I hated the totally bare apartment I was staying at. My first 2 days in 4x4, I was hesitant to ask a garota to spend the night with me. I didn’t fancy bringing a girl to this ugly apartment with the cold water shower.
Apparently, Nubia & Edna came round quite a few times to investigate the hot water situation. They never found me home. I basically live in the termas, and my apartment is only a place to sleep... preferably not alone.
On Corpus Christi, the termas were closed, so I spent most of my time in the apartment. The doorman finally explained about the hot water. If I opened the shower at full blast, the water was cold... because the water heater wasn’t powerful enough. If I opened the water just a little, the water was... lukewarm.
So I had hot water... if only a little. But I still didn’t want to stay in this apartment any longer. Just when I’d decided to move to a hotel, I received an e-mail from David. The apartment with the Jacuzzi I’d originally made reservations for would be available from tomorrow. Great!
The following morning, I paid the balance for the apartment and packed my bags. The girl from Gringo Management came by to pick up the keys. I specifically told her that I didn’t want to wait outside with my luggage. She assured me the taxi would be waiting to bring me to my new apartment. When we got downstairs, she rushed off with the keys and... left me stranded with no taxi in sight.
I tried to contact Nubia, but couldn’t get through to her. I soon got fed up with waiting and hailed a cab. I never heard from Gringo Management again...
Centro!
At the end of my previous report, I suggested I would prefer to stay in Centro. Since I spend all my time in Centro anyway, it would be a lot more convenient to stay there. People advised against it. Centro is deserted and dangerous at night and on weekends. There are no decent places to stay.
Fuck that! Centro is where I wanted to be. Centro is where I was going! I had a big grin on my face the whole time I was in the taxi. This may be the most symbolic taxi ride I’ve ever taken. By getting into that cab, I became a Centro man through and through. I may never set foot in Copacabana again. It has nothing to offer me.
Ibis Hotel
The taxi dropped me off at the Ibis Hotel. This brand new hotel opened its doors in May. The rooms are small, but pretty. There’s a safe to store your valuables. The water is hot. You get clean sheets and towels every day. There is no joiner’s fee, unlike in many hotels in Copacabana. And it was cheaper than that bloody apartment.
After unpacking my bags, I was able to walk to 4x4! Unlike on my previous visits, I had no intention of going home alone. Even though Friday is probably the most difficult night to find LT company at 4x4, I didn’t sleep alone.
Photo: Overnight - Termas 4x4 15
Saturday
After my 4x4 girl jumped on a bus to Campo Grande, I was alone... in Centro... on a Saturday afternoon. I was a little apprehensive to head out into the supposedly deserted and dangerous Centro streets over the weekend, but ventured out anyway. I had to find out what the fuss was all about...
The streets aren’t as crowded as on weekdays, but there were plenty of people around. Many places were closed, but a few cheap restaurants were open for business. The locals seemed surprised to see a foreigner in Centro, but I encountered nothing but smiling faces.
I had another stroll around the neighborhood after dark. There were still people out and about. I was approached by a few streetwalkers on Avenida Passos. Programa? No, thanks, grandma!
Centro may not be kicking, but it is alive on weekends. Dangerous? No more than Copacabana. Next: Solarium