Final Summary

I had a wonderful time travelling to New Zealand, then onto Chile and Brazil, for Alex and Karen’s wedding. Then spending longer than expected in Brazil and meeting some wonderful people and making friends with them. I then finally returned to Chile to spend time with both old and new friends. Have some special times to discuss, think and impart my limited knowledge. It was a nine month adventure, having a few ups and downs in all areas, mentally, physically and emotionally. I re-connected with some friends and made many new ones, some I still regularly talk to now, either via electronic methods or via telephone. Hopefully I will be able to repay some of the favours given to me by the people I met and stayed with. I am so grateful to them all, as it is due to their friendship and hospitality that I was able to stay longer and experience much more of Brazil and Chile. To cap of my travel experience I was given wonderful hospitality by Debs, her flatmates and her friends in London, preparing me for the return journey to Australia and the change of cultures from the South American culture to the Australian / Anglo Saxon cultre. I am happy to be home.Now, I can sing the song by Peter Allen and sing it with gusto…

I've been to cities that never close down

From New York to Rio and old London town

But no matter how far

Or how wide I roam

I still call Australia home.

I'm always travelin'

And I love bein' free

So I keep leavin' the sun and the sea

But my heart lies waiting over the foam

I still call Australia home.

All the sons and daughters spinning 'round the world

Away from their families and friends

Ah, but as the world gets older and colder

It's good to know where your journey ends.

And someday we'll all be together once more

When all the ships come back to the shore

Then I realize something I've always known

I still call Australia home.

No matter how far

Or how wide I roam

I still call Australia home.

London

The flight to Madrid took about 13hrs however it seemed a lot faster than what it was, even though I was in the middle seat, meaning it was harder for me to get up and move around the plane. Basically whenever the guy next to me looked awake, I asked him to move so I could get out and get a drink and move about the plane. It was not long before we arrived in Madrid. This is where the strange things started to happen and I can now understand why South America has so much ‘red tape’ and is so backward in their thinking. All I had to do was to go from my Landing gate, to the train station (the train only went from Terminal 4A to Terminal 4) and then onto my departure gate. Sounds easy enough… well think again. During the process of transferring from one Terminal to the next (you can only get to and from 4A through 4) I had to go through customs. Yes, customs and that was before I left 4A. During the process I ran into a Brazilian couple, who are the parents of Brazil’s #1 female volleyball player. I chatted to them in very bad Portuguese and helped them get through the mess of the airport and even got them to their correct gate just before boarding started. They said I was always welcome at their house in Belo Horizonte.

The next 2 hours went quite fast, but I was also becoming very hungry but as I had no Euro, I could not buy any drinks, and I thought it was crazy to get some money from the ATM when I was going on to England where they use the Pound. Plus, I thought, I can wait and get something to eat and drink on the plane. Good luck with that. They had changed their meal arrangements on the plane and I was left thirsty and hungry on the 2 hour flight to London. They had a ‘you want it you buy it’ deal and I had no cash. Arrh well, I guess I can eat something when I get to Deb’s house.

I had met Deb when I went to South Africa with a Mission group from Church back in 2004. She had been working as a teacher in a school that my group had been doing some voluntary work at. On the last day that we were there, a Friday, it was also Deb’s last day, so the school held a luncheon for us and for Deb. As they said that she was leaving for England and I was going there too, I decided to go over and introduce myself. We exchanged details, caught up in England (that is another funny story) and have kept in contact since. After I arrived at Heathrow Airport, I had to catch the train to Deb’s place in Kennington. Only as it was the weekend, track works were being carried out, so I had to take the scenic route. I didn’t mind. What was another hour on top of 16hrs on a plane or in an airport? The best thing was, as I exited the tube station, Debs was crossing the street on her way home from the corner store. I don’t think she had changed a bit in four years. It was hugs in the street and then a short walk to the house, only 4 down from the same corner.

The remainder of the day, I basically settled in, met some of Debs’ housemates and slept. I woke at about 4 so that we could go to church at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), where Nicky Gumble is the vicar and he created the programme called Alpha. London is very cold at night, especially when you have come from the Southern Hemisphere Summer. Church was great and I met some of Debs’ friends and work colleagues, as she works for Alpha, which has its office based at HTB. After church Debs and I caught the tube and went to met up with one of her friends, Alison, who was going to a Pub Quiz, with some of her friends. I was a little out of it, from lack of sleep, but I still put in and helped out with answering some of the quiz questions. We ended up coming second, which I think was a good effort. During the evening, I finally appeased my need to have some decent chips, some good old fashioned deep fried chips. Soon after Debs and I were back at her place and I went straight to bed. I didn’t wake up until about midday the following day.

