Where Is Ron?
Latin America, 10 November 2008 - 3 March 2009
Ron in Sipascancha, Peru, November 2008
Salvador and Ilha de Boipeba, Brazil, January 2009
12 January 2009
Afton, Virginia, USADear family and friends,
Ron is now on Ilha de Boipeba, a small island just off the coast and just south of Salvador. He went there after arriving in Salvador by bus from Sao Paulo, a 33 hour (!!) bus ride. He left Sao Paulo the evening of 7 Jan and arrived in Salvador at 7:30 am on 9 Jan. He didn't realize it was going to take that long -- I think probably a language problem, since he says, "Portuguese is nothing like Spanish and I am at a loss for language." So two updates from him, one from Salvador and the other from Ilha de Boipeba, where he will be until Thursday, when he returns to Salvador to meet George.
I've also included an excerpt from Laurie's blog, with the wonderful story of transporting 22 large baskets from the San Pedro Market to their apartment. She has started physical therapy and I'm happy to report she is feeling better. And she is excited about getting new glasses AND new prescription dark glasses for half of what the glasses alone would cost in the US.
I've read several things in the news recently about the growth in what might be called international medical travel, where people go for dental/medical care outside the US, paying considerably less than it would cost out of pocket in the US -- even after deducting travel costs. Ron and I still talk about the excellent emergency dental care he got in 1996 in India: root canal and crown for a total cost of $120. When he returned, our dentist pronounced the work to be excellent, saying the only thing he would have done differently would have been to make the crown slightly smaller.
Love to all,
Ellen
9 January 2009
To see photos from Salvador, click on the thumbnail at the left.
Salvador, BrazilHello, my dear,
It is hot here in Salvador. My pocket thermometer has been sitting on the desk beside the computer where I am working next to an open window, and I find it hard to believe it is as hot as 88 because of the mountain temperatures I have experienced the past six weeks. The bus got very cold with the air conditioning and I had to put on my coat to stay warm. Had to put my shoes back on also because my feet were freezing.
I am thinking about heading to Boipeba, a village on a small island south of Salvador. Perhaps you can find it on the Internet. One of the Vietnam Vets in CV wrote me about it and it sounded neat so I think I will go there until George gets here. Actually it will take two ferries to get to Boipeba. The first is from Salvador going west across the bay to Bom Despacho (a car ferry, one hour and a faster catamaran, 30 min). Then a two hour bus ride to Valenca then a four hour ferry between Valenca and Boipeba. There is an alternative route from Valenca by bus to Torrinhas and ferry 2.5 hours, either just for the ferry or the combined time. I like long boat rides so it will depend on when I get to Valenca.
Had dinner next to two guys spending a month here across the bay. They are from Austria. Then two female lawyers from Argentina were at the table on the other side of me and they could both speak a lot of English. My social interaction for the day. Other then writing you.
Sat on a balcony overlooking the many boats in the bay as the sun was setting (it had a way to go when I left). I had a typical local fish dish dinner which I found interesting but not very good. A big slice of fish in a bowl of liquid and vegetables. I think the key to the dish was the hot sauce which I avoided and the palm oil which I wish I could have avoided. The lawyers split a chicken dinner that came looking like a large piece of steak. The one guy had a large plate of large shrimp. Expensive, about twice my fish dinner. But next time I know what to order.
Beautiful setting with a nice cool breeze. The restaurant was on the lower level of the town on the second floor of a very large tourist market. Going and coming back I used an elevator that comes up the equivalent of several stories very very fast for $R.05, which I guess would be about 2.5 US cents.
Once I learned where to walk and where not to walk I have found Salvador to be more mellow than I first felt. Along the edge overlooking the lower level and the bay is quite beautiful. Water really makes a city. Like Hong Kong and San Francisco and many other places I have been.
Now that I feel safer, when I return to meet George I will carry my camera one evening to take some pictures.
Love and miss you. Heading out early in the morning. Next message will be from Boipeba.
Ron
10:30 pm and 86 degrees
11 January 2009
Ilha de Boipeba, BrazilHello, my dear,
86 degrees seems very cool tonight so today on the beach must have been into the high 90s.
My last - and so far only - night in Salvador I went out walking with nothing but a bit of spending money and a copy of my passport while I am still trying to figure out how safe Salvador is.
There must have been a thousand people in the main plaza in the historical section around the main old building near the old Francisco Church. And as I arrived the most fantastic sound and light show started. Very original - at least to me. Using control of various colored lights inside the various buildings as well as projecting other colors and pictures onto the buildings with projectors mounted all around the plaza. While I could not understand the Portuguese, it was like the various buildings came to life and were speaking. It must have been both cultural and historical. And the various buildings were yelling at each other and the lights would change inside and outside to give the buildings personalities, including the varying of the strength of the lighting as well as the colors.
