From: Ankur Shah <ank@gotog.net>
To: brazil-pro@gotog.net
Date: Sep 2, 2004 - 11:19am


propogandees

just so you know, if you're planning to visit, bring Uncle Sam
Personified. the ATM rate here gives what's called the DOLAR TURISMO,
while if you go to a money-changer-house, you get the DOLAR PARALELO. the
difference is 2.90 to 3.10 right now. so it's significant.

i learned this yesterday when CARLOS THE GRINGO was counting large stacks
of 10 REALS BILLZ that cholmes had conjured out of some foreign banking
corporation (longterm FDI? who knows) . CARLOS THE GRINGO is our Patron.
He would have us believe that he owns this town (ARATUBA), and we are
believing.

Please, it's Patron, not Landlord. Anyhow, Erik dictated a contract before
disappearing into the Long Western Night, and though the music died in his
absence, the Patron signed my basically illegible but exact handcopies of
the contract. So we live here. In Aratuba. On the island of Itaparica. On
the bay of All the Saints. In the state of Bahia. Somewhere, somewhere, in
Brazil.

[Que Vamos a Hacer / Nous sommes perdus]

Like literacy, health, and fair land distrubtion, our postal address is
coming soon.

lay--------------la
- ankur