GANNET2 Update

 We decided to drop in at Guará Motorhomes in the suburb of Paranoá to check progress on our much missed home.

Alessandro on the right is the owner with one of his crew discussing earning the hole in the roof to fit the new 12 volt Coleman RTX to replace our 110 volt  Coleman. 

The idea is to have a unit only six and a half inches tall such that we will fit in a container without having to take the a/c off. That’s the hope, as well as cooling our bed area for only 20 amps per hour. With 500 amps of lithium batteries we expect to be able to have easy cooling all night when we need it, and with new larger solar panels generate enough energy to recharge the batteries by day. 

Once that is installed they will measure the remaining space on the roof and figure out the placement of our Starlink dish  and as much solar panel as will fit. We’re hoping for 860 watts but we shall see.

We are getting some carpentry work done to fix some niggling issues in the kitchen. He’s put in a two gallon tank under the sink to catch our gray water.

We used to have a 17 gallon tank under the van but we took it out in Panama as we banged it one too many times on the ground going over rocky dirt roads and berms.

With that gone we were draining the sink to the ground which was a pain as in campgrounds I’d stick a bucket underneath but it was not satisfactory. We will leave Brasilia with a two gallon jug plumbed in which will be easy to monitor and toss out when and where appropriate. I’ve wanted that for a while. 

Layne was worried about losing storage space but Alessandro came up with a brilliant simple and obvious solution: build some drawers in the space under the counter. 

That took a while sketching out the possibilities. Alessandro got the carpenter involved and Layne wanted to make sure one of the drawers will be tall enough for her spice bottles.  Much discussion (yawn). 

I got my Wordle done in the meantime. I’m on day 17 of my current “streak.” I’m really bad at remembering to do it daily. But I get moments where the discussion around me has nothing to do with me so I do some New York Times word games and crosswords to prevent looking rude.  

I get the feeling our new drawers will make a much more rational and easy to use kitchen so I’m looking forward to it. 

Our fridge and microwave are out. The fridge is getting a 12 volt compressor so we don’t have to run the inverter to use it.  

The microwave seems fine so that will go back in as is. This part of Brazil is 220 volts so it is not easy to replace appliances when your van is 110 volts. 

The cost of all this is looking to be roughly US $7,500 but we had budgeted for it so it’s not a shock. Since our van was designed in 2019 RV technology has improved quite a bit. The idea is that we will be able to wild camp for longer with more power and comfort. 

We’ve paid up the rent on our apartment till February first and we’re hoping it will be done by then. If not we’ll have to extend our permits to stay in Brasil as we have to leave by February 8th. The plan is to drive to Paraguay and check the Iguazu Falls on our way back to Patagonia.

I can’t wait to get back on the road to check out some new and a few previously visited places. We want to come back to Brazil in a few months and explore the wildlife in the Pantanal marshes and then drive up the coast to enjoy the even more famous beaches. If things calm down in Venezuela we might drive back north to check that country out when it’s safe, if it’s ever safe to do so. Meanwhile we had a Brazilian/Italian lunch to celebrate the progress. Any excuse for an arancino:

The restaurant had outside seating and it was good to sit out on a cool if overcast day.

Rain did follow later but I can see why they love rainy season around here. 

Layne spotted a Japanese food store and she’s always up for exotic spices and sauces.

I wanted a bag of gross pastries which looked weirdly inviting but it was as well probably that herself talked me out of them. 

We can’t talk with locals much as we lack Portuguese but no one has tried to ask us or corner us about Venezuela and all the resurgent imperialism. I read there have been protests in Colombia but we’ve seen nothing here. Life as normal. 

Trump’s friend Jair Bolsonaro is in jail in Brasilia serving a 27 year sentence for organizing an insurrection to keep power after he was voted out. There are elections coming up and Bolsonaro’s  son is running for the presidency. As one Brazilian put it to me democracy is hanging by a thread so there is a certain sense of not wanting to express opinions of any kind as things could change radically in 2027.

It is rather weird traveling in these times of very radical change but so far South America has been stable and peaceful. Against all the odds it’s quiet and  I’m glad to be here. 

Our new electrical system. At last we get a switch to shut everything down as needed. 

For sale. Includes a full bathroom. If you want to check out Brazil’s largest RV manufacturer Google Santo Iñacio Brazil RV. 

Morning walks always. 

More wildlife crowding Rusty. He’s taught me discretion is the better part of valor.  

‘‘Tis the season…”

Home for another three weeks. It’s not all bad.  

Rusty is enjoying himself. 

How I waterproof my camera, a Panasonic GX9. 

Japanese

 Layne has a birthday lunch coming up and she’s picked a French restaurant in Brasilia. La Cheminée gets some pretty good reviews so we will see and you can expect to see some pictures here.

I laughed and pointed out we are in Brasil and she wants to eat continental food.  Everyone likes a break  and on that note we recently had lunch in Japan in Brasilia. 

Isn’t it a crack up how they describe the cuisine in English? Menus in Latin America often come in QR codes which is modern but a pain I find. And this place is modern.

Layne likes raw fish but I am a caveman and I like my food to be cooked if I am going out to pay for it. I eat raw fish but it’s a waste of money putting it in my mouth.

Divide the shared fish prices by 5.3 to get dollars if you care. I don’t think if you are in the US you will find them costly. We shared a plate to start. One dumpling was left by the time I remembered you lot and pulled out my phone camera. Imagine a plate full of crispy little pillows. 

Layne got a sashimi plate so she got her raw fish just as she wanted. 

I had the cooked noodle dish that people have when they eat Japanese and don’t want sashimi. It was perfect especially as I wanted shrimp. 

And we shared one among my favorite vegetables and I like most vegetables. Mushrooms remind me of my Italian side and these Japanese mushrooms were delicious of course. 

Desserts were included  and  Layne loves chocolate so she got the Brazilian favorite which they call “petit gateau” (little cake) which we call lava cake.

I had fried bananas with Nutella cream. Perfect of course. 

The whole lunch including non alcoholic drinks and mineral water and tip (no tax in South America cane to $42. Fancy huh? The hound stayed home of course. 

He was much happier to see me than shown.

He loves the apartment and his routines, sleeping on the patio…

…and as he’s slowing down and getting gray I make the most of each day with him. 

He likes one long walk in the morning, an hour or more with pauses, and some sitting and sometimes he wakes me up in the morning darkness and expects attention.

So I get out of bed grumbling and pretty soon the cool night air and  Rusty’s joy gets me in the mood.

This is my picture of Rusty staring into the void of Lake Paranoá: