Monsoon musings

In just 6 hours from now you'll board your flight in London heading to Thailand to be with me for a whole month. I'm excited to have you here again and to be able to share the small things that every day life holds together with you.  We have a nice plan to visit the south this weekend and we will also go somewhere to either Laos or Cambodia for a short getaway to explore a bit what the region has to offer.  The last time you visited Thailand it was the hot season and now you will arrive during the monsoon. Between the two, I think the monsoon is the better option. It can rain very heavily for an hour or two but then it passes and at least the temperatures are not sweltering the way they were in April. You may get soaked in a downpour from time to time but at least the rain is warm here, not like in London. I even like the monsoon some days. Living on the 18th floor, it is nice to be at home and watch the dark clouds roll in almost at eye level and to see the lightning light up the sky beyond the windows off in the distance. And of course, everything turns very lush and green. It is the rice planting season here and if we get the chance to get out into the countryside, you will see green paddy fields stretching out as far as the eye can see in places. It's beautiful and an essential part of the rhythm of life in Southeast Asia.  Well I am talking about the weather just to  pass the time and to distract myself from counting the minutes til you arrive and I have you at my side.  I love you. Til tomorrow.....

Monsoon scene - Rice fields in northern Thailand

Leaving for my woman

     In a few hours I will be traveling to Thailand in order to meet you again. I never imagined someday I would be crossing the world in order to see a woman. But I am happily doing it now. I am missing your touch, your smell and your conversation. And I am looking forward to travel with you by the Southeast Asia, where I had a great time in April. I know you will be at the airport to receive me with my name written in a piece of paper, because I told you I'm a bit envious of those people who arrive and has someone waiting for them with their names written in a piece of paper, because so many times I have traveled with no one waiting for me on arrival. So my name written in a piece of paper will make me feel special and happy, because not only there will be someone there but someone who came to the airport to fetch this guy specifically.

     I hope there will be one day when we won't be apart anymore, when we will be living in the same country, the same city, the same house, owning the same dog. Have I told you I love you today?

Delicious memories

I arrived home four days ago and have been busy catching up and getting back into the flow of normal everyday life after a long holiday with you in Brazil. My body is still not completely adjusted back to the time zone here and I am waking up at strange hours of the night.  I have only just started to reflect on my travels in Brazil and on all of the new things I saw and experienced. Even after spending almost a month there, I still feel I know it only on the most superficial level. I loved many places that we saw but I think perhaps Rio the most, especially the old town and port and our culinary walking tour of the area. I would be happy to go back again one day and explore it for longer and in more depth.

Thinking about it, there are lots of small things I discovered in Brazil which I am starting to miss as well. For example, the great juice bars which you find everywhere, the fried manioc snacks which are perfect with a beer and for breakfast, I miss pao de queijo the deliciously chewy cheese rolls made from tapioca flour which are sold at every bakery and corner shop across the country it seems. While not very good for my waistline, I loved them and can even say I was addicted to them by the end of the trip. But of course, the thing I am missing most right now from Brazil....is you. Thank goodness we will not be apart for long this time and I will be seeing you here in Thailand in less than a week from now. We will have a lovely time. 

Pao de queijo

A samba evening in the old Rio

     We have just arrived from a samba place in central Rio de Janeiro. It was a great evening talking, kissing and dancing together while we were listening to great music in a proper ambience. I like the mix of races, cultures and styles around the samba ring of musicians. I also tried my feet at the quintessential Brazilian rhythm. It seems you were impressed by seeing me dancing like that, because you know I am an incorrigible shy guy. But you tried it with me and it was so pleasant to have you there, so pretty, so sexy and so desirable dancing with me. This will be one of our best memories of Rio. When we are back here someday, I want to come back to the port area, a place so full of history and culture from where samba expanded and became so powerful. Thanks samba to make you and me so happy at the end of our last day here!

Steps

We have finished our visit to Minas Gerais and are headed for Rio, a city I have long looked forward to visiting for a long time now. I learned a lot these past two weeks traveling around with you and seeing a new country and a new part of the world. Despite experiencing many wonderful things our love has been tested in many ways.

But after much talking and soul searching, we seem to have found our footing once again and shared a wonderful day yesterday exploring the beautiful historic town of Ouro Preto. We visited a museum at the city centre and several important churches and discussed a lot about literature and art along the way. I felt very close to you and we ended up our day in a very charming and cozy restaurant called Passo which you told me in your language means 'Step'.  I liked this place very much and found the name suitable as well, not only because this old city is a place of incredibly steep steps that need to be negotiated at every turn, but because I felt that we had taken a new step in our relationship together, in the same direction. I think we are both feeling better now as a result.

View from our table at Passo Restaurant, Ouro Preto

A journey through part of Brazil

     This huge concrete jungle is São Paulo, where I lived 17 years of my life, a place that I love despite of all annoyances and problems this urban monster presents us everyday. I was happy to walk the central area with you and show you many places, telling you a few stories about them. Also, it was great to visit some of the many museums there with you by my side and feel the tastes of the local culinary, especially with its fantastic bakeries.

     We are now in the tiny historic town of Tiradentes, a totally different place in its strong connection with the past, its silence, its provincial life, its chain of big mountains around. All these traveling experiences and the opportinity they provide for long talks and experiences together have bringing us closer and more intimate.

     I hope we have other chances to come to Brazil many times in the future. It's a big and very diverse reality that you will love to explore. But it will be even better to be together and just live our love in a new landscape, meeting different people along the way and simply finding how much this love is real and necessary.