Tuesday's Travel Tip - walk - don't walk

 One of the largest brain adjustments when I change my surroundings is actually while I am out for a walk or hitting the town for a little shopping.  I know sometimes the adjustment is the difference between hello and oi, but that is not major because if I mess up it won't hurt me.   Today's travel tip is talking about being a pedestrian on the streets of Brazil compared to the United States.  Almost everywhere you go in the US the little old pedestrian has the right of way (not that it guarantees the driver will see you).  When I head back south I always have to make sure and change the brain switch to "don't walk" when I arrive in Brazil.  Drivers in Brazil won't be stopping or even pausing for the average pedestrian crossing the street let alone taking their first step into the cross walks.  When the little red man at the stop light turns green, the color green for is for go
 instead of white as in the USA,  that really should be yellow as you have to proceed with caution.  Always keeping your eyes open for any cars or motorcycles in the near vicinity.  Realizing that they often ignore the red light or decide the light is too long and since no one is coming proceed anyway.  Vehicles who are turning also pose a threat as they will not slow down allowing you to cross the street even if there are those white lines guiding you to safety.  As a kid in the US I was taught to look both ways.  When I am in Brazil I have had to retrain myself to look both ways but then keep on looking.