We are stuck in Sao Paulo.  Well not really us but the boats are.  Customs won’t allow us to take them so we are chillin and letting the powers that be…whoever they are…sort out the mess.

We arrived Friday, a national holiday, and that’s when things started.  Customs can’t release anything on holidays or weekends.  So Monday was our starting point.

Saturday we had the bright idea to try and find the beach.  Without a map we headed out.  After driving in more or less the right direction we started seeing mirages, literally.  ‘It’s just over the hill…or the next’.  We pulled into a big town and felt that we were minutes to the beach.  At a stop light we pulled up next to a Discover Channel Bike Team jeep.  Michal leaned out and asked ‘where’s the beach’.  “are you kidding”  the guy said.  ‘No’.  ‘ahh, just keep going’.  Ya right, nothing felt good so we tried a different direction and eventually found an old battered map on a gas station wall.  Some guy gave us sort of directions, which we followed for another couple hours.  When 11million people try to go to the beach it is busy.  We should have known we weren’t on the right route earlier because there was no traffic.  Eventually, after hours in traffic, driving through a cloud forest, we wound our way down to the coast. 

First we ended up at a dodgy locals beach, which we exited pretty quick, only to park in another ghetto.  This one was a bit more promising because we saw surfers in the water.  After climbing over a berm we found the Promised Land.  Well again, not really but it was a bit better.  There were tourists and a surf comp.  Not much to write home about.  The highlight of the trip so far was Thomas and Daniel’s surf lesson.  They both managed to stand up right away on like 13ft boards, and they had a good time.  They are now affectionately know as ‘the surfers’.

It only took 3 hours to get home, along with the 11million again.  The big hills through the cloud forest claimed many old cars.  We counted over thirty cars broken at the side of the road.  A few were just stopped to beer from the back of the car, so the drive would be more interesting, but many were little old beaters.

Sunday we were too scared and decided we’d better use the gym and pool and rest for the epic drive to Foz, once we got the boats Monday morning.  Ya right. 

Monday left us in awe of the Brazilian customs system.  Right off the bat we went into customs expecting to walk out with our boats.  ‘Full Problem’ was the customs guys English.  ‘Full Problem’.  I tried using my Jedi mind tricks on him 'there is no problem here'  but it didn't work, damn!.  We should have listened to the organizers, because now we are doing it their way anyway.  Monday consisted of hanging out in the Air Canada office and then eating.  Back and forth.  To their credit, the guys at AC have gone to all ends for us.  Thanks Marcelo.  He not only spent his whole day today working on our situation, but he is going to come in tomorrow on his day off to continue the saga.  That’s what I call dedication.

So now we are in the hands of SAX logistics, a broker, who will try and get things moving swiftly.  Because all the documents we had are in the wrong name, those have to get changed, normally a 14day process, and then customs has to let us have our boats.  Our best guess is tomorrow afternoon to release the captives.  At least everyone will be well rested.