I'm learning about life in Brazil. The average income here is about R$1200 a month-- not even $75 a week. Food costs a lot less and you can rent a small apartment for what's an affordable amount. But then, electricity is expensive, relative to income and that does not include air conditioning-- and it's usually mid to upper eighties by the afternoon. My wife tells me that summers in the US are hotter than here. But air conditioning is the norm for most people.
We rented a furnished apartment in the downtown area, close to where we are getting our dental work. There, the city looks like a US downtown-- high rises, restaurants, auto dealerships, loads of malls and medical offices. But go a few miles out and you see a very different view, more like what you'd see in Mexico or the Caribbean, tiny shops with most of the goods in front of the store, restaurants with all or most of the seating outside. We (my wife-- yes, she is tiny, at 95 pounds-- and I and her 8 year old and 21 year old grandson and his enamorada) went to a pastelaria restaurant on Saturday night and it was delightful.
We bought a bottle of wine from a beverage store. It cost less than $2. The meal for five, with plenty of leftovers, cost under $20. As you can see, pastels are fried dough filled with different things-- beef, chicken, cheese, chocolate and combinations thereof.
After the meal we saw a pack of dogs swing by.
The dogs weren't scary or threatening. I kind of liked them being there. I've seen packs like this in other countries, like Morocco, Greece, Spain, Mexico, and Jamaica. They're all warm climates with outdoor eatery traditions. I've never seen anything like it in the US though.
On the way back to our apartment, we saw a brightly lit party bus. Riders were jumping off the bus and dancing in the street, perhaps in the spirit of Carnival.
A party bus and dancing in the street. People would jump off the bus, dance in the street and then jump back on the bus.
(Image by Rob Kall) Details DMCA
While we were at the drink store, my 21 year old grandson encouraged me to take two shots of a drink "51." That might have been the percentage of alcohol. I paid for it with little sleep and a hangover the next day. I'm no drinker and when I get in the spirit of the moment and join other drinkers, I always pay the price that way. So I didn't write anything, as I'd intended, yesterday.
I did get the first part of my dental surgery done on Friday-- two molars removed and two bone grafts. I asked if he was using cadaver bone. He explained that he was using new technology-- Swiss made synthetic bone combined with 50 ML of my blood.
I was very pleased to discover that I had no pain after the procedure. But the implants and veneers are coming this week and next week. I'm crossing my fingers. I have a feeling the implants, going into bone, could hurt.
Both my wife and I needed radiology. I needed X-rays. She needed X-rays and tomographic imaging. CT scans in the US are usually billed at over $1000. Her total bill for her radiology was under $85. US healthcare is so costly because we let providers get away with profligate thievery. My bill was under $30 for full mouth X-rays.
I'm waiting until we get the cost of my wife's dental treatment to report the detailed numbers, but I think the cost is about 1/3 what it is in the US. Many have asked about the quality of the work and the dental facility. I've never seen such a beautiful, high tech facility. They even have you step in a machine that puts covers on your shoes.
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