My husband and I arrived in Vitoria yesterday, three hours later than planned. Our flight was eventually moved to a different airport because, according to the departure board, of a “meteor delay.”
I can’t be certain, but I’m willing to bet had there been an actual meteor hurtling down out of the sky, I would have been much more amenable to changing airports. A meteor crashing into Guanabara Bay would have put things into perspective and made having to pass through security at two different airports seem a comparatively minor inconvenience. And it would have made for an awesome story.
Alas, there was no meteor involved in our meteor delay. You’ve probably already guessed that “meteor” is short for meteorological, which is a fancy way to say fog. Our flight was moved due to fog.
While not nearly as interesting as a meteor, this particular event is a curious yet common occurrence in Rio. Cariocas call it névoa, or neblina. It is a dry fog that blankets the entire Guanabara Bay reducing visibility in the area to almost nothing. The névoa is a winter phenomenon and happens when the air is particularly dry over a body of water.
I don’t have a lot of experience with fogs but the little I’ve had led me to believe fogs are always damp. Rio’s dry fog was a truly bizarre phenomenon the first time I experienced it. Our apartment in Rio overlooks Guanabara Bay and it’s pretty amazing to have the entire bay disappear from view.
The fog quickly goes from amazing to pain in the ass when it closes the local airport and forces you to go across town with 150 lbs of luggage. But we’re here. We made it to Vitoria in one piece, as did the wine glasses. A statement we might not be able to make if there had been an actual meteor.
