Final, final, final Post - Farewell All

Thanks for joining in with the feedback everyone. Its been a blast again. We fly out tomorrow afternoon (Thursday) arriving in the UK sometime Friday morning. Providing we get our jet lag sorted out we´ll probably make a run for the Leap (geddit?) Friday evening if anyone´s about. Not much more to add. We´ve now got a final evening wallowing in alcoholic pre-post-holiday depression and then we have to pay our bar bill. I am not looking forward to that either!

Bye Bye

Love

Dave and Linda

Final Post - An Ode to Reality

So we find ourselves in a different place

Another world in time and space

Endless day on the equatorial belt

Sun warmed skin constantly felt

Atlantic waves crash on a golden shore

Surfers and swimmers still want more

The living beach responds to your whim

Eat or drink, lie, sit, walk or swim

Bikinis abound, browned breasts and bottom

Adorn the bay, not soon forgotten

Red Mars ascends in the clear bright night

Where Sirius shines in actinic light

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But back in the land where the Englishmen dwell

Families prepare for their Christmas hell

Darkness prevails as they all go to work

To earn money to pay for this seasonal quirk

They swarm to the markets, their over-full trolley

Worships the Santa, that great demon folly

While they watch Cola ads on the idiot box

Under wind and rain their whole house rocks

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Ah! Life´s but a dream, the nightmares as well

Including the need to sing ¨Happy Noel¨

As we surface from this wonderful sleep

We scuttle in panic to the Salmon Leap

To drown the loss of all we´ve held dear

And wish you all a ¨Happy New Year¨.

Well, we´re still here

A moment to reflect on . . . food. Having mentioned the C Drink rather a lot I suppose one ought to give some typing space to the solid intake stuff. Okay, here goes . . . its very nice!

Okay, I suppose I´d better flesh it out a bit (ho ho). As you may imagine, this is not a vegetarian´s paradise, although, if you like beans (black, not the Heinz variety) you´ll be alright. Its carne all the way here. Last night we subscribed to a safer outing than those last reported - a meal and a show (yes, yes, I know, how terribly post-50s of us). Food in Brazil has consisted of some fairly expensive meals on the sea front up til now - filet mignon for two or one of the local moquecas (a sort of seafood casserole dish). Most of the menus are priced for two people so a decent meal with booze normally comes to around 60R$ (around£20). Of course, you can get smaller snacks like an oyster soup or a meat skewer for a couple of quid. Last night we finally got round to trying the Rodizio - an all you can eat meatfest. The premise is you pay a fixed sum (don´t ask) and you load up the plate from the buffet bar as many times as you like and waiters come round your table in a constant stream with large skewers of meat carving off as much as you like for as long as you like. I´m not sure what all the pieces of dead animal were but remember having my share of rare beef, pepper steak, filet mignon, rolled pork and cheese, chicken hearts, thick sausages, lamb thighs, spare ribs, fried cheese (!) and fish in papaya sauce. Ginge, me old mate, I needed help out there!

Okay, the show was interesting in a I´m-too-full-to-go-anywhere-else sorta way. Plenty of fit young things in colourful costumes rushing about energetically on stage against a backdrop of samba beat. Near the end most of the women stripped down to bare bikini level, which was nice. A bit like being by the pool bar except they were jiggling all their bits a bit more than the local sunbathers do. As a special treat to the ladies, the last act was a testosterone-filled martial arts cum fire swallowing act with lots of over-muscled youths in a very sweaty back flipping, high kicking, somersaulting display. As a casual observer I noticed a lot of screaming in the audience and all the women on the coach party seemed a little more flushed and wide eyed than they did when we arrived. So, I guess, a good night was had by all.

One piece of disappointing news yesterday. Just as we are about to return to Blighty recommending this holiday to all and sundry, we heard from the reps that Thompson had decided to pull out of this package tour. Despite having full planes every trip and despite a reasonably successful first three winters, they are not going to Brazil any more. As there are no other direct flights to Natal from the UK, we got in just in time. Sad, really.

Best make the most of our last few days then . . .