During my time in London I trued to do a lot of sight seeing. The only thing is, as it is winter the sun comes up about 8am and goes down at about 5. I needed to be quick on my feet, something that I can’t be after being in South America for 9 months and having the mind set of… “If I like it, I stay, if I don’t, I go”. I went and visited a few places of interest, Big Ben and Westminster and the Westminster Abby. Everybody had said how wonderful The British Museum is but I thought it was lacking in some areas, especially Australia and the other Commonwealth Countries and South America. I guess that the Commonwealth stuff may be in the Military Museum down the road. I even walked through Kensington Palace and its gardens, through Hyde Park and onto the Albert Monument. Out of sadness, Old Queen Vic had the monument built in memory of Princey Albert after he died of Typhoid. I also sent time walking along the South Bank of The Themes with Debs and took in a wonderful ‘Fair Trade’ coffee before going onto the Shakespeare Theatre. We also went and to watch a friend of a friend’s band. They were playing in a boat, which was a very strange place to play because as you looked out the portal you saw the water lapping against the boat.

I also spent my time catching up with old friends. The first to be visited was Stephen and Shirley & their latest addition, Ben, who was only a month old. I had met Shirley many years ago, along with her 3 brothers and 2 sisters. She comes from a South American background and lived in Sydney. Stephen is an English lad who met Shirley on the internet, thinking it was another friend of his and they kept in contact, so much so, I was invited to their wedding in Sydney, where they had the reception at the Opera House. It was great to hang out with them and talk about what we had all been up too, the pizzas were great too. We were talking so much, that I forgot what time it was and arrived back in Kennington quite late. I think I woke Deb up when I tried to get my bedding.

I also spent time with Naomi, whom I think I have known for about 17yrs. We met and had a lovely little meal at a place called Leon’s, just up the road from Harrods. It was great chatting and sharing funny stories about adventures we have had. But I guess the most special thing was the day I went to St. Paul’s Cathedral with her and paid the 10Pound entry. It was just fantastic, especially when we were taking the ‘sneaky pics’, as St. P’s don’t let you take photos. I think that all the walking that I did in South America prepared me for the climb to the top of St. P’s. If you are ever in London, just the view from the outside of the little dome at the top, is worth the entry fee. St. Paul’s is very central and it gives you some of the best views of London.

I think over the Easter Weekend, I went to 3 church services, for about a total of about 6hrs of Service.
It started on Thursday night, after my dinner with Naomi and Debbie. Deb and I went to the Maundy Thursday service. The following morning was Good Friday and the services started at 12noon and there were 6 blocks of 30mins. It was designed that people could come and go as they pleased between each block. Deb and I missed the first block but we stayed for the remaining 2.5hrs. It was a great time of reflection and meditation. On Easter Sunday morning, Deb woke me with the words, “Wake up and look out the window”. I quickly opened the window to get the full effect of the light snow that was falling. It gets cold hanging out the window in just your PJ’s trying to catch snow. I had a wonderful morning of just looking out that window, wondering how Easter was going for my family and for all my friends, all over the world, wondering where they were at with their Easter celebrations… some would have been resting, after eating a roast meal, some just waking up like me and others still sleeping and dreaming of what chocolate they will receive and what activities they would undertake on that day. Later that day I went walking with Debs, as mentioned before, and after that we went to church to try and warm up. Fancy that, going to church to get warm…

After church we went out with friends of Deb, whom she stayed with when she went to Los Angeles in America. They were parents of a friend of Debs from church. They were a lovely couple and we shared about many things and I got to share with them about my time in South America. Only after talking about my time there, I began to realise how much I had done, the people I had met and the diversity of experiences that I had had. I was grateful for the time that they spent with us and they offered for me to stay with them, whenever I was to travel to the US. Saying goodbye, was a little hard, as I had said it so often, in recent days, knowing that I would be doing it again in about 24hrs, as I was leaving to go back to Melbourne the following night. On returning to Debs place, I had received notice that Naomi was back from her travels to Wales and was keen to go sight-seeing with me, so we planned to go to St. Paul’s.

After returning from our sight-seeing, Naomi and I had a great cup of hot coffee, which was needed to warm us up, as being at the top of St. Paul’s with the cold icy winds… well you get the picture. It was time for me to complete my packing and do the necessary things before leaving for the airport. Debs came with me, as she was off to visit a friend from Ireland, who was off to Burundi and was stopping over at Heathrow for about 8hrs. It was great to have her company, as it meant that I was not going alone to the airport. Deb and I departed ways at the airport, as she had to go to another terminal to see her friend. I went and checked in my bags and then waited for Debs to turn up. We chatted over a drink for about an hour and I think it was hard to say goodbye, as all goodbyes are like that. I remained positive, as I knew that I would be back in Australia in around 24hrs.

The flight to Australia was one of the quickest 24hrs I think that I have ever had. Sorry about the analogy, time just flew by. Along the way, I changed planes in Singapore and lost my deodorant, as it was over 100mL, so I smelt good on the second leg of the journey. We arrived in Melbourne about 20mins late, but that was alright, as I had told the folks to wait a little longer, instead of being at the airport at 6:30am. I made it through customs with all my bags and entered Australia after about a nine month absence. I looked for the family and saw no-one I knew, so I found a seat and sat there for about an hour waiting for the folks. With no change, I couldn’t call them to see where they were, so I decided to buy a coffee and get some change from a $5 note that I had carried around the world. As I was waiting inline, I saw Mum and Rachel and ran to greet them. It was wonderful to see them in person, knowing that I could discuss all about my trip with them in person. Dad was doing laps of the airport. We drove back to Scott and Katrine’s house to have breakfast. Charlotte had grown so much and little Hamish was not so little.

