I had no problem getting to my flight, but we were sitting on the plane for a couple of hours while they tried to fix something. I look out the window and see them offloading the luggage.

"That's not good", I think.

Sure enough the flight is cancelled. Nobody has any idea what is going on. One lady from the airline talks to some people, but she figures she's done her job and then ignores the rest of us. Gotta love Brazil, she doesn't like their anger so she's not going to talk to the rest of us either. We all have to book our own flights for tomorrow, the airline won't do it. Everybody's on their cell phones competing to get the remaining seats. Americans are much better off than Brazillians, the U.S.reservation desks we're calling back to work 24 hours. The Brazillians have to wait until the morning.

They bus us at 2 A.M. across Rio to Barra da Tajuca. I kept thinking about the bad guys who would stop tourist busses early in the morning and rob them, but we got there without incident. They put us up at a nice resort and fed us well, all for free. I talked to some diplomats who had been staying at the Rio Othon, lucky guys, but they wouldn't open up about the beach action.

Barra da Tajuca has a nice beach, it's just as crowded as all the other's though. I didn't see a Favela nearby.

I almost abandoned the hotel and was thinking about leaving this group, heading to 4x4 and meeting them back at the airport. But I was literally sick, and tired. Plus, I know when you travel and you start changing plans, something strange will happen and I didn't need that. I just wanted to go home.

They bussed us back to the airport and we got back in line to go through security again. Suddenly the roof caved in.

Well, not really the roof, but the ceiling. You know how ceilings are now, styrofoam held up by thin metal rods dangling from the real ceiling? Well the entire entranceway just came undone.


CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

It took a good 30 seconds of crashing while each individual piece came undone with just too much stress put on it by the other section that's given way. Bit by bit, lights, speakers, twisted metal, everything came down in a long crash. A good 1000 square foot section by the doors.

We all looked at each other, what are the odds we'd all be standing here when that happened?

Just as the airport folks had roped off the destruction, I kid you not, there was screaming by the gate entrance and scores of people started running.

Of course my first thought is a terrorist attack. But people are running towards something, not away. We're all too exhausted to run, we just crane our necks, looking for the bomber, then those of us with any energy left will run. Hopefully it's just someone having a heart attack. The screaming gets more intense for a minute and then dies down. "Good grief, what now?", we wonder.

Word filters down the line, the stars of High School Musical 3 are at the airport and there's a hundred young girls there to get autographs.

One of the guys I was with looks at me and says, "I hate flying, but I'm going to be the happiest guy here to get on that plane".

What the fuck is going on? The flight is cancelled, we're delayed for a day, the ceiling caves in, screaming girls...Then it hits me. I raised my fist in the air and yelled, "Jaguar, you've had your fun, now let me out of this fucking country!"

Jaguar laughed then he turned, "Let him go your Excellency"

"Sure thing Jag", Satan looked around,"...now where's my scepter? For that matter... where's Cheney?"

And with that I got on the plane and finally left Brazil.

Frogman, love your posts man. Too bad for the lack of picture though. Keep it up !

Prado