Gas Station Bar

I have now been in Salvador for nearly three weeks. Class is intense, as an intensive course should be. Most days go like this:

7.00 Wake Up
8.00 Bus to Culture Class
9.00 - 11.20 Culture Class (taught in Portuguese)
11.30 Bus back home for Lunch
13.00 Walk to the University
14.00 - 18.00 Portuguese Class
18.00 Walk home
19.00 Dinner
20.00 - 22.00 Homework
22.00 Bed

Class is great. I am learning a lot, but the more Portuguese I learn, the more I realize how little I know. The wheather here is generally quite rainy, but when the sun is out it is beautiful.

One of the spots I frequent, when not in class, is the gas station bar. Your first impression may be that this bar must be in the building of the gas station. That assumption is wrong. The bar appears in the evening, tables are set up outside, across half of the gas station. Directy besides the active pumps. Other than the odd enviroment, the place runs very normally. There are the traditionally plastic chairs and tables and a wait staff. The bars other awesome feature is the fantastic crepes it serves. The only downside is that when you sit at the tables nearest to the pumps, the fumes tend to be overwhelming. . .

Sao Vicente Beach and more Traffic Commentary

spent a day last week on a beach outside of Sao Paulo called Sao Vicente. As you can see it is incredibly beautiful. The sand is very fine, and the water was cool; although I did'nt swim. I am having a good time here even though I've been attending classes five days a week. It was good to get out of the city for a bit. On the way to Sao Vicente, my Brazilian friends: Bruno and Tamirius drove us through the Serra do Mar which are the mountains that lead to the

ocean. The fog was just beginning to lift, and the view was amazing. I'm still adjusting to the way

that Brazilians drive. On this narrow two lane mountain pass, my friends thought nothing of stopping in the barely visible margin to ask if I wanted to exit the car and take pictures...mind you there were huge 18 wheelers barreling down these steep roads, brakes smoking, passing within inches of us, motorbikes and pedestrians all sharing this passage through the mountains to the sea. On the way back to Sao Paulo, we took a road that had a tunnel through the mou

ntains. I saw one of the strangest things I've ever seen there. A man on a...for all practical purposes...two story bicycle! For what reason this guy modified this bike this way I can only speculate. Keep in mind the speed of traffic was not unlike those on an American interstate. The main reason there are so many anomalies in Brazil's traffic is that police are generally scarce and underpaid. There are no highway patrols or traffic police. I think that the people who paint lines on the roads, and put up traffic lights are wasting their time in this country. It's like driving in the wild west. Anything goes. Sidewalks also seem to be fair game for drivers. Pedestrians...look out! Just thought you guys might wanna see some pictures of the beach. Below is another amazing picture from my room on the 23rd floor of an apartment builing in Sao Paulo. Notice the green and yellow 'bat-signal'-like light.(this photo is not augmented) Thats all for now. See you guys soon enough.