I was finally home.

Final Thoughts - Chile

I only spent 89 days in Chile on my second visit for this trip. I had a wonderful Christmas with Paul, Danni, Nati and Danni’s Dad. I also travelled to new parts of Chile and met the rest of Daniel’s family in Villa Alemana. I had some deep conversations with him and other members of his family, all of them at one time or another. I spent NYE in Vina del Mar and Valparaiso and saw a very different type of Chilean, than ones I had seen before. I really liked Vina, but had very little time for Valparaiso, as I thought it was run down and I felt people did not care about their surroundings. I guess that Vina is a little better as it is the more touristy section due to its beaches and number of restaurants and clubs. Travelling to visit friends in the south of Chile was good too. Spending time with Papi at the farm and then with Paul’s extended family in Lican Ray was great. Moving onto LA and spending time with Jess and her family again, gave me so many wonderful memories. My final week in Santiago was one of my toughest for my whole time in South America, trying to decide whether to leave Chile and South America in general or stay for a further 90 days. I am so torn about Chile. It is a place of contrasts, a place at times that I really love and at others a place I cannot understand. In some ways my decision to leave was made for me and one that I have not really regretted.

Santiago

I arrived back into Santiago, after what felt like a very long bus journey. I am not sure why it felt like that, I just guess I was getting sick of buses. Anyway I arrived at Paul’s apartment and dropped of my bags, had a quick bite to eat and set off for the Qantas office in Santiago, armed with as much paperwork as possible. I was aiming to get home to Melbourne by Easter, so I could spend it with the family. However after discussions with the staff at Qantas and seeing the lack of flights available, I knew that I could not make this happen. I had a decision to make. Should I try and get a second visa for Chile and stay an additional 90 days or make my way to London. I booked the flights to London and went away pondering this question… should I stay longer?

I had spoken to Alex previously on Messenger about my Columbia Ski Jacket that I had left in Brasil. He had arranged for someone to take it to Chile and I could collect it from them. I found out that it was Daniel and Thalia’s Auntie that had the jacket and that she lived in Santiago, not to far from Paul’s. I contacted Thalia and asked if she could help me get my jacket, in between other things that we were discussing. The following morning I went to where she was staying and met her Grandparents and some of her extended family. Thalia’s Aunt drove us to the other Aunt’s house to get my jacket. After 3 months of separation we were together again. Thalia had asked me earlier to meet her cousins and in the process I was asked to stay for lunch. I was in mid conversation with all three cousins when a problem with communication arose, the usual language barrier. I had thought that I had said one thing and Thalia had said that I had said the opposite, but when she repeated the word I said, I got very confused about it. I was trying to say it all in Spanish, but gave up and told Thalia to translate instead. She didn’t want too and I didn’t want to talk in Spanish anymore... so I think it ended the conversation. Luckily we were all called to the table for our late lunch.

The following morning I went to church in La Florida. That is where my new American friends have their ministry. I got up early enough and caught the metro train system and then walked the final 5-10mins. It was great to see them again and be able to share some time in church with them, even if I didn’t understand all that was being said. Listening to an American speak Spanish with an American accent is amusing, same accent but a different language. At that meeting I met Elizabeth Hallyburton. Her parents have been missionaries in Chile for almost 30years, first of all in Concepcion and now in Antofagasta. It was also great to speak to someone that had an Australian accent that was similar to mine (Her family comes from Melbourne) and in language that could be understood by both parties. The Smith’s invited me back to their house for lunch, but as I had been invited by Thalia’s family first, I did the right thing and went there for lunch, indicating that I would come for a meal another day at the Smith’s.

Over the next few days I went to visit the Smith family and have dinner with them. Their house was so different, this time, as there was no boxes and everything look like it was in far better order than during moving time. I also chatted with Elizabeth and I think that we got on quite well. She is studying Music at University in Santiago and is staying with the Smith’s while she studies. A few days later she called me up and we arranged to meet and go to her sister’s house, so I could meet her (once she got home from work) and her 2 nieces and 1 nephew. We had a great time at the supermarket and then swimming in the pool and counting in English with her eldest niece. I had a lot of fun and a very relaxing time.

