Bye Bye Rio, Hello Campinas!

The folks spent their last day in Rio today. I think they wish they had a little more time in the overcrowded city bubbling with kindness. Rio, like any other big city has had it's problems with crime, but my folks were fortunate enough to see the good side of Rio. Mom said that the traffic was incredible. With 18 million people occupying a small section of land you can only imagine what the traffic must be like. Not many stop signs and many pedestrians can sometimes lead to chaos, but they said that everyone is so kind and vehicles seem to move at a friendly pace without the yelling and screaming that jams might cause in Chicago. She did mention that pedestrians don't really have the right away and need to be cautious of the signs to make sure they aren't run over.
An interesting fact I learned today from them was that there are 350 islands outside of Rio. It would take one calendar year to tour all of the islands. Of course, only those retired have the time for an adventure like that. And of course being situated on the Atlantic there are many, many beaches. Dad obviously enjoyed that part of the trip as I'm sure there were many beautiful women who couldn't afford the entire bathing suit. Unlike Americans, south Americans aren't afraid of showing their bodies no matter what size and shape.

The last stop of the day was at the Estadio do Maracana. A place I would have been completely in awe of. It is the largest futbol stadium in the world. It was built for the 1950 World Cup and had a seating capacity of almost 200,000 people. Today, the seating has been modified to seat only a mere 95,000. The reduction in seating came after the upper deck collapsed in 1992 during a futbol match in which several died and many more were injured. Hopefully, they have some good pictures. They got to see the footprints of many of my favorite futbol players and were privy to many other historical plaques, quotes and memorabilia of futbol history. I'm jealous. Since the stadiums inception it has been host to many worldly events and concerts. The likes of the Rolling Stones, Police, Rush, Madonna, Kiss and Paul McCartney. I used to have the album Rush in Rio and never thought twice about where it was performed, but now it puts it all into perspective.

They are safe and having a blast...until next time...

Christ the Redeemer!

Today our intrepid travelers visited another monumental location in Rio called Christ the Redeemer. I have a hard time understanding how a statue of this size is constructed let alone set atop a peak at 2,296 ft. According to Wikipedia it stands at 130 feet tall and weighs 700 tons. Construction started in 1922 and was completed nine years later in 1931 when it opened. It was designed by a local and sculpted by a Pole named Paul Landowski. The total cost was ~$250,000 which by today's standards is quite inexpensive. I'm sure there are some homes in Beverly Hills with gnomes in their front yard that cost that much.
16 days ago Christ the Redeemer was struck by lightning during a violent electrical storm that reeked havoc in Rio. The statue was amazingly unharmed.



Stay tuned for more updates...

Where are they Today?

Grandma and Grandpa are are heading to the picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain today.
Sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean it rises to an elevation of almost 1300 ft. Sugarloaf seems to be one of those places most caught on camera when you see pictures of Brazil. It has been featured in many movies and is quite the tourist attraction. There is an amazing cable car that goes to the top. I hope Mom overcomes her fear of heights to make the trip like she did many of years ago in Palm Springs. I guess we'll have to wait and see when they update us next. Situated in Guanabara Bay it's granite is well polished by the weather of the Atlantic Ocean making it the perfect playground for local rock climbers.


Can't wait to see the pictures...

Where in the world are Grandma and Grandpa?

I'll give you a hint...
The water in the toilet bowl goes counter clockwise! That's what Grandpa told us all upon his arrival.

Another hint...
There is a big Carnival in this part of the country every year and it doesn't include clowns. Well, maybe it does but not in a big tent kind of way.

One more hint...
They speak Portuguese.

Give up?


That's right..it's been close to 50 years since MY Grandparents hosted a foreign exchange student named Ester to whom my mother befriended right away. Since then my mother has remained friends with Ester. Ester and her family have been to the states several times to visit, but my folks have never had the chance to go to Brazil. Until now that is...

My dad was able to see a few places outside of the US when he was in the Navy, but I don't believe mom has ever ventured beyond our boundaries. My memory could be failing me, but I believe that is a correct statement. Canada and Mexico don't count.
I'm so excited for them! Not only are they going on vacation to an incredible locale, but they are going for a month and a half. Yes, you heard me right! I believe this trip is going to be somewhat of a life changing event for them. Well, maybe not so much life changing as well deserved. My folks have spent much of their life making sure that everyone else is taken care of. If it wasn't their kids or their parents, it was a church community, neighbors and friends. They are a pretty selfless couple. That's what makes this trip so much more exciting for me. I finally get to see my folks doing something they have always talked about but never had the time or money. Though they still have neither at least they are understanding the importance of just saying 'what the heck' what's time and money. Hopefully they will relax and enjoy themselves without the worries of anything back home.
They spent weeks prior to the trip getting everything in order so that they didn't have to worry while they were gone. The church stuff is in order, the bills are set up to be paid, Brad's collecting the mail and watching the house, Grandma is being well taken care of by Dad's sisters and lastly they took care of all the administrative stuff for their trip (ie. passports, shots, Dramamine and notifying the bank). A couple of days before the trip I could tell the preparation had paid off because they already seemed relaxed yet anxious to be traveling to another country. They were giddy with excitement. It was great to hear it in their voices. Everyone needs a break every now and again and theirs has been long overdue.

They are in Rio now with their neighbors the Napoleons and then it's back to Campinas for the remainder of the trip. Once they are back in Campinas they will have internet connection again and I'm sure we'll hear from them. I'll keep you updated...until then wish them a joyful, relaxing and safe trip.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope love finds all of you this Valentine's Day like it has me. I have a great family and a wonderful wife who I adore. I know that I am blessed (at least that's what my Mom tells me) and fortunate to have found someone to love and whom loves me.

Take your time and enjoy the day...don't panic if you haven't found it yet because one day it could be your turn.

Squaw Boys out Playing!

This video was shot during March of the 94/95 season when I was living in Tahoe. We had just received record snowfalls as you can see from the numerous face shots in the powder and avalanches and roof collapses were common.

My buddy Jason brought his video camera any time we were up on the hill. The title of this VHS video was appropriately named 'Poor Boy Ski Video'. We scrounged for food and beer, but we always had our season ski pass around our necks. Most of this was filmed in Squaw Valley but there are a couple of glimpses of Yosemite and Tahoe backcountry.

PS --> There is a short clip of Sadie Girl jumping in the snow. We miss you Sadie!

Too Funny!