Work Day Nine - The heat finally gets to us - O calor finalmente chega até nós

After yesterdays overcast skies and rain the day dawned bright and sunny.

View towards city centre from my hotel window - 7:30 am

We were picked up by Carin a little after 9 (we did have a late evening on Wednesday) and taken to the office, where we had a brief team meeting and then got stuck into our various work activities. The morning passed quickly and uneventfully enough apart from a couple of packs of delicious Brazilian delicacies largely disappearing.  One was very like a fudge and the other was a nutty soft and sweet tube.  Despite that, at 12 we set out for the local Kilo Restuarant as our morning translator, Mariana, had to head into a class at 1 pm.  As we'd made her quite late for a class yesterday we felt honour-bound to get her to her class today on time.

After lunch we had a team review of where we were and what we needed to do to start preparing the deliverables.  We walked through a couple of outlines that people had prepared, and debated whether they were on target or whether more (or less) was required. After some discussion we seemed to be of one mind so started work on what we had agreed to do.

The afternoon was getting warmer and warmer so a cunning plan was hatched that we would finish early and head off to the country club (to which we had all been given a month's free membership) to cool down in the pool. We obviously offended some South American Gods, as no sooner had we let Carin know she wouldn't be needed to drive us home and booked a taxi, than the clouds gathered and the rain started (with a smidgeon of thunder thrown in). After about 20 or so minutes the taxi arrived and we piled in. When we got back to the hotel the rain had stopped but the Gods hadn't finished playing with us yet. Michael and I decided it was still fine enough to go for a swim - I particularly wanted to test out my new swim-shorts (not quite a dry run but something similar) - and Chi wanted to go to a mall in the vicinity of the Club. So a taxi was ordered and we waited. And waited. And waited. Just as we were about to flag it away the taxi arrived, with the driver finishing off his evening snack (no doubt obtained en route whilst we were waiting). 

We piled aboard and were soon at the Cajuba Country Club where there are three pools - a children's pool, a general swimming and diving pool and a more serious pool divided into lanes for real swimming practice. It was still quite overcast but warm so we started off in the general pool which was quite pleasant and then later moved to the "serious" pool which turned out to be even warmer and salt water. A superb and almost perfect rainbow appeared over the back of the Club whilst we were in the pool but sadly my camera was in my hotel room.

After our exercise we adjourned to the Club bar to sample their caipirinhas which I enjoyed - I must be acquiring the taste - and then walked back to the hotel. En route Michael went to the gas station for some  water and I checked out the Thalia bar to see if any of our team was there.  Sure enough they were, so we were able to finish off the evening with some good food, good company, and a beer (or two). 

#ibmcsc brazil