Day 26 – Thursday June 3

Corpus Christie-A day where people spend hours creating large pictures in the road made of colored salt. Traditionally they would use flower pedals and sawdust. We went to see these being made in the streets of Campos. It was almost like a festival of sorts. Folks were selling stuff in little tents, outside of stores and by wondering around. Food you ask? Well of course we had to stop by a small corner pastry shop and sample some of the local baked goods. The pictures were starting to take shape. They all were very well done and done very enthusiastically by people honoring Christ. We toured the streets, did a little shopping and then it was off to eat lunch and then the beach. As luck would have it, it began to rain. At this point, we just wanted to get to lunch as it seemed we were driving forever. And then all of a sudden…the van breaks down. So now we are not only hungry, but it is pouring down rain and getting hot sitting in the van. I am not sure how long we sat there, but another van drove up and stopped to see if we were OK. Kassio, our driver, who by the way is awesome, got it worked out for the other van to take us back into the city. Unload, reload, make sure you grab everything, bye Kassio, hope to see you soon. Hi strange people already in the van, do not be afraid of us hungry folk. Back to the city we go, leaking van and all. I got a set by the door with good leg room and water leaking in the door, yeah! So we make it back and go to lunch at a Greek restaurant, yes we travel thousands of miles to Brazil to eat Greek food. But as it turned out, it was beef and rice, so all was well. Since Andre & Marcelle did not know about me staying in Campos an extra night, they had planned to travel today. Yasmin is a bit sick, so I am still staying with Nicole. After lunch we had some down time. For me it was time to take my stuff from one house to another, take a little nap, download some pictures and visit with my new family. Around 5-5:30 we were asked to come downstairs and eat. Not dinner, but what they call ‘lunchum’ or something like that. Basically, it is a meal between lunch and dinner, because we have not had enough to eat on this trip. Another BBQ was planned for the night which included a birthday celebration for Nicole. Yep, more steak, pork, chicken, rice and of course, multiple desserts including ice cream. I love this country! Yes I got my desserts, but Paul got his beer and Nicole got to dance. I think Erik & Tracy did all three, so we were all happy. Last night in Campos, sad to leave our families, looking forward to new things and 3 days from heading home. Not sure about transportation, I think my host family is providing a van to get us to Miracema. The hope is to meet Kassio there. Keep your fingers crossed. Good night all! See ya and see ya soon!!

Day 25 – Wednesday June 2

Today I meet with the Director of Culture for the City of Campos. Marcele went along as my interpreter and boy was I glad she was there. He did not know any English and well I do not know any Portuguese. He seemed very passionate about his work and the cultural history of Campos. He was very excited about new projects and frustrated over projects he wanted to do but couldn’t. He shared with me 2 books on Campos and a CD of Samba music from who brought the samba to Campos. During the tour of the building gave me a platter made by one of the clay pottery students. I thought it was pretty cool and hope I can get back home without breaking it. Also during the tour we came across a reporter who interviewed me about my visit. I am famous you know. TV shows, newspaper articles, hanging out with famous an actress, what’s next? From there it was off to lunch and to meet back up with the group. Them it was off to a recreation center. I tried to find the director or programmer, but they all seemed to be off for the day. The tour was nice and so was the facility. They offered many different sports and activities to a large range of ages. We were asked to have our pictures taken with the gymnastics group and being the good celebrities that we are, click away. Our last stop was at a school operated by one of our host families. They did some very neat dance routines for us and even greeted us in the streets with a band. Very cool! I love the excitement on the kids’ faces when we walk into their school. They seem so happy to have us and really enjoyed showing us their dance. Tonight is my last night with Andre, Marcelle & Yasmin. Tomorrow night I will stay with Nicole and her host family. So, I will enjoy the night with my family and will see you all soon. See Ya, See Ya!!!