I also went shopping for last minute gifts in some of the local markets, called ferias. During these outings I would also go shopping for food items to cook a final meal for everyone. I wanted to invite a few people over to say thanks for the memories, as during this time, I had decided to leave Chile and move on to England. I felt, from conversations and actions, it was time for me to leave. I felt that God was telling me that he no loner wanted me in Chile. Plus I think that the small apartment would have been very cramped for space with the arrival of Alex and Karen from Brazil. So, the last night I was in Chile, for the 2007 – 2008 trip, I cooked a wonderful sweet chicken stir-fry and my, now World Famous, Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding. I only had a few people over, as I wanted to share my last night with them. There was Paul, Danni and Nati (of course) and I invited Andres, Thalia and Eli. The 7 of us had a wonderful night, well I think we did and that is all that matters, of chatting and eating and drinking. It was also great to catch up with Andres and share some of my stories and adventures of both Brazil and Chile with him. However, as usual the night did not finish until about 5am and I didn’t get to sleep until about 6. One problem…I needed to be at the airport by 12noon for a 2pm flight, I had to be up at 10. Now that wasn’t the problem, the problem was making sure Paul was up to take me. At 10:30 a taxi was called and I was on my way by 11, after saying ‘Goodbye’ to a very sleepy Paul. Thalia, who had stayed overnight, decided to join me in coming to the airport, so I wouldn’t be alone. It was great that she did, as I never like going to airports by myself, even if I am going to be leaving a place. However once I started walking to the customs booths, I turned to see if she was still there and she was not to be seen. I was on my own again, starting a journey to another country, Happy that I was leaving Chile behind me.

Villa Alemana

After a 7hr bus ride, with very little sleep, I arrived at the main bus terminal in Santiago. I was to wait here for about 40mins and then take another bus for the 2hr journey to Villa Alemana. There were only about 6 other passengers on the bus, so it was much more comfortable then the trip from LA to Santiago. The bus attendant was asking for tickets and where people wanted to get off, I was not sure what he was staying, so I answered with the central terminal. It was not until I realised that people were getting off earlier, in the main street, so I decided to jump off the bus and walk the shorter distance to the Moder home, the place I had stayed at earlier in Villa Alemana. I walked the short distance and rang the door bell to request entry. Fortunately Thalia had a later start to University that day and was able to let me in or it would have been a much longer wait.

I had a cuppa with Thalia and talked about my adventures in the South. I went to go to bed and sleep but thought it would be best not to fall asleep in Thalia’s bed, as we were talking in her room, but to have a nice hot shower, something to eat and then sleep. This is what I did and waved Thalia and Mirty goodbye, as they left for University. Then I basically found myself on the couch watching TV, a place that I stayed at for the rest of the day, drifting in and out of daydreams. I think that I must have slept a little bit, as I remember having a very cloudy mind and the TV programme that I had been watching was different. I think that this would be the setting for the rest of my time in Villa Alemana, one of sitting on the couch and not doing much more than watching TV.


I think that my predictions were correct as most of the time I did very little other than watch TV. I think it was due to both Daniel and Thalia returning to University studies and the youngest brother Esteban starting his Air Force Training. This meant that I had time to think and ponder about things and asses were I was in life and the sort of things that I wanted and thought about what God wanted for me. One day Thalia invited her friend Pia over to sing together, as they are in a choir together. Now I think that I am not the best singer, but can hold a tune, if required. As they never asked me to join them, even after I hinted a few times that I would like too, I decided to sit and watch TV with a set of headphones on, so as not to disturb them and not to be disturbed by them. Try to do the polite thing when they are singing about 5m from where I was sitting.

I actually went to look for my missing zunga, which I had left at the marina, the time that Thalia and I went Open Ocean kayaking. It was all in vain, as someone had taken them. Now people in Chile don’t wear zungas (they are their version of Speedos), as it is very socially wrong, so I am not sure why someone would want to take them. Ohh well, I hope whoever did take them is getting good use out of them. I also went and did a little shopping to buy a few items for the house and to aid me in some cooking. I wanted to thank the family, properly, for having me but as everyone was so busy and never at home, it was a little hard. I caught the bus back to Santiago in the third day, which was the Friday, as I needed to go to the Qantas office to fix my flights to England. As Thalia had Fridays off from University, she decided to come with me, as she wanted to visit her little cousins and spend some time with them.

Los Angeles

We finally left the farm at about 3 in the afternoon. It was great to be back on the open road and behind the wheel. I called Jessica at the first available moment to let her know that we were finally on our way and that we were going to be later than expected. I found out later on that they had prepared lunch for us all and I felt very bad that we had not been their, as first planned. The drive went very well and it seemed the 3 to 4hr drive went by in no time. We took the wrong turn off into Los Angeles but managed to arrive at Jessica’s house, after a short stop at ‘Solcito’, a friend’s restaurant in the centre of town. I had met them in my first visit to Chile in 2000.

We finally arrived in Los Angeles at about 7pm. Much later than the expect midday. Yet I had arrived and all were happy to see me again. Everyone was invited in for an afternoon tea and time to talk and catch up. Paul had gone to the neighbour’s house to show Natalia off, so we had to wait for him to return. Danni was organising a few things for her Dad, as he didn’t want to come in. Finally we all entered and sat down for some afternoon tea. I was amazed how much the place had changed. Jessica had spoken about her new pool but the whole back yard had a complete make-over. The garden had been worked on and new grass was being sown. That said Paul and Danni didn’t want to stay long, as they needed to get back to Santiago, still a further 6hrs away. I waved them goodbye, only finding out later that Natalia asked where I was and cried for a long time when Danni explained that they were returning to Santiago without me. I took my bag and went up the familiar internal staircase turning right at the top and entering Jess’ bedroom (which would be my sleeping place for the next few nights or for as long as I was to stay). It was like seeing an old friend again, back in familiar surroundings and being at home.

