Battles With Boredom

Brazil – Florianópolis

I spent the last weekend in Florianópolis with Flávia, Janderson, and Juliana. It was pretty much a non-stop R&R weekend, which included highlights including capirinhas on the beach, my worst sunburn ever, and dog TV. Other than the sunburn, it was a terrific way to spend the time. I was thinking back to a guy (referenced in Tim Ferriss’ first book) who relocated to South America and owns a business running tours for foreigners. Awfully tempting. We ate at several small restaurants on various beaches, including one that we reached by a small ferry. The food was amazing everywhere we went. We went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner on my last night there, and I was shocked that neither the waiter nor chefs seemed to know what unagi is.

Hello, Florianópolis

This weekend I am in Florianópolis with my new friends. Two nights ago in Sao Paulo, Paula and Juliana issued many statements to the tune of “Have you tried _______ yet? You haven’t? We need to fix that.”

It all began with a simple glass of Caiparinha and went downhill from there. By “downhill,” I mean there was no further effort required, except to remain vertical. Halfway through my first glass and I was about as tipsy as I can ever remember being.

The next day Juliana and I made our way to Florianópolis. Despite the name and the similarity of its flag to that of Greece, I haven’t found any other connection. After a brief settling period (a few minutes) we headed out across town to catch a boat to a favorite restaurant of my hosts. The service was good and the food prep was slow, but definitely worth the wait. We ate freshly fried shrimp and several other Brazilian delicacies that I’m still wishing I had more of now. Another of those “have you tried” topics was Brigadeiro – sort of like Brazilian fudge, but not as thick. As luck would have it, a woman who makes and sells it every day just happened to be passing by the restaurant where we were seated, so naturally I had to buy a bunch, and boy is it tasty. We’ll be making and selling this at Breaking Grounds next month.

The Brazilian Coffee Shop, Aikido, Internet Scene

As I recover from a great aikido class last night, my body still asking “why the hell did you do that to me,” I am sipping a cappuccino (with the obligatory whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and Jimmies on top), finalizing the rest of my flights around the country for the coming month. The coffee shop I’m sitting in is playing what sounds like the greatest hits of the 80′s (“Alive and Kicking,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Pride (In the Name of Love),” etc.). Continue reading The Brazilian Coffee Shop, Aikido, Internet Scene…

OpenDNS vs. Google Public DNS, in Brazil

Just for kicks, I decided to see what Google’s Public DNS performance was like compared to that of OpenDNS, while abroad. I’d heard OpenDNS was faster in the US, and Google overseas. While ICMP reply times are certainly not the only indicator of performance, it’s safe to say they are a very big one. Here are the results: Continue reading OpenDNS vs. Google Public DNS, in Brazil…

Brazil – Days 6 & 7

Yesterday was a relaxing Sunday. Continue reading Brazil – Days 6 & 7…