Postcard from Brazil: Figuring out the buffets

My journey began with flight to meet my cousin at Washington’s Dulles airport and a 10-hour flight to Sao Paulo. Tried a buffet in Sao Paulo’s airport. They gave me a plastic electronic pay card. After I got my food, I brought it to their weigh station cashiers, but they wouldn’t accept payment. I found a cashier’s line and paid but exited the gates to the alarm bells and whistles going off. I looked helpless and fought my way with my food back through the pay line to eat, receiving snickers and glares.

Unlike the buffets in Vegas, apparently you were supposed to eat, and then pay once finished, who knew.

Made the final 3-hour flight to Fortaleza. Used a Pearl Jam fan forum to make a friend the last two weeks and he and his wife were nice enough to pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel. We strolled the Praia de Iracema and saw the official FIFA Fan Fest set up. Massive merchandise store. Enjoyed a beach-side restaurant with a live band and took in the Portugal vs. Ireland friendly.

Fortaleza is Brazil’s fifth largest city and has beautiful beaches, a party atmosphere, rolling dunes and fishing villages. World Cup is definitely taking over as it’s involved in mostly all ads we’ve seen. Walked a long pier and even farther out onto break-wall rocks at the end of our night to take in the coastal expanse, a humid breeze, a nearly full moon, and bright Southern Hemisphere stars. Our long travels had come to fruition, sleep awaited and our adventure begins.

Brennan Karle is a Las Vegas teacher who covers prep sports for the Review-Journal. He’s in Brazil for the World Cup. You can see photos of his trip on Instagram at brennankarle.