Oh Johnny Boy, you know I love you...

Mr. Johnny Keidann arrived yesterday in one of the most confusing tumultuous epochs to be traveling here in Brazil. Our air industry has just gone berserk and he was definitely a victim of it. We got a little concerned when he couldn't be found... his plane from one city went to the wrong airport (but turned out to be a good thing since the other airport was closed). So from there he got lost in the system. He knew where he was, but no one else did. We had no way of knowing when he would catch another plane, or to which airport here in Rio. We finally gave up and just waited. I mean the kid is only 14 and doesn't speak Portuguese. I wasn't sure he'd even know how to use a pay phone, since it's not like you can just put in a coin... you have to have a magnetic card to use them. Fortunately his cousins had given him one and he called when he got in, but he didn't know what airport he was in. He found someone who spoke English and they told him and so in short order we picked him up and we got him home to get some rest. Poor kid travelled over 9 hours in what should have been a simple 3 hour trip (not counting that he should have actually traveled the day before but the airport totally shut down on that day and they just sent him home). But he is here and ready to enjoy some of the sights and sounds of Rio. He has already learned to drink chimarrão (my João's favorite drink), so he will not be going home to Canada the same kid who came here. Should be interesting to see Rio from the eyes of a teen-ager.