Day 24 – Tuesday June 1

First off, today is Lenae’s birthday. So, Happy Birthday Lenae! Love you! Today we headed out to ‘Distrito Industrial – Superporto de Acu, ‘ basically a huge port and industrial site. It is in the early stages of construction and is looking to be completed over the next 20 years. As with several events before we defeat logic as we saw it. We left Campos and headed north to a small town where we were to meet up with some folks from a Rotary club that was taking us to see the port. During out trip we passed a sign that showed the port being down this road to the right. We drove for another 20 minutes and meet our people along side of the road in a small town. They jumped in their own van and we followed. At this time I thought maybe there was a short drive to the port and that the road we passed earlier was simply a route you would take directly from Campos. We proceeded to turn around and head back in the direction we came from. 5 minutes, 10, 15, 20 and we finally turn on the road we had passed on our way to meet them. Why did we not meet them closer to the only route to the port you ask?” Because that would make sense!” Why would we meet them somewhere close by when we can drive an extra 45 minutes to get to the same place. OK, off my soapbox. We arrived to the port entrance or at least the construction entrance. The port people sent us down this long dirt road to a building in the middle of nowhere. We were greeted warmly with a snack spread that could have been lunch. And yes, they had a dessert. Yum, I say, YUM! We got a brief overview and then went and learned about the companies and the project being built. After that we loaded onto a coach bus and head to the construction site. The only thing really in place was the concrete company and 2/3 of the pier, or dock or bridge, whatever you want to call it. I guess it is really a combination of all 3. Anyways, when finished, it will be nearly 2.5 miles long, straight out into the ocean. The main reason being the depth of the water. It was a neat tour and the workers would all stop and wave to us as we drove by. Guess they thought we were some high dollar investors. We were treated as such because lunch was once again, AWESOME! I ate too much, but not enough dessert. Ice cream with caramel and a strawberry sauce. I had 2 servings and was thinking about 3, but it was all gone. So now we load up and head back Campos, no detour this time. Now it is time to spend some time with my host family. Birthday gathering for Andre’s Grandmother. Happy Birthday Lenae! Have a good night. See ya!

Day 23 – Monday May 31

Wow, it is day 23. In some ways I cannot believe I have been here for 3 weeks and will be home in one week. Today we got a tour of city. We went to a couple of old houses or castle as they called one. They said the first one had been restored a few years ago. Unfortunately, they have not done so well in the upkeep department. It was still nice, but needs some desperate repairs. The second house, a guy built for his wife and even had her name carved into the stone on the front step. He carved his in the staircase so she would always remember who built it for her. Both places had neat staircases. We then went to a small museum. It was mostly about the people and culture of Campos and the history of the people. In the evening, Andre took me to his school where he works. It was large and very nice. The school was used as a college in the evening and a high school during the day. After that, it was time for us to give another presentation. For the most part, today was a slow day. Not much really seemed to happen. Guess I got tomorrow to look forward to, so good night. See ya, see ya, see ya!

Day 22 – Sunday May 30

Andre took me around this morning to show me some of the local parks. They were nice, but could be so much better with some TLC. The impression I got after speaking with Andre and others, is that the City built them because the people wanted the parks, but did not have any plans to maintain them other than picking up the trash. Of course if there was a place to play soccer, it was being played and the field condition was never an issue. At one of the volleyball courts, the people playing took it upon themselves to do some maintenance on the courts. I wonder if that would work on our fields. No, No it would not. One cool thing they do here is provide an open gym to the people. All the weights and sets are made of stainless steel and are free to use. Yesterday at dinner we saw a famous actress, today, we saw her again. This time we decided to get a picture of us with her. While at lunch, I got to meet up with one of our friends that came to the US in April. It was nice to share stories of our trips. After lunch we went for a walk and came across some street trees. Well, I spend my time fight for 7 foot tree grates or planting strips and here the concrete right up to the trunk. Glad I am not responsible for those trees. During our walk we came across a banner advertising the play the actress is staring in. That was kind of neat. The rest of the day was quite. Just spent some good time getting to know the family and went out for a nice dinner. Tomorrow we go for a tour of Campos. Have a good night! See Ya!!

Days 20 & 21

Day 20 – Friday May 28

One thing that is consistent about Brazil is the beaches. The beach areas have tended to be very nice, unlike other recreational areas. Boardwalks, benches, bicycle paths, shops and restaurants are common fixtures on or near the beaches. Macae had a nice area where the bay got closed off by a sand bar and has created what they call a salty lake. They built a common area with shops, restaurants and an overlook. Other than that there is not much to the city. We visited a college that was currently being expanded, an old house with some fruit trees and an old church. The church sat on the highest point and was built in the early 1600’s. We had hoped to go inside, but that did not happen. Macae was the first place that we really saw hotels like we have, and a Walmart. The Walmart was mainly a grocery store in a mall. But, they had good desserts, so all was good. See ya!!

Day 21 – Saturday May 29

Today we got a tour of Macae. We got to see a couple of things we did not get to yesterday. Saw an old wood boat that I thought my dad would like, so I took a couple of pictures of it, a park that I am glad is not mine and some neat graffiti. We did a little shopping, left our host and had a not so good pizza. Off to Campos we go. My host family is great. Andre, Marcelle, Maraya and Yasmin. Andre and I went for a walk to kill some time and the first place he took me was a chocolate store. I knew right then I was going to like him. We meet the group for dinner and just hung out and got to know everyone. While at dinner, a famous Brizilian actress was eating in the same restaurant as us. Not sure who she was, but the host families were excited. Both Andre and Marcelle speaks English and Marcelle speaks it very well. A pretty low key day for the most part. Good night. See ya!!!

