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As I mentioned, it’s already been two weeks since I came to Brasília. It seems longer to me, because I already feel quite at home. Getting here was easy. I flew from Philadelphia and had one layover in Miami. One thing that was the tiniest bit tricky was timing. We were scheduled to land in Brasilia at 5:00 am, and we ended up arriving early! Waiting for my suitcase (I brought one, plus a backpack) didn’t take too long. Immigration barely took any time either, so I found myself ready for the adventure to begin before the sun had even risen on day 1. I was tired from the flight, but I avoided any real jet lag; Brasília is only one hour ahead of Philadelphia.

To kill time, I scoped out the arrivals area and found a small café that was open as well as the ATMs. I got some cash, and then I got a cup of coffee and a pão de queijo, something typically Brazilian, which I had been looking forward to. It’s a roll, small and full of flavor, with cheese baked into the dough. After I finished my snack, I got a cab and headed to my AirBnB (even though it was still a little too early). The ride from the airport only took 10 minutes.

I’m staying in Asa Sul the ‘south wing’ of the city, and I think I’ve really lucked out. I booked a place for the whole 12 weeks, because (I thought) UNESCO wanted me to have something before I arrived. I probably could have negotiated that point, but I’m happy with my new home. My hostess is very nice, and my room is spacious and comfortable. I have my own bathroom, and I’m welcome to use the kitchen. I promise I’ll describe the city in another post, because it is unique. For now I’ll just say that my neighborhood is more than habitable. I’m getting to know my way around my local supermarket, and I already have favorite açaí and pizza places. With regard to the pizza, it’s different than any pizzeria I’ve ever experienced before. Whatever comes out of the oven gets served to guests fresh, one slice at a time!

Next time: City