Later that night Jessica asked me to go with her to collect 2 of her friends. I found out that Jessica had asked some of her friends, from both High School and University days, over for a BBQ. It was a great night of meeting new people and catching up with old friends. As I was the guy from Australia, I was asked many questions about my homeland and also why I was in South America. That meant I held long and detailed conversations about my travels in South America and the differences with Australia. Catching up with Nicolas, Jessica’s friend I met last time (refer to earlier blog entries) was great fun and from then on with him and the others there I was known as Bruce, as in Bruce Lee.

During the remainder of my time in Los Angeles, Jess and I would go shopping, pay bills and just generally hang out in Downtown LA. I went to McDonalds for the first time in a long time and ate a McFlurry with Jess. We talked for a long time in McDonalds about the places I had been and the people I had met. It was good to debrief myself with a good friend. I think I needed it. That said, this was the type of week that I had with Jess and her family. We would hang out, do a few things and have some wonderful discussions about her life and about mine and eat too much. I think that South America’s are very good at hospitality. I think that every night there was a BBQ at Jess’ house because of one reason or another. I didn’t mind, as the meat was great and it meant that I could practice my Spanish.

We even went to Concepcion for an overnight trip to drop Jess’ brother off, as he was going to start studying at The University of Concepcion. Along the way we stopped off at a traditional Chilean restaurant to have a traditional meal. Basically it was 5 different kinds of meats and 4 different kinds of sausages and some green stuff on the side to give it a hint of healthiness. I think that I ate enough meat to last me the rest of the week. We all stayed at the Grandma’s house, which was a very tight fit, but was a lovely thing. The following morning, while Juan-Pablo was being settled in, by his Dad, Jess and I went for a walk to the local pond/lake. We walked around it and chatted as we went, talking about different things. Again there was a subtle hint of travel in her words, which I have felt many times during conversations with people from South America. Life is very hard in South America, unless you have a lot of money, but when you have this money you need to spend a lot on security, as those without it will try and take it from you. That was a very broad statement, but I think it reflects some attitudes. We left Pablo in Concepcion and drove the 2hrs back to LA.

It was a routine of waking up, late of course, having something to eat, then swimming for a little while, as the weather was always hot and sunny, and then having more food doing the necessary events for the day and then it was party time again at night. The parties were either at Jess’ house or at one of her friend’s. I think that there were so many parties, as people wanted to share in the fun times with the crazy guy from Australia. On one such night, we were all at Nicolas’ house (Jess and I, Nicolas and his girlfriend, Danni and my man Borat (that is the nickname I gave him)). Jess received a call from her Mum saying that her Aunty had passed away, leaving her 3 cousins without any parents. Her husband had passed away only 6 weeks earlier from cancer. It was a gloomy end to a once jovial evening. The following morning Jess’ parents went to Concepcion and Jess stayed to look after me, but I felt that I was being a burden to the family, so I decided to leave Los Angeles that night and head back to Villa Alemana to collect some of my clothes that I had left there from my earlier stay. This was becoming a habit with me, as I had left clothes in other places in Brazil. Jess’ X-boyfriend came over to give her support and the three of us sat a chatted and just tried to be as normal as possible for Jess. We ended up having pancakes with manjar (caramel) as a final meal together. They were so good and I ended up eating about 6 of them… I didn’t have to eat until lunchtime the following day. I finally waved goodbye to Jess at about 10:48pm that night and I tried to maintain a happy face, for Jess’ benefit, yet I was sad that I was leaving, not knowing when I would see her in person again, after 2 wonderful visits to her house in LA. They were such wonderful times of strengthening our friendship after 7 to 8 years of only email and MSN. I will miss you Jess. Thank you so much for allowing me to stay with you and your family. Sorry I could not join you and your family in drinking the wines.

The Farm

We arrived back at the farm at about 10pm to have a small snack, before going to bed. I was a little tired and I think I needed the rest. My friend’s welcomed me back with open arms. The following morning parts of my body were on fire because of the ‘kisses’ they gave me during the night. Damn fleas. Anyway, I tried to take it on the chin and keep my mind on other things, so as I would not scratch my new and old bites. If something was happening, I wanted to be a part of it. The turbine was not generating as much electricity as it should, so Papi and I went and cleaned the water aqueduct to maximise the water flow. Even then it only helped a little. The amount of water in Chile is low. Power prices are going up, as they don’t have enough water to run the hydro-generators at full capacity. We were having the same issue at the farm, a lack of water. I also collected a few apples to go into the collection for making Chicha. It was simple work; just collect the apples that had fallen to the ground. The only problem was, I was not given a basket to collect them in until after I had a discussion with Papi about it.