They would also project scenes on the buildings like carts moving on a road, people walking, and also pictures of people who were probably historical figures.
All in all I was most impressed by the original ideas and wished I could have understood the language. Just think what Williamsburg could do! Or maybe with the historical section in downtown Charlottesville.
I did hear a discussion about how someone earlier was targeted and robbed of his wallet in a zipped pocket in his pants. Something about a diversion and a group working together to target the person. So I don't feel safe but lots of people were carrying cameras in the central historical area during the day and in the evening. I will get some pictures when I return.
The next day I was up early at 6:30 to get started on my trip to Boipeba. The day before I had figured out my route and logistics. So I walked through the historical district along the walls overlooking the water and the lower district to the "Elevator" -- yes an Otis elevator that goes from the upper city to the lower city -- really fast. Actually there are 4 elevators, and coming out at the top there is a wonderful ice cream stand.
From the bottom there was a major bus stop with lots of different buses, and I had a list of several that would take me to the ferry boat to cross the bay to Dom Despacho where I caught a bus to Valença and then walked to the ferry dock for the ferry to Boipeba. All the connections and timing worked well and I arrived in late afternoon.
Along the beach where the river meets the bay there are lots of upscale places for all the Europeans and Brazilians but I walked into the small town and found a cheaper place in the village. So far I have not met another American or Canadian.
For dinner I had Pad Thai at a small restaurant run by a guy from Indonesia. He first moved to Holland where he had a small Indonesian restaurant, then he moved to SW Costa Rica then to here. He is considering moving to Mongolia next year.
After the late dinner I walked down to the boat dock and the beach - it was a full moon and a beautiful sight.
I also met Lisa, who lives in the South of France half the year then lives here the other half. She is 31, the age I was when I was traveling in South America the first time. She has recently purchased a large piece of land with several old buildings on it and is fixing it up.
So I would have fit in here very well - if I were still 30 - but at 68, not speaking Portuguese, and carrying the extra weight - well frankly I don't fit in the beach scene so well anymore. But it is still fun to wander around and watch the younger set.
Today I got up and after a wonderful breakfast walked inland from the village to see how big the village was. Finally there were no more buildings or signs for places and a bicycle crossed my path so I turned left and followed the bicycle. I noticed some high sand dunes and then I could hear the waves pounding on the shore so I continued until I found the beautiful white sandy beach with just a few shells and lots of leaves from the low growing trees I'd watched from the boat coming here. It was wonderful to walk the beach and feel the sand between my toes and the breeze on my face. And very few people.
When I got to another river (one was back in town that took most people to the closer beach) it was too deep for me to cross without getting my clothes and book wet so I stopped and joined a German guy with his Czech girl friend and her friend enjoying the sun and water. Later we walked back along the beach to their posada where I had a wonderful grilled fish dinner followed by a wonderful sunset. The posada was owned by a German guy who has been here for 20 years and the place was full of Germans, many of whom came for a wedding of one of their friends to a Brazilian lady.
All in all I am enjoying my time in Boipeba and think I will stay until I need to return to Salvador to meet George.
I would be enjoying the beach a lot more if you were with me.
Love and miss you,
Ron
From Laurie's blog on 10 January:[in cusco] yesterday we returned to the san pedro market to buy more of our baskets we are converting into retention cookers. we go to a booth run by a woman named paulina. our last visit there we were only able to buy three baskets and i have already reported the near robbery of my belongings in my purse as a result of carrying one of these baskets on my head. so we didn't know what to expect, if she would have them all or if we would just go weekly buying three at a time. (her booth has limited space. for 25 huge baskets!) we met her and she said to give her a few minutes so we went off to buy food. when we came back much to our surprise a campesino bearing the load of twelve of these huge baskets comes into the market. right after that he carried the second load. all the remaining twenty two! the next task was to figure out just how to get these monstrous baskets to our place. as typical of most peruvians i have come to love nothing stops them. "todo es posible". paulina reassured me it could be done with one taxi. she flagged one down and in her quite take-charge manner she had the driver put some in the back (it was a toyota wagon), had me get in the front seat and then they tied the rest to the top of the car. steve scrunched in alongside the baskets. when we arrived to the hostal juan carlos said to me, "oh, are you going into the bread delivery business?!". i explained what we were doing with these baskets and he just smiled. i think he thinks we are on the eccentric side. so now we have them all safe and sound in waterproof areas of our apartment. next to come is to begin cooking with them at home and seeing what insulating materials work best and just how many rice sacks we need. it will be a snap to bring them one by one to mandorani on the bus!
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Last updated: 11 April 2009