Day 19 – Thursday May 27

Our time in Teresopolis was short, but we will be back before we head back to the States. So now it is off to Macae. We arrived in town in time for lunch on a wet rainy day. Interesting restaurant, they had large barrels of a Brazilian favorite liquor called cachaca. Erik seemed to like it, as he was caught with 2 small cups of it. On our way out, they gave him a 2 liter of it. After lunch we visited a fairly new park along a beach. They had a neat whale sculpture and I saw the biggest snail that I had ever seen. Thanks Erik for pointing it out. We visited some small shops and then off to our hotel to chill before the presentation that night. The presentation was well; just imagine 12 people huddled around a laptop at an outside restaurant on a windy night. 6 of those peoples were us. They did not have a projector and it was a small club. The fed us, so no complaints. One of the members took us out to a club that night. It was interesting to say the least. Drunken people can be very humorous and stupid. I am so glad I do not drink. The band was pretty good and once again, they played a lot of American music. Now if they just served ice cream. See Ya!

Day 18 – Wednesday May 26

Futbol or soccer, is absolutely huge here in Brazil. The World Cup Soccer is about to begin and the Brazilians are ready. They have had their team picked which was the talk of the town for about a week. Now, green and yellow ribbons are going up everywhere. Flags, clothing, signs, banners and whatever else can be colored green and yellow is for sale everywhere you look. They tell us that during a WC game when Brazil plays, the streets are empty, people do not work and the bars are full. So, let’s go to Rio and watch the oldest rival in soccer play. When we got into Rio, the traffic got a bit heavy as usual. The interesting part is that people walk through traffic on the highway going car to car selling stuff. I am not just talking one or two, I am talking dozens. Our first stop was at the Maracana stadium for a tour. Outside the stadium they have plaques on the ground commemorating the great soccer players from Brazil. They were imprints of their feet or the hands if they were goalies. From there it was off to the top of the stadium to get an overview of the place. It will seat around 70,000 people. Our tour then took us through the locker room and on to the field, well almost. We were confined to a small area where a former player did some tricks with a soccer ball. As cool as this was, we meet up with a couple from Concord, NC. They spent the day with us. They hosted Alexandra when she came to the US. I was wearing my Ohio State shirt and the lady said, “Hey, Go Bucks!” As it turns out, her brother was a place kicker at Ohio State. Ok, so we leave the stadium and head over to a nearby college to get some lunch and visited the place where the vaccines for malaria and bubonic plague. It was a very neat building built on the water front which is now a kilometer away. After that we had some time to kill, so we decided to do it at a mall and grab some pizza for dinner. Then it was off to the game between the Fluminese and Flamengos. There were only about 15,000 fans there, mostly Fluminese who showed up with flares and sparklers they set off in the stands. I was told that with a large crowd, it was best to leave my camera in the van. I did, and wished I had not. Small crowd, no camera, me bummed. The Fluminese won 2-1 in a good game. It was a great experience thanks to Alexandra and Roberto for taking us. Until the next adventure, SEE YA!!

Day 17 - May 25 - Tuesday

We arrived in Teresopolis this morning around 9:30. Of course we were treated to chocolates, coffee, cheese bread and muffins. After eating too much of the awesome chocolates, if that is possible, we headed out to take a hike at the Serra dos Orgaos National Park. This is a 26,000 acre park that is home of God’s Finger. Our hike took us on an elevated boardwalk through a beautiful rainforest. I think I could have hiked there all day, or least I would have liked to. Lunch came with yet another awesome dessert. It was like a mix of cheese cake and a key lime pie, or something like that. At any rate, it was good. I meet with the Director of Teresopolis Park in the afternoon. He spoke very little English and I speak even less in Portuguese. We were able to communicate enough, and he showed me some nice parks and explained what he called the circle. The city is now circled by 3 large natural area parks. I think he said it was around 50,000 acres total.

Desserts!

The desserts here in Brazil are totally awesome. I think I have mentioned them before, so here is a sample of some of the ones I have had. There are many more, but I do not have pictures of them. I would tell you what they are, but I do not remember the name of them and they are difficult to explain. They were all good. The first one is like a cheese cake with a lemon marange pie on top. The chocolates are mint and the ones on the right have nuts. The third picture is a chocolate dessert and it is simply AWESOME! The pizza, chocolate & banana was interesting and the last was a piece of apple cobbler, apple cinnamon and the top one is indescribable, and very good. Now that I am hungry, I am off to dinner. Hope all is well, miss ya. See Ya!!!!