I also spent a lot of time on the computer, writing text to go into this blog spot. Trying to remember events and details from about 6 weeks before, is a real stretch for the brain but a good mental activity. I got up to date a lot at the farm, as you have a lot of time to think about things and also to write about them. Paul and I also spent a lot of time playing PC games. It was great fun shooting as many bad guys as we could. It was a great way to fill in 2 or 3 hours of the day, when nothing else was happening. I think that Papi got a little sick of Paul and I spending so much time on the laptops, but we were having fun. He was always going on about how we should be spending more time outside looking at the surrounding hills and trees, so we decided to take the laptops outside and play the games, an easy fix to that problem. I even managed to get onto the internet a few times with Paul’s GPRS connection. It was a good enough connection for MSN typing only, but it meant I had a link to the outside world. One night Paul and I sat and watched the lunar eclipse. It was amazing how bright all the stars were once the full moon was out of action.

The last full day at the farm Papi, Paul and I went into Temuco for the day. First of all we went to Gorbea to undertake a few paperwork matters that Papi needed to attend too. Like always in South America, a function that should take 20-30mins took us about 2 hours. This meant that we arrived in Temuco in time for lunch. So we headed to the central market and ate a lovely lunch, after they mixed up the order, took ages to fix, then gave us coffees and teas without hot water and then took 20mins to get the bill to us. That is a thing that is also lacking here in South America, Customer Service that is efficient and friendly. We then went and did a few other things around town before heading back to the farm. Ohh yes, on return I was also made to make Chocolate pudding again. I think that this is becoming way too much of a common theme. But I don’t mind, as I am contributing to the enjoyment of the farm. It was Paul’s request, like a last night feast.

The last morning was similar to the morning we travelled to the South. It was an effort to get Paul out of bed, with the regular "give me another 20mins. This went from 9am until just after noon. By this time, the lunchtime BBQ was well under way and there was more than enough food to feed an army. So the decission was made to stay for lunch and leave shortly after that. Lunch was a great feast. My only concern was that I had told Jessica, my friend in Los Angeles (where I was going to stay for the next few days), that we would be at her house by about lunchtime. With no cell coverage, I could not get a message through, saying we would be late. At 3pm we finally said our goodbyes and headed for the open road. It was sad to leave the farm but also good to know that I was heading back to a more modern environment. I do like the farm, but it is just a little remote, at times. I also said goodbye to Paul's uncle, Harry, but I knew that I would see him back in Australia, as he was heading home in mid April.

Lican Ray

The drive across to Lincan Ray was quicker than expected, even after we stopped to do a little shopping in Villarrica. The best thing about it was that Natalia slept for most of the way. We arrived just after dark, with the sweet smell of BBQ in the air. The fine Argentinean meat was slowly being roasted over the red hot coals. There are few other smells in this world that arouse such a fast reaction from a man and his now growling stomach. I didn’t think that I was that hungry. Sitting down to a meal with Paul’s cousin, her husband and their 3 kids as well as Paul’s other cousin his wife and their 2 sons and other cousins… I think that there were about 15 of us. The communication flowed and so did the wine. My brain started to hurt after a while, as it usually does when I try to keep up with the conversation in either Spanish or Portuguese, and I was a little tired, so I went and chatted to friends on MSN and sent a few emails. I could hear the conversations well into the evening.

The first activity that we undertook, as a group, was to go Kayaking. We hired 3 and paddled out to an island, about 800m from the shore. There are 3 Islands in the group, but two are privately owned, so no one is allowed on, unless invited. Paul and I were on one Kayak with Natalia, Paul’s cousin and 1 daughter and son on another and Danni and the other daughter on the third. It took us about 35mins to paddle out there, where we then swam for about half an hour in the cool deep waters of this volcanic lake. The water was so clear that it was hard to judge the depths. I would swim down, thinking that it would only be about 3m, finding that I would be down for a few seconds more than expected. The view of the Volcano was fantastic. The paddle back was harder than expected, as a breeze had come up and there was a stronger cross current, causing us to drift and work harder. Paul’s oar broke in the process, meaning we were down to one and a half oars and Nati was getting a little restless, causing an additional headache. We finally made it back to shore, where the guy who hires the kayaks tried to charge us 20,000 pesos (about $50 Aus) because we broke his brand new oar. We pointed out a few things to show that his oar was not new, so he dropped it to 15,000. Paul laughed at him, said that he was happy for him to call the cops and told me to pay him the money we owed for the hire and no more. The cops were not called.

