Getting down to the details...

We are leaving for the beach on Sunday, March 8th. The van will come to Carol's parents' house in the afternoon and take us all there. For those of you who are there early in the day, you can shower at the house and we will all go to the Mercado Municipal in Sao Paulo's downtown to eat lunch and buy some supplies. I would strongly recommend a mortadella sandwich and a pastel (fried pastry stuffed with tasty things - I'm a carne seca / dried beef guy, but the salt cod one is legendary for good reason as well). See the place where I am going to consume at least 1000 calories.

We will stay at the Pousada Tabatinga in Caraguatatuba. It is a relatively private place - the beach is shared by the hotel and some condo complexes, and isn't surrounded by lots of stores and bars. Your breakfast and dinner will be included, and there is a bar there. But with the privacy comes some remoteness.

So, when you are at the Mercado I would suggest picking up some fruit, cheese, sausages, wine, liquor, and other stuff. You'll be able to get to these things in Caraguatatuba but it will mean a taxi, and the supply quality at the Mercado is fantastic. See the fruit stands and the sausage stands for the deliciousness.

The gringo bus will come back to pick you up on Wednesday. I am going to have to leave on Tuesday to fly back to the States to deliver a speech and make a major announcement at eTech, and Carol will go with me back to Sao Paulo to attend to some wedding details. Yes, I owe Carolina a HUGE present for this.

The hotel in Sao Paulo is the Bourbon Ibirapuera - you need to book your rooms *NOW* for this hotel. Make sure to mention our name and get the special rate. Email them at grupos.conv@bourbon.com.br and get yourself hooked up!

I get back Thursday morning. Thursday evening, we have a churrasco at Carol's parents house - this is a kind of Brazilian BBQ. It's not a southern BBQ - don't expect slow-cooked meats - but it is a damn wonderful and tasty thing. You should plan to experience a meat coma and you might want to wear loose, flowing clothing to accommodate your belly. If this is your first picanha experience, get ready - it's a cut of beef we don't get up in the Norte, and it's awesome.

There is also going to be a caipirinha open bar. Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil, and it is going to kick your ass, so you probably should leave your cell phones at home unless you want to wind up drunk dialing someone, for better or worse, to tell them what you think of them for reals. Here's the simple part: it's booze, crushed fruit, sugar and ice, and it tastes like fruit juice. After four of them, you might even ask a Brazilian to dance. I did, and look where this all wound up. We'll arrange some group transit to and from the hotel.

Friday is going to be a relaxed day for the non-family folks. My family and Carol's family will eat dinner together to get to know each other better, and you'll all be sent out on the town with choices on where to eat. I would strongly recommend Rei Do Filet downtown for steak with fried garlic - oh god, it's good - but Carol will take care of getting you a list. We'll meet you out later that night for a fancy cocktail in one of Sao Paulo's many stylish, chic bars - there's some amazing ones.

Saturday is the wedding. We'll be kind of occupied during the day, obviously. The wedding will run from 8PM to 3AM. This is a short wedding for Brazil. There will be shuttle service to and from the hotel - it's a LONG WAY AWAY, 45 minutes or so. Dress up. Think cocktail party, not church. This ain't New England. Be ready to dance. Lots. Be ready to eat. Lots. And be ready to have some fun. The buses will go back every hour or so, so if you get tired and you need to go home, it'll be easy.

More to come. We are so excited you're joining us for the festivities, and we're doing everything we can to make sure you have a great time!