Day 37 - Suspended in Curitiba and then onto Santos

It was probably the single most serious cock up of the tour so far. I got my ticket printed for the bus trip from Curitiba to Santos, having booked it on line months ago and only when boarding the bus did the eagle-eyed guy notice that it was the wrong date. I didn't notice. The lady who printed off the ticket didn't notice, but the guy that mattered did so that was that. I went back to the counter and she (quite rightly) said "well, you did buy the ticket" - I didn't have the wit or the Portuguese to argue that I thought I'd changed the dates months ago - so all I could do was buy another ticket for the next available bus which was in 9 hours time.

Sitting at a bus station, albeit one that is not freezing cold, is not fun by anyone's reckoning. I did consider jumping in a taxi to go to a nearby hotel but I thought really what's the point? I'm not going to get any quality sleep there anyway so I'd better just batten down the hatches and try to get some shut eye by Port V, where my bus would leave from.

Nine hours like this at Curitiba Bus Station

Finally on the bus

It wasn't all that bad in the end really. Because I am travelling light and I have all my stuff with me, a bag of clothes can easily substitute for a pillow and I used it quite well, alternating from left to right every hour to keep relatively comfortable and keep the blood flowing. The hours slipped by and two hot chocolates later, eventually I boarded the bus and got some proper shut eye.

Trying to find positivites, I did experience a lovely bus ride through Parana to Santos which I'd have missed if I'd have caught the bus first time. Brazil is so full of beautiful countryside. Secondly, when I eventually did arrive in Santos I could go straight to the hotel and check in. If plan A had happened I'd have had an awkward 7 hours to kill.

Anyway, Santos seemed like I was never going to get there but when I did I really quite fell in love with the place. It's a bit like a city on the Mediterranean with a lovely traditional football club that I was keen to explore. The main beach is really fantastic and the streets are tiled in that lovely traditional Brazilian way.

I was going to have a 5 star degustation meal at a well recommended restaurant to make up for my grotty night last night but it was closed so I just had a nice mustard steak and a few nice glasses of red to see me on my way tonight.

So, there you go. Not the best day ever, and certainly the worst morning on the holiday so far, but it all spun round lovely in the end.

Tomorrow i'm going to get up for a quick walk on the beach, have breakfast and then bomb off to Sao Paola for the first semi final: Germany v Brazil.

Please let it be Brazil.

Algirdo
Santos