One is the loneliest number

Passionfruit Caipirinha Number 1

In 2006 I spent 12 days in Brazil.  It was my first trip to South America and I loved it. Well, most of it.  One thing I never truly got my stomach around? The caiparinha. I tried them every which way - au natural. With strawberries. Even with my beloved maracuja. Nothing worked. Cachaca was not my friend. Just like tequila. 

Fast forward 6 years.  I'm a quasi pseudo proper grown up now and last month had to travel back to Brazil for work. Arriving into Rio de Janeiro Saturday evening to prepare for the week ahead I spent a lovely Sunday doing some work (sat at the roof deck pool of my hotel), popping by Ipanema beach to check out the "sites" and doing a bit of shopping.  As the balmy humid day started to come to a close I remembered all of those futile attempts with the caipirinhas back in 2006 and thought...heck, why not give it another go? You never know right?

Well apparently I have "matured." I have become what I can only describe as - more of an alcoholic -  because quite simply - I loved them.

Here I was, thinking I would just try ONE caipirinha just to confirm my continued dislike...and ended up having not one, not two...but many (as the week progressed and work took over I still managed 1-2 an evening) culminated with arriving at the Rio airport 3 hours too early for check in for my flight back...and consumed three more.  But then I remembered, in the fair words of Three Dog Night - one is the loneliest number. So I was in fact, doing myself a favour cramming in just as many as I could.