Awkward.

The last town was awkward. When we showed up to our Airbnb we found out it was on the 4th floor, which required hauling my bicycle and all of our luggage up four flights of a very narrow staircase. I was pretty good about not getting any tire marks on the wall, but 100% was just outside my grasp and I ended up leaving a few. Then we got into the apartment itself.

The more often I use Airbnb, the more it has begun to bother me. The application started off with the intent that people would rent out their spare bedrooms to budget Travelers who didn't want to pay hotel prices. What it has transformed into is Airbnb is taking over the center of major cities and turning them into giant hotel complexes. It is obvious that most of the owners of most of the airbnb's have never lived in the apartments that they rent out. Heart of this is obvious because of the cheap furniture and horrible Decor within the apartments, and I are one in this city was no different. Another part of it is the cheap and half-hearted attempts to be thoughtful. This time we were left with a can full of ground coffee, a coffee maker, and coffee cups. But no filters. And it's not like you just ran out, I'm pretty sure that we were second maybe third guests whoever stayed in this Airbnb.

Cutting boards seem to be almost universally absent from airbnb's. I find this really strange because I would think that someone who just installed new countertops in an apartment that they plan to rent out for a long. Of time would want to protect those countertops. They usually have a $1 special kitchen knife that they picked up at the Chinese store, which can barely damage fruit oh, much less countertops. So perhaps the oversight of The Cutting Board isn't that serious after all. I guess they weren't expecting me to bring my own knives, which I do.

Our first light In the Airbnb was quite nice. The view from the apartment is amazing, on one side overlooking a square dominated by an old Cathedral on many cafes, I'm on the other side the main tourist dragged through town peppered with bakeries, restaurants, and curio shops.

Our second night was dominated by a concert which was being held right outside our window. The volume was loud enough to Rattle the windows and shake my rib cage, even though we were almost 200 meters away the speakers. Throughout the day they were testing the sound system and our Siesta was constantly interrupted with testing testing one two three, or whatever it's equivalent is in Portuguese. I couldn't really understand what they were saying. Then at about 8 p.m. they started playing and didn't let up until 11:45. I know, I may sound like a grumpy old man wanting to go to bed at around 9 p.m., but remembered that we like to get up as early as possible so that we can beat the daily Heat. We're not normal tourists, we're pilgrims. We're on a mission. That mission requires sleep.

Regarding being a grumpy old man, a thing of which I find myself accused of more and more often by the admittedly younger crowd that I hang out with both on vacation and at work, I'm resolving to try to not be a grumpy old man. I will definitely try to be an easy- going, happy-go-lucky old man.