Total bust on windsurfing today. Holiday tum has laid me low. Shame coz it looks to be windy, unlike yesterday. Had my longest sesh yet y´day, 2 and a half hours, but it was fairly fluky 5.5m weather. The wind variation here is very small - so 5.5m is a light day, 4.5m is a windy one. Can´t complain, really.
I did go out last night, had quite a social evening. Everyone was kind enough to speak English, despite the fact the company was a German, Frenchman and three Italians. The main subject of conversation was which European nation makes the best beer. Even here, the company was not prepared to let Sven the German take the prize, but were all rooting for their own national brew, or, possibly, the Belgians. He was exasperated. The previous night the conversation had gone through cars (Lamborghini), champagne (French), fashion etc, in none of which Germany was allowed to claim a showing. I can´t claim preeminence for any British commodity. I put forward the example of the sausage: Every European nation has a sausage or two, and in most countries they are truly prized specialties. But you won´t find a Brit turning down a UK sausage, even though its indubitably crap by comparison. It´s just what we like.
I also went to the extravagance of hiring a pony trap at sunset to take me out to the local landmark, the Pedra Furada, a rock arch about a mile away. My driver was a cheeky Brazilian teenager proud of his equine skills and business acument. He managed to prod his poor old nag to a bracing gallop most of the way, as I clung to the vinyl seat to the best of my ability. He also talked me out of 10 reals more than it was supposed to cost. But I reckon it´s like windsurfing - 5 mins at 30mph is worth an hour at 5mph, so I was happy to pay..
Now the sun´s going down and I think I´m going to retreat to my room with a packet of biscuits. Can´t look a caiparhina in the face tonight.
Anon
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