Our night in Salvador at the Convento de Carme Hotel

Every one agreed to my decision and we unload and went to downtown to the Convento.

I stayed at the airport to move the plane and refuel them and to get the Mustang ready for the long leg to Belem...930 nm.

Steve met an old friend

Steve's wedge

Change between the program and reality

We are ready bright and early in Rio to go to the international airport and fly north.

The transfer did not show up at 07:30, stuck in traffic.

We get 3 cars from the hotel and we are on our way..Took less than 30 mn to the Main Airport, but we could see the horrendous traffic going to town.

But...then under the impression I had to go and ONLY pay the fees for our parking, I sent the participants to prep their plant and I am doing the billing...This took about 10 mn per invoice, then I am told that as the captain I have to file the flight plan myself for the 3 planes....this tops another 45 mn, because my printed form is not good, I have to rewrite the FP and then the guy use my printed FL form with the route to enter in the computer...What a waste of time and a fantastic example of ineffective bureaucracy..

Wondering why we pay a handler?

Then we launch and this time the startup and the ground movement do work pretty well.

I forgot to mention the night before we had a great dinner and Steve went for the Oriental Restaurant, then we had a Sake Bottom's up competition.....the near perfect way to prepare a long flight the next day.

we had a beautiful arrival in Salvador under exquisite skies

The flight did progress well but we had to do a deviation of nearly 70 nm off course to avoid some build-up that top at 45,000 feet.

Here is our track

While I was at the main terminal ready to pay the fees and file the flight plan, same as I did in Rio, I am checking the weather and the satellite and made the decision that going to Belem that afternoon would be a pretty bumpy ride and very wet.

So we are staying in Salvador for the night and heading to the Covento.

It is now time to Head North.

I have been keeping an eye on weather for the last couple of days and made the decision last night to fly to Salvador de Bahia instead of Brasilia for our flight toward the Caribbean.

There is some instability in the air and the satellite photo looks pretty colorful, at least the coastline is more attractive.

Here is the brief and the weather.

The idea is to go to Salvador, refuel and go on to Belem for the night and then on to Cayenne and Barbados the next day.

Looks like we are going to have a little weather to deal with. No idea if we are going to be on top or not.

Second leg to Belem from Salvador de Bahia

This is what we have done so far, 5700 nm from home

And a Full Free Day in Rio to discover and relax at Leisure

Man did we take advantage of the day today,

A lot of discovery, great guide, some shopping and some relaxation.

I have now a better understanding of Rio and I am ready to come back.

They were using the other runway today

what an approach

Ipanema Beach

Did I say tired????

The grand Dame of Copacabana

Souvenirs

Back to Rio via the Imperial City of Petropolis, home of Pedro II the Emperor

The decision is made to leave the Pousada Les Roches and move back to Rio at the Copacabana Palace since some participants have never been to Rio and some others have not seen Rio

We got Mauricio our driver and his van back and at 09:45 we are on our way back to Rio.

But first a stop at the Imperial City of Petropolis


we did learn a lot about the past Brazil and the Royal Family


Petropolis is an interesting city and also the home of Santos Dumont.