Hi everyone,
Well, the heat has finally become too much — it is affecting my health, so I am returning to Nova Scotia early, for about a week, before heading out to Vancouver — where, hopefully, spring weather will have arrived early.
Rio de Janeiro is cranking up, big-time, for Carnaval. Two nights ago I was awoken by floodlights streaking across the sky. Remember how Hollywood galas used to have all those big floodlights? What I saw was much like that, except there were in excess of fifty lights streaming across the sky, waving not just back and forth but flashing on and off, as well, sending out laser-like lines of light, in zigzag patterns across the night sky.
For a moment, while watching the magnificent aerial display, I wondered whether or not a UFO invasion was underway. But Jim says officials are simply fine-tuning their light shows. One other evening sky note that I don’t think I’ve mentioned — I haven’t yet managed to find the Southern Cross, but Orion, instead of having his knife hanging quietly from his belt, is as affected by all these half-naked gyrating women as most gringos, and seems ready for action, if you know what I mean.
Everyone has the day off work tomorrow, from noon on, and will not return to work until next Thursday. So it should be quite a party. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth 2, and Bill Gates are in attendance for Carnaval.
At this juncture, I’m not sure as to whether I’ll attend any of the Carnaval events. There’s a possibility that I may watch the festivities from the comfort of our home, on television. Jim has me more than a bit nervous about the safety issues involved in my active participation — or even attendance — at the Sambadrome, not to mention resolving transportation issues, actually getting downtown at night, among the throngs, and then finding a way to return home at evening’s end, in the wee hours of the morning. Don doesn’t seem quite as worried about such things, but (for the moment) I’m prone to side with Don on the issue of safety, especially after that slashing incident which took place only a week ago.
Another side-effect of Carnaval is that they turn off the water to various parts of town, and send it to the Sambadrome, given that thousands of people are concentrated in that one part of town, all of whom will require functioning washroom facilities, given the amount of beer being consumed. While our little house has roof cisterns, which are automatically filled from the town water system, Jim is concerned that if officials turn off the town water, our house will run out of water. So, we are all supposed to take GI showers, which consists of dumping a cup of water on your body, soaping up, and then rinsing it off with as little water as possible. Since the only way I can cope with the heat is to keep soaking my head with water and wearing a wet washcloth on the back of my neck, I am concerned about a water shortage, as well.
I can’t remember if I have mentioned how hilly Santa Teresa is. Most of the roads are at least as steep as the Parker Mountain road above the gravel pit, and some are steeper. And they all twist and turn, sometimes at 20 degree angles (that’s about a ‘v’, right?) and sometimes even makes a ‘w’ shape going down the hills. And every space in between the streets is chock-a-block with housing, being it 9-story high-rises or private homes — the latter ranging in size from one to five stories.
Some houses have parking, but the driveways again, are very steep, almost 90 degrees, but their length is only the width of the sidewalk, and they are all behind solid steel or wooden doors, that either unlock at the bottom and have to be pulled up, or are controlled electrically and roll sideways so the owner can drive in. Everything is very tightly secured. The only public spaces are parks. Don’s apartment had a gate you had to unlock to let you into a sidewalk area with a bench, then a locked door into the building, and then another locked door at the entrance to the apartment. Don’s house is built like my house, with the front door right on the sidewalk, so there is only one door to unlock. And it’s true; you can shake hands with people on the sidewalk if you are sitting in the sala watching TV.
Although I’m enjoying my sojourn in the southern hemisphere, given my lack of energy these days, I’m looking forward to my return to a cooler, snowy Nova Scotia, and my subsequent foray to a spring-like Vancouver.
Love,
Corinne.
