Slept well and feeling considerably better today, although my ear is still malfunctioning quite alarmingly. As such, still taking it easy today, took a walk along Ipanema beach and then across and dabbled my feet in the sea at Copacabana beach. It turns out that the exchange rate is a whopping 5.5 reais to the pound at the moment, so I will be able to live like a king out here. Now to make some plans for Brazil, part of which hinges on whether or not I can get hold of some anti-malaria pills for the Amazon region. I’d hoped to pick these up in the States but could not without a prescription, so now I am banking on going into a chemist on the street and asking for the appropriate drug name which I found on the internet (how dodgy is this?) otherwise I will have to stay further south.
After getting back from Copacabana I happened upon this internet caff which was full, so had to spend an hour and a half in the street bar next door drinking 1.2 litres of beer for an outrageous 1 pound and 2p. It started raining a bit whilst I was in there – the weather has not been great today, sun, cloud then rain but still mid-20’s – but nobody seems to care that much. I saw about 3 people using an umbrella. Also in Copacabana I came across a club called “Help” which they say is exactly what the name implies, a good friend of mine told me this. I might venture in later for a laugh, depending on how I feel.
Apart from this I’m adjusting to the change of pace. We covered 10,000 miles by road in the States, more or less to a different place every day, whereas now things are primarily on foot or by bus or air with less moving about. I’ve also made my first switch from spring to autumn (not that you’d know according to the weather, but it does get dark around 5:30 here) so that is a change too.
Right, must blow this place.
PS. Thanks for the tip, Morten!