During the remainder of our time in Lincan Ray, I would go to the shops, send a few emails, chat on MSN and do a little site seeing. It was a nice little town, which survived on the tourist trade and the locals that made a living off them. I enjoyed the time of walking, to clear the mind and to think about what was important to me in my life. Where I wanted to go and where I wanted to be. Then I thought… where does God want me to go? What does God want me to be? It is hard, at times to think about such things, especially when you are so isolated, but then again, is that the best time? I enjoyed my time in Lican Ray. The times that we went swimming were great, even though there were way too many rocks and the beach was made of back pebbles. Trying to get a bit more of a tan… something that I think I will always struggle with, with my fair skin. The walks that I took along the beach and the sunsets that I witnessed were such peaceful times, even when I was surrounded by a multitude of people. I think I have stopped to look at the sun setting more times here in Chile then I have before. Also making chocolate pudding, again, was a great hi-light, especially when they demanded that I make it again the following day and instruct the girls how to do it, so that they could repeat it after I left. The mum even asked if she could have the recipe, which I willing gave. I think I am conquering South America with my Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding Recipe.

Our last night in Lican Ray, after staying an extra 2 days was spent having a BBQ with Paul’s third cousin (on this trip) with her husband and 2 children. Again the smell of roasting meat was just too much and my stomach began to growl well before we sat down to eat. Over dinner we discussed various differences in the English language around the world, as well as the differences in Spanish around the world. They agreed that the further you went away from Central America, the poorer the Spanish became. It was still Spanish, but different from the original. A little like how English has changed around the world, especially in the US. It was a lovely way to finish our time in Lican Ray followed by a lazy day and then a short drive back to the farm. It was also great to get a break from my friends, the fleas.

The Farm

Our planned departure time of 6am came and went. The second planned departure time of 8am also came and went. I tried to get Paul out of bed at 10, but he just kept saying… “Give me another 30mins”. This process was repeated for about 2hours until finally at about 12:30 he got up. We finally had everything packed and everyone in the car but before we could leave Santiago, we needed to collect Danni’s Dad, as he was joining us at the Farm. After 3 stops and a 10hour drive we finally arrived at the Farm near the small town of Lastarria. It was great to be back in the green rolling hills, with all the trees that enclosed the little house. I think that Paul’s Dad, Luis, was happy to see everyone again. I think he loves it when people come to visit and stay. He actually had other guests staying with him at the time and they where Carmen, his old House Maid from the time he lived in Los Angeles, and her 2 grandsons, Juan and Rodrigo. I remembered them from a previous visit to Chile in 2000, and when I asked, they said that they remembered me. I think that they were being nice.

The following day we went to the annual Neumann Family BBQ, at the property where the first Neumann to come to Chile from Germany, brought his family and set up his new life. I was introduced as the Aussie Gringo only for them to respond with “ohh, I have been to Australia” or “I have family in Australia”. They made me an honouree Neumann for the day, as I had blue eyes and looked a little like Paul. We all had a wonderful day of conversation, eating way too much food, drinking to many drinks and of course too much Football. They were all very welcoming to me and were always asking if I understood what they were talking about. I could follow most of it, which I was quite surprised at, as they didn’t really change the speed of the conversation, just because I was there. I also met a guy who was from Germany, who had married a Chilean lady 30 years ago, so we chatted in Spanish, which was quite funny, as he spoke with a heavy German accent. As always, I ate too much food and didn’t have anything to eat before going to bed, which I think was the best thing that I could have done.

We all soon fell into the routine of the farm. My routine was to wake and count the number of new flea bites on my body. I think at a minimum, I had 6 new bites each morning about the size of a 5cent piece. Trying not to scratch them became a full time mind control programme. I would have fun chatting with everyone and enjoy the peace of the farm. I would sit and watch the trees bending in the wind, the pigs scratching themselves, Natalia and Diego chasing the cats and the general comings and goings of a farm in Chile. People would always know when to come, usually about an hour before lunch, so they could do a little talking and then a little work, to ‘pay’ for their lunch. I also went with a car load of other locals to go and collect apples and other fruits. I know why we collected the apples, as we were to make them into Chicha, which is a locally homemade alcoholic apple juice. I’m not real sure why we collect the other fruits, but I think some of it went to the pigs. I know I ate some of them and I think that I got a very sore stomach from them. I guess they were a little green, as I was in lot of pain afterwards. All said and done, they were lazy days.

I also went to Temuco for the day to drop Rodrigo, Juan and thrie grandma, Carmen, off t the bus terminal, so they could return home to Los Angeles. After this, Papi (Paul’s Dad) and I went about town doing various things that needed to be done. Buying food, picking up and posting mail, buying other items for those in the house, who had not come to Temuco, general errands. We also had a visit from one of Paul’s aunties and cousin, who invited us to their place in Lican Ray, a small town on the edge of a lake near Villarrica and Pucon. Paul said that it is a great place to go too, so we decided to go. Paul, Danni, Nati and I jumed into the car and made our way to Lican Ray.

