I purposely planned my entry for Sunday...I purposely planned my entry to Rio de Janeiro for Sunday. I assumed there would be less traffic than on a normal day. I was not totally prepared for what I experienced.I entered from the coastal south. The two lane coastal highway fanned into an eight lane divided carriageway. It was simply deserted. There could not have been more than a dozen vehicles occupying the space in both directions. It was like a scene from Mad Max or War of the Worlds. There was little evidence of life.

Occasionally a vehicle blurred by me at twice the normal speed. Other than that I enjoyed the weird sensation of travelling alone in a megatropolis. I moved into the city centre. Still no life, except for a few street peddlars. The city had an untidy look; an unkempt feel. I moved on with trepidation. How could a place this large be empty?

I longed for the small towns I had spent the last week with. I longed for the beaches and the green of the countryside. I longed for some sign of life...

I found my hotel and went through the motions of checking in. I really wondered if I should be doing this. I felt like leaving town before I had arrived. I decided to give it a try. I could always move tomorrow. I had ridden enough for today.

The hotel was a delight. My spirits picked up immediately. The room was wonderful. The staff helpful, resourceful and reassuring. I hit the street. I did a two block loop. Incredible! I saw more remarkable architecture in that small space than I had seen in the past month. Sights abounded...parks, buildings, restaurants and people...yes, there were people here too. Wonderful. My spirits climbed exponentially. This was the right spot. I was staying.

How can you tell you are in Brasil? I know it´s another question and I am probablly pushing you all to the limit, but I pose it anyway. The breakfast decision should be over by now so your mind should be free to wander...but don´t let it go to far. It might get lost.

BRASIL...the land of beaches. Perched mostlly above the Tropic of Capricorn, it is a country where people enjoy being topless. Clothes get in the way down here. And why restrict yourself to topless when you can go bottomless too?

Yes, a heavenly delight. With all surface hair removed the body parts were tanned to an even, light bronzen hue and buffed to a mirror like finish. I gazed contentedly on forbidden fruit. Was that my smile reflected back to me or was I simply imagining things?

I had truly arrived at Heaven´s Gate. The door was open just a crack. St. Peter don´t test me now. I had but a few brief days before life would return to normal with the arrival of my wife. But wait...I was never normal. What would change? Nothing! I returned to reality...

Yes, that was my reflection..."Jesus, God Lucie keep passing the open windows."

There are a lot of Black people here.
"Say what, mahnn. Who youse calln black?"

In all of the other countries there was no evidence of a black society. Of course we already know that in the altiplano regions of Peru and Bolivia the blacks cannot survive. In Chile and northern Argentina I had encountered none. Here in Brasil evidence of the slave trade was everywhere. They formed a large component of society. Further north they would be even more dominant.

There are a lot of Taint people here.
"Taint?"
Taint...taint white, taint black...Taint
"alfjaofjalfadfafjdfodfdlejkekalsdfka!!"
"What did I tell you."

And...there was a token white guy...or maybe two.
"WherethefuckamI??"