tysontrips

23, September, 2005

Eat, Sleep, Surf...Repeat

For lack of a topic of any importance, I am writing this week from the tiny surf town of Itacaré, Bahia only to dispel the common misconception that I am spending all my time lying lazily in the sun sipping coconut milk. I am only spending some of my time this way. The truth is that I have created for myself a tropical vacation schedule to which I am strictly adhering. This highly regimented routine is pre-planned and executed seven days a week just as efficiently as a day in a military boarding school. The schedule is so lightning quick and buttery smooth that I am afraid just reading it might make others feel a bit unproductive. So if the complexity or rigor leaves you short of breath just take a break and continue reading later.

Tyson's Tropical "Sem Problema" (no problem) Schedule

07:30 – Stand. Grab surfboard. Head to beach.

08:00 – Tardy bell rings. If not on the beach by this time I will have to stay at the beach after everyone else goes home.

08:01 – Surf. Itacaré supposedly has one of the best and consistent surf breaks in NE Brasil. Awesome bro! Until I re-learned the hard truths that surfing is the world's most difficult sport and I am really just a fish out of water...in the water...with a board. Also, besides attracting poseurs like me, the awesome breaks on the narrow beach draw highly competitive surfers of amazing caliber, hailing from local, national, and international locales. They are quick to yell at this gringo to get the #$%& off 'their' wave.

10:00 – Snack. After having enough of being tossed around and yelled at I heal my ego with a morning pick-me-up. Often this is an energy burst in the form of a fruit called Açaí, blended and topped with granola and bananas.

10:30 – Sun. This is one of my several periods of relaxation. Soaking up the warm rays is a required subject in this tropical school and I am passing the class with a 100% average.

14:00 – Lunch break. After a painstaking time of lying in the sun it is time to get the grub on. The main meal of the day is usually a three dollar prato feito (fixed or set plate) of Brazilian quintessential food such as rice, beans, salad, mandioca flour, spicy Bahian peppers, and some type of meat. I usually choose a grilled fish or some fried shrimp here on the coast. This filling fare can be washed down with one of the endless different kinds of tropical fruit juices which are produced in this area. Observe:

collage o fruit

Above: Just a few examples (14) of the myriad tropical Bahian fruits and only one man to eat them all. Can he do it? (left to right, top to bottom): abacaxi (pineapple), açaí, cacau (used for chocolate, juice, etc)., acerola, cajú, goiaba (guava), sign in a typical juice bar, graviola, jenipapo, cajá, mamão (papaya), melão (a type of melon), maracujá (passion fruit), manga (mango), umbú.

14:30 – Sea-cess. It’s kind of like recess but it takes place in the ocean. This could be a leisurely swim in the open ocean, the calm bay or the river which empties into the bay.

15:30 – Period of coco gelado. This is an absolutely compulsory activity. Without fail, every day I buy an ice-cold green coconut straight off the palm tree, stick a straw in it and sip the sweet, recharging coco-water so quickly that it gives me brain freeze.

coconut stand

Above: "Damn, where's Tyson? He's late for his coconut."

16:00 – Free time. Nobody can spend all their time working so I usually take an hour here for relaxation. The time could read 'Beer:30', when I drink a cerveja estupidamente gelada (stupidly cold beer); this is the way the Brazilians love their beer, often times with ice chunks floating in the bottle. Or it could be 'Caipirinha (cachasa, lime, sugar) O'clock'. Or if I am really feeling motivated I could hit up an afternoon surf session.

17:00 – Sand. Also known as P.E. Soccer and volleyball are played ferociously on the flat city beach near the fishing port. The level of skill and competition usually means I am forced to watch from the sidelines and extend my free period.

18:00 – Sunset over the Saltwater. I also call this daily occurrence ‘happy hour’ because everyone all over the city has a big smile on their face as the sun slips away. Happy Hour; I should coin that phrase.

20:00 – Supper. Usually something light. Maybe a snack of frutos do mar (seafood) like crab or prawns over some rice and vegetables.

21:00 – Evening activity period. This time is open to interpretation and whim. Writing, watching soccer on television at a local restaurant, chatting it up with some local fisherman, or watching an intense Brazilian telenovela (soap opera) are all feasible activities. Note: Brazilians are dead serious about their telenovelas. They will not so much as turn their head to talk to anybody when watching one. You would be lucky to receive a grunt as a response should you ask them a question.

23:00 – Silent daily reading of a chapter of the New Testament, courtesy of The Gideons International (Nashville, TN). Not only have The Gideons found the top drawer of every night stand in every hotel room in every state in the US, they have even placed an English/Portuguese version of the New Testament in my little pousada in this tiny fishing town in Brazil. Good work, friends. The Good Book has been a highly entertaining way for me to end my nights as I seemingly drift off to sleep in a slow-moving ocean current.

Today's passage: "And I heard the voice of the harpers harping their harps." (Apocalypse 13:2)

Amen to that.

0:00 – Sleep.