Tuesday, October 18, 2011

We made it!


Not without a little drama as the gentleman at Sao Paulo´s airport Federal Police insisted that I opened the bike box.

- How long have you had this bicycle?

- Mate, I´ve been travelling for the last 36 hours. I got here and had to wait almost one hour to have my Brazilian passport looked at by a trainee and didn´t even get a stamp on it. I declared the goods I was bringing into the country weren`t valued more than US3,000 (OK, I lied!), which is kind of OK and I am taking everything back home with me. And I have less than one hour to get on my flight to Rio. Two years.

- Where is home than?

- Sir, have you had the coffee airlines serve in those plastic cups during the flights? Brisbane, Australia.

- When was the last time you came to Brazil? How long are you staying? Who are you staying with?

- Mate, get me a Stanley... a knife, please!


I made the domestic flight. But as the doors were about to close, the captain announced that due to adverse weather conditions we were going to land at Galeao, Rio´s international airport, not Santos Dummont Airport where my family was going to be waiting.

No worries, the friendly woman next to me insisted I used her mobile to let my folks know. All good, I would be seeing them soon.

Well, not that soon, 45 minutes later the First Officer made a final announcement:

- Senhoras e senhores, we are starting our descent and will be landing at Santos Dummont Airport in 5 minutes. We hope you had a...

- Hey officer, you got it wrong and my family is waiting at... Never mind, I will call them again to let them know and look for a bar to have a cafezinho. That´s what they do in Rio.




And I am in Rio and I am going to ride my bike.

4 comments:

Nils and Anke said...

Yeah! What a trip... But as you said, you and your bike are TOGETHER in Rio, take it easy ;-)

Alvin said...

Dude, I feel for you but I just could not stop laughing my head off. Drink heaps more coffee and then ride to take away the frustration.

Stay safe and eat plenty!


a2

Ana Luiza said...

Beto,foi legal te ver gostaria que a Julice estivesse tb , nos 3 juntos como nos velhos tempos . Será que vai demorar mais uma década para nos encontrarmos again .Parabéns por todas as suas conquistas e boa sorte nessa nova mudança de vida e de Pais .bj Ana Luiza

AMR said...

Obrigado Ana! Com certeza, aqueles tempos foram muito bom. Temos que organizar esse encontro dos tres para a proxima vez. Ate a proxima, beijos, Beto

 
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