We were invited to another BBQ. I love the fact that one minute we have no plans and then in half an hour we have too many plans. In England when I meet up with friends it requires a lot of planning, date/time changes. In Brazil you phone someone, go and buy beer and meat and the party begins!

At about 10pm at this BBQ a couple turned up with a baby. I would have thought it was way past this 4 months old baby´s bed time but she seemed quite happy. The music wasn´t turned down and she seemed quite content. Even when she went to bed, the party continued as normal.

Then at about midnight another couple turned up wth their 9 month old baby. Again she had no problems with the party, noise or random people and was still up at 3am when her parents left.

On one hand I like the fact that these parent´s socialising and lives don´t end when they have a baby but on the other hand what is the routine for the baby? How do the couple really surive with the lack of sleep a baby brings and still manage to socialise?!

Just another cultural difference Brazil has......

I have finally go over the trauma of my flight.

Last weeknd was spent catching up with friends. We went over to Taby and Tiago´s for a BBQ.

We then decided to head to Luiz´s beach house and hung out there for most of the weekend and headed back to Joinville late Sunday evening.

The rest of the week I have been relaxing and catching up with more friends! :D

I hate TAM airlines

Back in Brazil after quite possibly the worst flight I have ever had. I feel like that is a bit harsh as I did just manage to make all my connections and get here at the time I said I would, but not without problems.

First of all Brazil sent a plane over to Heathrow that was too small. TAM airlines were offering people checking in at Heathrow 400 pounds to go on the next flight. As I had flown from Manchester, I was already checked in and wasn´t offered this, as I may have taken it!! As we were boarding some people were being taken to one side, but no one was told what was going on. We sat on the plane the pilot announced we were going to fly via Recife. This is way up in the north about 1652miles frm Sao Paulo. Still not having a clue what was going on, we continued to sit on the plane. I earwigged on the girl´s conversation next to me and found out about the plane situation. We were going to fly via Recife to either change planes or change staff. I also found out that there were 2 spare seats, so the plane size was ok. After sitting for longer and it being half an hour past our alloted time. They then announced that they needed 3 volunteers to get off the flight. After more faffing and it sorted itself out. However by this time it was an hour past our slot and they cancelled the flight.

Cue lots of very unhappy people. We all got off the plane and went back through immigration and were at baggage claim. There were whispers of coachs waiting outside to take us to hotels but again no proper information. Then they wouldn´t give us our bags back as they said we would be using the same plane when we probably flew tomorrow. Nobody seemed to know anything, not even the staff.


Fortunately 2 hours after we should have flown they announced that we were going to fly that night and we all bundled onto the plane.

By this point I was so tired and happy to actually be on my way, I fell alseep, woke up later and nearly fainted. I am not sure if I was too hot or tired but there was something going on!


We finally arrived in Sao Paulo at 9.25am I should have arrived at 6.05am but I thought I would still have enough time to get my next flight at 11.55. I got in baggage claim and waited for my bags... and waited......and waited.... and waited..... for an hour. It was now 10.45am, no bags and still hadn´t checked in for my other flight. I kept asking people if more bags were coming out and was told to wait. Finally when there were 4 people left, they realised that our luggage had been lost. After more faffing and form filling and I was finially escorted through customs when I ran round like a headless chicken trying to figure out where to check in. It was now 11.15 and I was sure that check in had closed.


Eventually I  found the right desk and burst in tears and kept saying ´´I have missed check in´. A rather bemused girl asked me where I was going and if I had any luggague, cue more tears as I said it had been lost. ´TAM?´ she said sympathetically (Seems it must be  regualt occurence!), gave me boardng card, and pointed me in the right direction. Ran through security and surprise surprise actually mananged to make the flight!!!


The flight to Joinville was only about an hour wher I managed to squeeze myself into the tiny toilet and at least brush my teeth for the first time in over a day. 


We spoke to rep at Joinville airport who told me my bags were in Sao Paulo and would probably be delivered today on the next flight at around 5. After calling them again later that night. We were told that actually my bags were in London and never made it on the flight!!!! and should probably come in tomorrow.
After a few more phone calls, my bags finally turned up on Saturday evening. Accompanied by a reciept confirming my bags had been recieved on the 6th Ocotber..... funny that I was still in the UK and hadn´t even packed then!!


What I found really frustrating about the whole flight was the lack of communication and information about anything. Even when they did give info in London, it was all in Portuguese so half of us never knew what was going on. When we were given information, most of the time it was wrong. TAM sort yourself out!!!

Happier post to come next time!

Back to Brazil

After 7 months away from Brazil, I am heading back for just under 3 months.
I will be in Brazil for Christmas and New year! Looking forward to be in a sunny climate instead of the snow over Christmas... but will it be the same?

I'll keep you updated!!