More Tales From Brazil
Yesterday was the longest day for me. We started breakfast at (propping eyes open with toothpicks) 9am, an hour we are rarely even coherent, much less dressed and in public.
We met up with Ana The Taxi Driver, Corrina and her mom Deb for some serious shopping at The Flea Market which is only held on Sundays. This is unlike any flea market you've seen. There are tons of vendors there selling everything from food to goods of every nature and size.
Deb is very energetic, and focused on shopping, so a couple of times we let her go on ahead, while I rested. While I didn't have much on my list to buy, I ended up with exactly what I wanted - even when I didn't really know what that was in the first place.
I have a gift box, for my surprise for Cheryl's husband upon her return. A jewelry box, which has almost a paisley art deco feel to it. I picked up hand painted earrings for my roommate's little girl, and a leather purse for her. Then for my brother, we stopped in a gem store, and I found a small display of pre-Columbian art, and purchased a small artifact which is almost entirely intact.
This morning, one of the vendors (at my request) sent his wife over to our hotel with some carvings I had requested to see. My dad likes old ivory, but it has to be old enough that it's legal in the US, so the antique vendor said he had some - but not with him. She showed me three small pieces - one of a man playing a French Horn, one of a man smoking a pipe carrying a rifle with his dog, and a third which I don't remember. The man with the pipe looks SO much like my dad I had to buy it. And it's old enough the ivory has yellowed, so I feel safe that I won't be arrested bringing it home. She said they bought it from an antique dealer in Bangkok many years before. (Reminded me of the Red Violin)
After we were done with the Flea Market (at 2:30pm), the hotel restaurant had already closed, so we asked Ana to take us to a restaurant - anything but Italian food, since it seems that's all we'd been eating lately. So she suggested the Italian district. No....NO Italian food, we don't want that. "But it's beautiful". So we went to Santa Felicidade.....the Italian district. *laugh*
But I had the last laugh......as we pulled into the area, I spotted a little Mexican restaurant called Azteca (no relation to the American chain), which had what *they* call a buffet. Unlike any buffet you've ever tried, however, they brought everything to the table. Ana was able to negotiate a reduced price for Corrina and me to share a plate, since we're both post-op, and we all ended up stuffed. And the people at the restaurant kept bringing more food saying "You haven't eaten anything....here have more!" Delicioso!!
We sat around and chatted much of the evening, and just as Cheryl and I were getting ready for bed, we discovered that her dinner had somehow come in contact with mushrooms. At midnight, we were trying to explain to the front desk that we needed Benedryl and Calamine lotion, since she doens't have her epi-pen.....somehow they didn't quite understand the problem, so they woke Dr Marchesini. He'd been surprised that I hadn't had a crisis yet, so he was half expecting our call, only to have me say "I'm fine - but Cheryl needs medication from the pharmacy, and we don't know how to order it". He ordered her a prescription which INSTANTLY took care of the problem. Gotta love my doctor - he's looking out for me AND my travelling companion. Can you imagine getting a US doctor on the phone on the spur of the moment at 1am?? And he called ME - I wasn't even the one that called him.
Today was a rest day for me. I wasn't sure how difficult it would be to have stitches taken out, so all I did was sleep.....and then it turned out to be a total non-issue. I couldn't even feel it when they snipped & pulled them out.
And the surprise of the day? I've lost 18lbs in eleven days. I'm assuming a bunch of that was water weight since my ankles aren't swollen anymore and I just had a period, but hey....I'll take (or give) every ounce.
what adventures you are having on your DS journey! No plain ole surgery for BT! I'm so glad you are doing well and having such a good time. You will be wiped out when you get home and hopefully you will have time to crash for a bit.
Thanks for all the great accounts - have a safe trip home.
You are coming back, aren't you?
*grin*
Starr