On Sunday morning I throw open the curtains to reveal the beaches of Rio for the last time.
Today I'm on my own. This afternoon I'll be flying south, to join my musician friends in their town of Jaraguá.
My week in Rio is almost at an end, and I want to make the most of my last day.
After packing up my stuff, I take the Metro to Ipanema. I manage to find Tom Jobim's house, and take a last look at it, then I head down to the beach. Unfortunately, I can't take it with me, so I walk back along the Vinicius de Moraes avenue.
The Girl from Ipanema cafe is closed until midday, and there's nowhere else to have a coffee yet. So I keep walking until I reach the Toca de Vinicius music shop. I haven't been there on this visit, and the shop is open, so I go in.
The owner, Carlos, is there behind the counter. I remember him from last year. I browse around the shop and notice a series of CDs I haven't seen before. I buy a couple of them and chat with Carlos. I tell him about our show in Rio, and meeting Marcos Valle. He is impressed. Last year we talked in English, but today he seems happy to speak Portuguese, and I'm relieved to find that I can understand what he's saying.
I have to leave Ipanema. I need to get back to the hotel and check out. I don't want to be late to the airport. At the Metro station I help Dolores, a tourist from Argentina, to find her train. Emerging from the station at Copacabana, I consult a public map and become aware of some Australian voices. Mike and Elaine are visiting Rio on a guided tour and they want to know how to find the beach. "Come with me" I say, and lead them towards the sea.
I've been here a week, and now I am a tour guide.
The mini-bus arrives, and I join some other travellers heading to the airport.
My flight is to Curitiba, south of Rio. From there we will travel further south to Jaraguá. Junior greets me at the airport, with a driver who has also brought his girlfriend.
I'm still having trouble understanding Junior's accent, and it's a two-hour drive. He says he wants help to improve his English. I ask him what he would like to say in English. He says there are a million sentences floating around in his head, and he can't choose just one.
So I invent a game. I look for words along the roadside, and ask him to translate them into English. Often he knows the English word. Sometimes his pronunciation is excellent; sometimes I coach him.
The game keeps us occupied all the way to Jaraguá. Along the way, we pass an overturned car with police attending the scene - it looks like a bad accident.
I show him a picture of my daughter, and he asks me for the English translation of the word sogra. It means mother-in-law.
He says I could be his sogra, and laughs delightedly at this idea.
Arriving in Jaraguá, the hotel feels like home. I'll be here for ten days. They've given me the same room as last year.
While I'm having dinner, Enéias arrives, and we discuss our plans for the coming week.
Today I'm on my own. This afternoon I'll be flying south, to join my musician friends in their town of Jaraguá.
My week in Rio is almost at an end, and I want to make the most of my last day.
After packing up my stuff, I take the Metro to Ipanema. I manage to find Tom Jobim's house, and take a last look at it, then I head down to the beach. Unfortunately, I can't take it with me, so I walk back along the Vinicius de Moraes avenue.
The Girl from Ipanema cafe is closed until midday, and there's nowhere else to have a coffee yet. So I keep walking until I reach the Toca de Vinicius music shop. I haven't been there on this visit, and the shop is open, so I go in.
The owner, Carlos, is there behind the counter. I remember him from last year. I browse around the shop and notice a series of CDs I haven't seen before. I buy a couple of them and chat with Carlos. I tell him about our show in Rio, and meeting Marcos Valle. He is impressed. Last year we talked in English, but today he seems happy to speak Portuguese, and I'm relieved to find that I can understand what he's saying.
I have to leave Ipanema. I need to get back to the hotel and check out. I don't want to be late to the airport. At the Metro station I help Dolores, a tourist from Argentina, to find her train. Emerging from the station at Copacabana, I consult a public map and become aware of some Australian voices. Mike and Elaine are visiting Rio on a guided tour and they want to know how to find the beach. "Come with me" I say, and lead them towards the sea.
I've been here a week, and now I am a tour guide.
The mini-bus arrives, and I join some other travellers heading to the airport.
My flight is to Curitiba, south of Rio. From there we will travel further south to Jaraguá. Junior greets me at the airport, with a driver who has also brought his girlfriend.
I'm still having trouble understanding Junior's accent, and it's a two-hour drive. He says he wants help to improve his English. I ask him what he would like to say in English. He says there are a million sentences floating around in his head, and he can't choose just one.
So I invent a game. I look for words along the roadside, and ask him to translate them into English. Often he knows the English word. Sometimes his pronunciation is excellent; sometimes I coach him.
The game keeps us occupied all the way to Jaraguá. Along the way, we pass an overturned car with police attending the scene - it looks like a bad accident.
I show him a picture of my daughter, and he asks me for the English translation of the word sogra. It means mother-in-law.
He says I could be his sogra, and laughs delightedly at this idea.
Arriving in Jaraguá, the hotel feels like home. I'll be here for ten days. They've given me the same room as last year.
While I'm having dinner, Enéias arrives, and we discuss our plans for the coming week.
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