Black Bananas and Jessie

My sleep was aweful so I had no problem getting up this morning to the swishing of a fan and the smell of homeless men in NYC.

I trot up to the breakfast area to find no joke black bananas - they were bad- and dilapidated fruit assortments with white bread and butter. Is this jail?

I bought a bottle of YARA water for 2.00 dollars but its really 1.50 but they dont have american dollars and the ATMs are a total nightmare.

You should of seen me trying to take a shower. What an total mistake to not have flipflops - Im trying to get my clothes off while random brazillian guy is taking a dump next to the shower. Meanwhile I turn on the water and a flood of mosquitos come off the tiles. Have you ever taken a cold shower while being bitten by mosquitos - I HAVE )

Anyway, last night after I got off the internet, I met a guy named Jessie who looks like Paul Bunyan. Hes from Canada - Calgary to be exact and extremely nice. He was on his eighth beer and watching portugese news - neither of us speak a lick. Anyway, we become friends and decide to tour Manaus on our own today.

We went to the big famous Opera House, did a 5 dollar tour and then out of nowhere he starts running. I didnt know what happened. Turns out he ducks into a random shoe bodega looking for a bathroom - must of been those beers last night.

The two of us heard about a buffalo buffet for barbecue food that might be safe so we head over there - No Joke - I had to duck to get in the doorway and while I was in the restaurant. Everyone is so short. My 5.9 broad framed italian build is HUGE here! I can toss the locals around.

After being harrassed to do jungle tours we decide to go to the internet cafe - I wont use skype yet as Its not safe to unlock gadgets around here.

We are leaving from here to go on a random bus to a random military zoo where they save jaguars and sloths and such and let them roam. Not your normal zoo.

We also met some random belgium guys who we will go to some oceanic zoo with tomorrow.

Some british guy was so annoyed about the hostel conditions he upgraded to a single room so he can spray it down with bugspray. I have pictures, but not safe to take stuff out and start uploading.

Little concerned about taking this random bus to a random zoo in a random amazonia city with no guide and no ability to speak the language, but this Jessie guy is a world traveller - thank God I met him.

He swears up and down that the cokes here actually have cocaine in them. He prefers pepsi but ever since he had a coke he cant stop drinking them - feels addicted and even said he may stop drinking beer and stick with the cokes. I wont touch it now - could you see me on coke?

I have my old man black shoes on with Ignacios shorts and a random gap t-shirt with hollywood glasses - additionally im donning ringworm deodorant. By the way if you do anything beyond staying at a state of rest, sweating ensues. Im always sweating and this Jesse guy - well hes soaked.

Without those granola bars from Cascadian Farms I would be down 10 pounds.