$720 to Salvador

I gave my last final exam today. I am done teaching.
The sense of pressure lifting is so strong it feels physical. I feel like I'm floating.

And so, of course, to celebrate, I bought a ticket to Salvador today! There is 1 good side to Bloco X not happening - I'm heading to Brazil instead! To see my apartment in person at last. To sit on the beach, and see the music, and dance, and buy more shekeres and timbals, and to visit Chapada de Diamantina (forests and waterfalls) and/or Praia Forte (sea turtles) and/or Boipeba (idyllic peaceful island).

There is a dengue fever outbreak going on in Salvador right now. But, honestly, everywhere I go recently there is a dengue fever outbreak. Dengue or swine flu, it's always something. I'll just bring a gallon of bug dope, just as if I were working in Alaska.

AND... my ticket cost..... well, I have written a little commemorative poem about it:

Seven Hundred and Twenty Dollars
Total
Taxes and Fees Included
Round-trip
*from Portland Oregon*

There, did you like my poem? I like my poem. I like my poem A LOT. It's usually an extra $600 just to get from Portland to the East Coast - and then it can be $800 or more from the East Coast down to Brazil. $720 clear from Portland is unheard of. My frequent-flyer sambista friend Tanya says she's never seen prices this low since 9/11.

It'll be just two weeks. First half of June. But that's two weeks more than nothing! It was surprisingly hard to stuff a Brazil trip into my summer schedule around all the elephants, sea turtles, whales, Wyoming bird fieldwork, Brazil Camps, Lions gigs and whatnot.

Tough life.

I feel very lucky.