Just a week before a trip to Brazil, news started to emerge about Swine Flu. Within days, swine flu was on every news channel, every paper and media channel. I hadn't given it much thought until attending a disaster planning symposium sponsored by the Los Angeles Deptartment of Health. There was much adoo about Swine flu. A professional in disaster planning said she wouldn't travel anywhere if she didn't have to. Another suggested buying a mask and wearing it all the way from L.A. to my final destination in Brazil. Another asked if I hadn't gotten tamaflu as a precaution...which, admittedly I hadn't thought of.
After carefully following the travel nurses recommendations about vaccinations for yellow fever, typoid fever, Hep A, and boosters for measles and tetanus - Swine flu threatened a safe trip. My primary care physician was wonderful and after explaining my concern, he prescribed tamaflu. Little did I know how difficult it would be to obtain. There was a run on it. But thankfully, I was referred topharmacy and $50 later - had tamaflu in hand. I read that the US only has enough tamaflu for 16% of its population and many other countries fared less well statistically.
After a long flight, there is nothing like being greeting by a representative wearing a mask handing out warning flyers in English, Spanish and Portuguese. In fact, all the customs folks were wearing masks. There were a few folks that wore mask in the flight from Miami to Sao Paulo but I didn't see any masks being worn 8 hours into the flight. I did see lots of folks with their hand sanitizers. I am happy to report - I have no flu like symptoms and my travel plans have gone according to plan. So far.
Andrea Bocelli's song "Time to Say Good-bye" is playing in my head as a I prepare to depart from the idyllic Kurotel Longevity Center and Spa. It is apropos to have such a beautiful and bitterwseet song. The last 24 hours I have been avoiding the inevitable - making every effort to savor the experience and be in the present.
Day 5 and I have a moment to report on my experience at the Kurotel Longevity Center in Brazil, as I sit from my balcony suite overlooking their signature Kneipp water walk path. Below is the sound of a bubbling fountain and the fall air is crisp today.
Kurotel's International representative, Adrianne Kinzel explained that she would be available to see to every need during my stay. She had mapped out an afternoon schedule based on my estimated time of arrival. However, there was a delay from on my TAM arilines flight so I was already running late to my first appointment and didn't even know it! 
ugh I had traveled nearly 25 hours and was exhausted, I took one look at the schedule and was duly impressed with the breadth and scope of the afternoon activities. Because of the long trip, Adriane graciously offered to reschedule any (or all) of the 5 appointments but I could not dream of altering a program that beckoned me to immerse myself immediately in Kurotel.
on schedule commences now ...so more later.
