Dateline Sao Paulo

Greetings from the Southern Hemisphere. My poker work has again taken me out of the US of A, this time to lovely Sao Paulo, Brazil for the 2011 PokerStars.net Latin American Poker Tour Brazil Main Event (look at me pimping out the full name instead of saying "LAPT Brazil"). It's my first return engagement with Brazil since I went to Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro in 2002.* I must not stick out too much because I've already been stopped on the street and asked for directions by a truck driver.**

Despite the potential for calamity with three legs to the trip -- one through Chicago -- Donnie and I ran good with our travel. His 1K status got us into the United lounges at LAX and O'Hare for free, and we touched down in Sao Paulo ten minutes early. All of our bags made it ten minutes early too.

The plan is to be here until Monday night. Otis and Change100 are also on the premises. For the moment we're all huddled in our respective hotel rooms, waiting out a "wrath of God" thunderstorm that (of course!) started while I was on the street sans umbrella. In five hours I've spent $7 on ATM fees, $80 on a cab, $175/night for an "adequate" hotel room and $15 on a rather pedestrian lunch. How the hell is Sao Paulo such an expensive town? Aren't I in South America?

Whatever. Vamo!

*Funny story about that trip. Strolling along the "minor league" samba parade one night my friend and I were jumped by a gang of five or six 18 year olds. I was yanked off my feet, from behind and by my neck, before we even knew what was happening.

Now that I think about it, there's nothing funny about that story at all.

**At least I think he asked for directions. I forgot to pack my dog-eared 2002 Portuguese phrase book, so I had no fucking clue what he was saying to me. He very well could have been asking me if I like men. The only Portuguese words I remember from 2002 are "thank you" and "pineapple", neither of which was going to help him with directions around town. Or my sexual orientation.