August
We had the best seat in the house for the Olympic rowing
Earlier we had climbed up a mountain without really knowing
If we'd be able to see the lake, but we had chosen well
From our perch you could almost hear the starting bell
Within the hour we saw New Zealand's first gold medal
Hamish Bond and Eric Murray can really pedal
Joyful screaming from the mountain will live long in my head
Even when I'm old and hopefully well read
We were a large group of kiwis, a tribe if you will
A collective voice for New Zealand in Brazil
The rugby sevens, a sport we should win
We did not, but that couldn't dampen my grin
I felt a little slice of home in amongst the tribe
Belting out kiwi tunes with the odd Australian jibe
God I've missed the accent and the inaudible vowels
And the hakas that reverberate and loosen your bowels
Time for the big one, the table tennis quarter finals
The warm-ups had me purring like a fresh set of vinyls
The two match-ups we saw were rather one-sided
But the hectic rallies certainly provided
A fiercely entertaining start to the Olympics
From start to finish I was utterly transfixed
China dominated - they are usually pretty handy
With stronger shots than top shelf brandy
The Caipirinha is up there with strong drinks that I have tried
The explosion of lime and sugar left me watery eyed
Then the cachaca hit, Brazil's favourite spirit
To finish a Caipirinha is not luck, you get there on merit
The majority of Rio partying happens on the street
The crowd surges and sways to a samba beat
The Rio Olympics, we made it in one piece!
Time to grab the togs out of the bag and ditch the fleece
I have made it to Rio after a month and a half
Of travel with Tom, he's a good laugh
We chomped on Bolivia with a side dish of Brazil
We negotiated most parts with a distinct lack of skill
More fate and good fortune, it's been quite some journey
We've fit more in our schedule than a district attorney
Our backpacks are dirty, it is time for a swim
And I think I ought to use a beach-side gym
Watermelon is a fun fruit to eat
It offers respite from the Brazilian heat
Never have I felt more hydrated from food
More refreshing than a swim in the nude
I like spitting the pips further each time
Tongue slightly rolled to make it streamline
As each seed cannons into the breeze
These watermelons man, they aim to please
Back in little old New Zealand, over here is 'out there'
We often speak of foreign places with just a dash of fear
It's funny how your perception of danger can shift
The wild winds give your confidence a lift
Plans are more flexible and people are there to meet
Lessons take on meaning with each small defeat
No one can tell you to travel, that's on you
Be bold, step out and see it through
Spanish to Portuguese is a difficult transition
I'm not aiming for fluent, I have a simpler mission
Just a rough understanding about what is going on
To catch a wisp of meaning before the sentence is gone
It's the 'g' sound you see, almost every 'd' is a hidden 'g'
And the greeting sounds rude - hello is 'oi'
It's extremely foreign, giving someone an 'oi' with a smile
I'll get there no doubt but it's going to take a while
A day spent floating down a freshwater stream
Snorkel on face and a disco ball of light beams
The current carried us down past schools of silver fish
Our moving aquarium served up a tasty dish
Later we returned to our hostel of chill
And cooked up a feast of meat on the grill
I find the heat in Brazil lends itself to a good time
To wear covered shoes would be a crime
A morning of peaceful bird watching by boat
The muttering woman would be in the water if I had my vote
Dust and wind as I stood on the back of a truck
Back to our bungalow and packing (stuff and tuck)
Then on to a game of 'how many people in the van'
Let's chuck your bag over you just because we can
Memory games, word games, games about nothing
Later a pizza with a jolly nice cheese stuffing
As the sun began its descent, I waded into the lake
Carrying a rod and all the bait I could take
I could not help but notice the nibbles at my feet
Painfully aware of my left hand filled with juicy meat
And so, chest-deep in the water we fished for Piranha
My stomach felt like a squashed banana
Oh there were Caimans too - they came to have a look
We barbecued the few Piranha that we managed to hook