Long Run in Sao Paulo

Hi everyone-finally a new posting!
We are about 4 weeks away from getting out of this concrete jungle. Cynthia and the kids are here and I am SO HAPPY to
be back all together as a family. They are getting into the routine here. Unfortunately-there's not so much for them to do here
as this is really a crime and poverty spot and we don't want to take too many chances. Nothing says we're not Brazilian more
than having three natural redheads in a family. The general gut feeling we have here is that things are just not quite as safe as
you'd want it to be to go around everywhere in town with small kids. Just the other day someone from Cirque witnessed a gunfight between two cars in traffic as they were coming back from downtown at noon. We aren't in a bad area but there's really not much to do besides go to the mall or go to site. Or stay at the hotel. It's just not a beautiful town like Buenos Aires-it's really a huge city with an incredible amount of economic disparity between incredibly rich (and lighter-skinned) "beautiful" people and INCREDIBLY poor (and usually darker-skinned) people living on a dollar a day who live in favelas made out of tin, cardboard
and scrap wood. There really is two Brazils and you can see the contrast everywhere. And there's some interesting decisions made by the authorities here that would surprise anyone. For example-on Father's Day here in Sao Paulo-they let criminal fathers out of prison because they have assessed that this is more SAFE than keeping them in. Apparently a lot of these criminals have connections to more criminals on the outside and hell can ensue. Everyone here is really ready to go on to Rio
after being here since late July. There's a social scene for some and some incredible music and culture but it's such a smoggy and crowded city with such bad smells and traffic that people are really ready for something else.
We are trying to work ourselves out of a pickle. When I got my family visas-they had to have proof that they were traveling-and they could not be traveling for more than a 3-month stay. It was told to me that when they got here they could extend their visa (and they are) and also change their ticket. Well-guess what. The airline we used to get down here was Continental.
I tried to change their tickets so that they could stay til the end of the tour and we could all go home together (Zach is a handful on a 20-hour flight). They told me that because I'm changing the ticket from a 3-month ticket to a 4-month ticket
I have to be put into a different ticket class and that the change would cost me $980 a ticket PLUS $150 for just changing the date. That comes to nearly $2300 (!?!) to stay an extra 8 DAYS! This sucks and the Cirque travel and lodging guy is trying
to pull a solution. Cynthia has been through hell more than once this year trying to keep our wild bear cub of a kid Zach from
tearing up the plane on a 18-hour jaunt South and North. Stay tuned.
Although the tone of this latest post is not too positive-we have had a great time just getting into the routine we have.
Breakfast in the hotel is fabulous and free-and there's a beautiful japanese garden right outside the hotel that the kids can play in and be with their friends from the circus. The pools are great here and the spa is wonderful-so is the gym. Just being in a routine all together for awhile is really nice. We have gone around a little bit and will some more. But we'd really love to
get to Rio as we are right on the beach and that will be great.