WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012
It’s Wednesday morning, day 6 of our trip to Brazil, and we are waking up to soft but persistent tropical rain. Last night, while driving back from our trip to the north side of the island to visit the ‘historical centre, I had my first experience of driving in a tropical storm.
I must admit when driving back on the wrong side of the road, in the dark, on an unfamiliar, small winding road, in an alleged but gut-less 1.4 saloon with an exhaust that was blowing, was intimidating. But as it was lashing down with rain, and gale force winds were shaking the palm trees to the point where some of the fronds were blown onto the road in front of us, I must admit to being a little scared. We later found out we’d driven through a gale, where the local ferry was forced to stop after experiencing winds in excess of 38knots.
Still we survived with nothing worse than a drenching when we had to run from our car back to the hotel room.
I woke up at 7 in the morning to be greeted by the same incessant rain, but thankfully no wind.
Now, after breakfast in the rain and worrying what to do with ourselves, the weather changes its mind. the rain is finally easing up and the sun is starting to burn away the clouds. Perhaps it will be another fine, hot, sticky day in the tropics.