Beach bound

I wake around six again. And, after stumbling around for a while, trail downstairs for brekkie. You can probably guess what I eat. Along with coffee and orange juice.

It’s much quieter in the breakfast room than on previous days. Both in terms of number of people and of their dress.

A breakfast of scrambled egg, cheese, orange juice, coffee and a banana.

I laze in my room for a while, fiddling around on the internet. Around 10:30, I pack up and go downstairs to check out. Soon I'm in an Uber boinging down the motorway.

My oldie priority has me airside pronto. Without lounge access, I go into austerity mode. Getting myself a scrambled egg baguette and a coffee. That should wake me up. And I really need more scrambled egg. I can’t remember the last time I ate some.

I wander over to my gate twenty minutes before boarding is due to start. They're already halfway through. That's unusual. We pull away from the gate ten minutes early. Not that I'm complaining.

The flight is just over an hour. And uneventful. As all the best flights are. Excitement in the air is almost always a bad thing.

My bag rolls out pretty quickly and I'm all done thirty minutes before the scheduled arrival time. Now where's my driver? Nowhere to be seen.

I hang around at the entrance waiting for my driver to show up. Not too worried, as, you know, I'm very early.

Time rolls on. Cars pull up and drive off again. People come and go. None of them my fucking driver. I’m still not worried. I have plenty of options. And time enough. But I’ve already paid.

After 45 minutes, a taxi scheduler asks me if I need a cab. He’s seen me hanging around all this time. Do I? I suppose I do. Doesn’t look like my driver is going to turn up. Which is annoying.

The distant skyline of Balneário Camboriú.

Traffic is pretty bad. Well, awful, really. And the driver seems a little confused as to which hotel we’re headed. But we get there eventually.

A bus is due at 19:30 to take us to the evening's event. Which is in a restaurant down on the beachfront. I have some time to chill in my room before that. Literally. The aircon is set to 17º C. I wish I’d brought a jumper with me.

When I get down to reception, Thomas Sjoberg is there. We have a chat. I haven't seen him since I was in Atlanta last June. It's good to meet up again.

OX steak & fish sign.

In the restaurant there are so many people I know or recognise. Chris Flaskamp, Pete and Amy Slosberg. Loads of others. I have fun explaining my broken arm to those who were in Bahia in November.

“They have caipirinhas, Ron.” Chris says. Helpfully. “But you have to pay for them. The beer is free.”

Guess which I plump for? No, it’s not the beer. I get stuck into caipirinhas. Strawberry ones this time. As they’re easier on my stomach. Did I mention how much fun getting older is? No? There’s a reason why.

There’s not a dinner as such. Just nibbles. Waiters buzz around with spoons of food.

“It’s going to take a lot of these to fill me up.” I remark to Chris.

“Me, too.” He replies, plucking a spoon from a tray.

Many of the mouthfuls are pretty tasty, mind. The ceviche, for example. Which gets me thinking.

“I’d love to go to Peru.”

“You should be able to get an invitation to judge in Lima.”

Chris introduces me one of the organisers of a Peruvian competition. A very friendly young woman. Who seems OK with the idea of inviting me to Peru. I dream of collecting the full set of South American countries. I’m not even halfway there yet. And how many years do I have left?

A few caipirinhas later, after a couple of hours of standing, my legs are killing me. I go outside to get an Uber.

Trees at the Balneário Camboriú beach at night.

Standing on the seafront, I can see why they call this the Dubai of Brazil. There’s a row of high-rises, the tallest 40 or 50 stories. In the dark, it all looks very Alphaville to me.

The Balneário Camboriú beachfront at night.

I can't stay up too late. A bus is collecting us at 8 AM tomorrow. I drink just enough of the world’s cheapest cachaça for my sight to go blurry and my eyelids floppy.




OX Steak & Fish
Av. Atlântica, 5690
Barra Sul, Balneário Camboriú
SC, 88330-036.
https://oxsteakhouse.com.br/




Disclaimer: my hotel and some meals in Balneário Camboriú were paid for Concurso Brasiliero de Cervejas.