Today, Lindemberg and Monica took us for a tour of Campinas, the University and his hospital. We walked in a city park - 1600 meters for those of you who have been coached in math, and for a trolley ride in Parque Portugal. The highlight of the day was lunch - an anthropological gastronomic event that puts American all you can eat buffets to shame. The surroundings were more elegant and the food was indescribable and in some cases, just plain unknown. We went to a churrascaria - a traditional type of lunch. First, vegetables, cheese, salad, fruit, seafood - help yourself. David made the mistake of filling his plate here - not knowing that this was the appetizer. After we sat down at a round table with a white linen tablecloth, Lindemberg pointed out a small card at each place with a red side and a green side. When your card was turned to the green side - hordes of waiters approached with meat on two enormous skewers and a long, large knife. I had tongs to remove the slices of meat as it was carved fron the slab. The choices included my favorite picanha - from a cow, my least favorite - chicken heart, buffalo, salmon, chicken, ham, lamb, fish called pintado - more picanha - ribs, sausages - both chicken and pork, turkey, pineapples cooked in cinnamon - another favorite, cabybara -the same ones they have at the Phoenix zoo - I passed on this one - and more picanha. Did I mention that picanha was my favorite? I have never tasted meat so good. When you wanted to take a breather, you flipped your card to the red side and the waiters circled at a distance - watching carefully for the flip back to green. I ate more meat today than in the past three months. And then we had dessert. David will have to roll me to Rio in a wheelbarrow.
I slept eleven hours last night so I am no longer tired, but I am really full and we ate five hours ago. Tchau.
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