Rainy Days and a Cockroach Exodus

The weather in Rio has not been as ideal as you all might expect. Apparently, we managed to catch the end of winter, so last week was rather rainy and in the 60s. Much like a Berkeley winter, actually, although it's not quite as cold outside, and many people are still wearing shorts and flipflops.

Last Friday, I spent a good deal of time walking around. I went to the beach. Due to the weather, it felt deserted, apart from a few small groups of people. There were 7 surfers in the water, trying to navigate the waves. It looked quite cold.

The weekend was not so uneventful. We went to the Sugar Loaf, climbed a bit up to take in the view. I was exhausted - the climb is through a makeshift path in the woods. There are lots of people doing it; not quite sure how exactly.. Brazilians are all apparently in better shape than me. We forgot the camera, though, so aerial pictures will have to come from some other source.

I called C. at the Rio S. yesterday. We're supposed to have lunch on Wednesday. Hopefully I will become useful and occupied sometime soon. Not having work doesn't suit me. These past two weeks I felt a bit like Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation, though I did not sit around in my underwear or have an emotional affair with an older, washed-up actor. So I guess not quite like that.

Yesterday, after using the wireless at I., I attempted to return to the apartment only to find that they had apparently fumigated (or done something to that degree). I noticed some half-dead cockroaches as I was walking up the drive into the garage, and then noticed about ten or fifteen cockroaches, some alive, some dead, as I was walking towards the stairs up to the first floor. I was too grossed out to keep on going, and I was turning around to leave I noticed that there were cockroaches all over the garage. I was thoroughly disgusted, as one can imagine, and left quickly to go sit in a cafe. I only went back when Raj came and got me. It's a good thing I didn't try going up the stairs, as there were about 20 or so dead cockroaches in the hallway leading to our door, and I imagine more of them would have been alive when I was there earlier. We surmised that they fumigated the building, in particular, the trash area, so the cockroaches probably all ran out en masse. There were so many in the hallway because there's a trash chute there; the areas surrounding trash chutes on all the floors were probably similarly disgusting. Anyway, pictures to follow. In truth, this has probably made the apartment cleaner and my fear of running into a cockroach should go down due to the fumigation, but I don't think I have the courage or desire to be alone there this week. The memories are still too vivid.