After my summer in Brazil, i began the journey home about 1:15 in the afternoon, local time. (Coastal Brazil is one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time) A brother named Paulo picked me up in his Toyota Corolla and took me to the airport about twenty minutes away. He does not speak English. After a summer of immersion I can have a slow, basic conversation in Portuguese but i miss the details. He made sure that I was all set- fortunately the young woman at the counter spoke English- not a given. I waited in the lounge for some friends but due to my lack of tech skills i wasn't sure if anyone was coming and i was concerned about missing the plane.
The first flight to Sao Paulo was about one hour and twenty minutes flying time. Brazilian stewards or stewardesses tend to be much younger than their American counterparts. Sao Paulo is by far the largest metropolitan area in the country but i searched in vain for any place that might sell a newspaper or books. I had seen such a store in the Vitoria airport whose population is 1/25th of Sao Paulo's but thought i have more time (six and a half hours) in Sao Paulo to wait. Going through customs took an hour because of the number of people waiting and the few people working. All of the customs people that i saw were attractive young women in uniforms and not a gun in sight. In contrast the American customs agents were men with a gun each.
So I waited a long time in the SP airport, ate some unpleasant food, and finally boarded about 10:30 at night. Thankfully my friend Wanderley had blessed me with a upgraded seat with additional legroom plus there was no one sitting next to me which made the eleven hour flight easier. Going through US customs was quicker and more efficient. Had a nice long walk through the airport to the departure area of the flight to Boston. Every seat was filled on this one so i am thankful that it was only two hours. Arrived at noon and my friend Sanford picked me up for the 2 hour drive to our house. Arrived about 2 in the afternoon, unpacked and took a nap as I don't have the ability to sleep on planes.
Two things that i could not find in Brazil were chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter. ( They have peanuts). Thank you, God, for safe travels.
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Querido irmão Rick, tenho acompanhado seu blog desde que nos conhecemos em Porto Alegre. Que bênção acompanhar suas experiências aqui no Brasil! Agora que você já voltou para casa, desejo que o Senhor continue a abençoá-lo e que use-o para o progresso do Reino dentro da nação americana. Continuarei a ler tudo o que for escrito aqui. Que o Senhor nos proporcione um reencontro assim que for da Sua vontade.
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