it...:D

May The Force Be With You

oh...yah...and the freedom to wear your screamin' yellow crocs wherever you want...;)

ra

I volunteer in my local Red Cross Chapter every Thursday. 

We received a message to deploy volunteers to PA and NY.  I immediately thought of KDY (who fortunately is presently untouched by this unfolding disaster).

But, that got me to thinking...

Through the years and months that I have known all of you -- my dear hyperspace friends -- you have each one enriched my life through the participation in thought-provoking discussions, romping through hilarious cyber-scenarios of the star wars kind and through the opportunity you have afforded me to appreciate and enjoy your various gifts and talents.

I haven't been able to be around as much these last few months.  But, I just wanted to say that you are never far from my thoughts and...

thank you.

Forward to C4...

ra

Thoughts of Brazil...

July 11, I leave for Brazil.  Although my trip will be composed of charitable activities, I will have a bit of time to explore.

I will primarily be in Belo Horizonte, Sao Paulo and a bit in Rio de Janeiro.

Presently, adding a bit of Brazilian Portuguese to bolster my very limited language ability.

More to follow...

Bom dia (good morning)

RA