Rain, Rain, Go Away -- Or I will

This has apparently been the rainiest July in the history of Rio. Or something like that. And this is supposed to be the dry season. I'm beginning to think I'm back in Providence. At least I've never seen the temperature slip below 16 degrees Celsius (61 Fahrenheit). Unfortunately, now that I've spent four weeks in Brazil, a rainy 17 or 18 degree day is cause for some serious complaint, and daily (or twice-daily) hot chocolate.

The hallways in my apartment building are all outside, which means that they get rained on. I know this is hard to picture and doesn't make any sense (and I'm not doing a great job of describing it), but rain comes in through the top -- like above where a courtyard would be, only there is no courtyard -- and falls sideways into the pathways that lead from apartment to apartment on each floor. The halls have drains in them, but the rain still manages to puddle up!

It's finally looking like a sunny day in Rio this morning -- and I'm leaving. I'm headed with the group to Salvador da Bahia, in the northeast of the country. I know it's going to be warmer, and I've heard that the weather report predicts sun as well.

I wish I had time to write more, but a taxi is picking me up in front of my apartment in 13 minutes. I will report back on Salvador after I come home next Saturday -- and after that real classes start!