Santiago

I returned to Santiago on the Monday afternoon, along with Thalia. She was going to visit some American Missionary friends, whose daughter was having a birthday party and she had been invited. We said our goodbyes on the Metro and I continued on to Paul and Danni’s house. It was good to be back in familiar surroundings. It did not take long for Santiago life to return in full swing. Soon I was playing Little Football or pichunga with Paul and his friends. Each time I played, they said that it looked like I was getting better in my skills. I think that they were just trying to be nice to me and encourage me in order to keep playing. One day Thalia came to visit and went shopping with Danni, as Paul and I played basketball at the local park. There were some typical young guys, who thought that they were the next Michael Jordan, and went a little physical. After being smacked a few times, charged and no foals called, I decided to give a little back. I think I started to do a little WWF with one guy, who realised after about 2mins that he was not going to win. I started trash talking to him in English, “Arrrh you don’t like it when someone gives it back. You can give but you can’t take, can you, little boy.” (That was the nice version). I am not sure if he understood. Mind you he soon shut up and started playing a little cleaner, knowing that the key was mine and he was in my backyard.

My plan was not to stay in Santiago too long, but like other sections of my travels, I stayed a little longer than planned. As Thalia had stayed longer in Santiago, she asked me to join her at church. I went with her to the Anglican Church in the southern suburbs of Santiago, where the American family are now ministering. They had been in Villa Alemana on their previous stint. So I met Russ and Heidi again and shared with them in the service. I also met some new missionaries from Sydney, a husband and wife and their 3 sons. It was great to be able to speak in English and hear a familiar accent, even if they were from the Queensland – Victorian border. The American family asked me back to their house for dinner and a swim, which was great, so relaxing swimming in a pool, with the sun shining down. They asked if I wanted to stay overnight, which was a great idea, as it was late by the time I started thinking about going home. The only bad thing about it was that the following day they asked me to help them move from their current house sitting location to their new house, some 25mins away. Moving cupboards, fridges and making bunk beds. I did not mind this, as it was a sort of thank you for letting me stay and it was a lot of fun, but also tiring. I also enjoyed, to a degree, discussing the differences between Australian/British English and what is called English from the US.

I also spent time preparing for my journey back to the South of Chile. I spent time getting in contact with various people I know, making sure that it would be ok for me to come and stay. I like to be well prepared for a trip like this, especially when in a country that speaks another language to my own native tongue. As I was near completion, Paul said to me that he was going to visit his Dad in the next few days, which changed my plans a little. Also my friend Andres quit his job the weekend I planned to visit him and went to Rio de Janeiro. Lucky guy! Wait, didn’t I do the same? Hehe. Anyway, with plans slightly altered, Paul, Danni, Nati, Majen (Danni’s Dad) and I drove the 10hrs from Santiago to the farm.

Viña & New Year’s Eve

I left Santiago a little later than first planned, as Paul and I went to a party the night before and didn’t get back home until about 6am. This meant that I didn’t get up until about 2 and that was when I forced myself to get up. Anyway, I made my way to the bus terminal, via the metro, purchased my ticket to Viña and after a 20min wait, I was on my way. After about 5mins on the bus, I was gone and I didn’t wake until about 5mins before the bus arrived in Vina. Great timing if you ask me. Danny and his brother Esteban were waiting for me, which was great. However, as I was late, it meant that we would not make it to the 7pm church service for NYE. We walked to the metro station and started heading for Villa Alemana. Danny called his Dad to say that I had arrived and that we were on our way and that we may go straight home, due to the time, 7:30. He answered that the service hadn’t started yet and to still come there. So we did. That night I met his parents and many of his church friends. While in line for Holy Communion, a girl started talking to me in English, asking “Are you Alex’s friend?”. I had no idea who she was and which Alex she was talking about. Only after further discussions with other people, I learnt that she was Daniel’s sister, Thalia.

The following morning we went to Church. The first time I have ever been to church in Chile, all my previous visits included. I was introduced to other members of the church and many stopped to chat with me and I struggled to communicate, as I was still thinking in Portuguese and at Pabs’ house, we only spoke in English. It was great to talk to the Anglican Bishop of Chile, as the Anglican Church in Villa Alemana is his home church, before he became Bishop. Later in the day, the youth of the church went to play football at one of the local pichanga grounds. We had a great afternoon playing and teasing each other. It was great for me, as I got the chance to talk with others, either in my limited Spanish or their limited English.

The following day was NEW YEAR’S EVE. It was also Charlotte’s birthday, so I tried to call her to wish her a Happy Birthday, but they were not at home, so I left a message. Later we all sat as a family and had our final meal together for 2007. We all then prepared ourselves for the different festivities we had each planned for the night. First of all, the men were to go to the northern end of Viña del Mar to watch the fireworks with a bunch of others. So Leo (dad), Daniel, Esteven and I all made our way via the metro and then a bus to our fireworks viewing location. The fireworks were great and they stretched from near we were to the southern end of Valparaiso, some 15km. The whole show went for about 20mins, but I don’t think it is good as some shows I have seen in Melbourne. I think this is due to the vast distance that they need to cover and not just a few kms of Yarra River. All said and done, it was nice to welcome in the New Year with new friends. Now it was off to various parties and events that Daniel had discussed and organised with his friends. I was just tagging along for the night, as I was unsure of where the good parties where, the ones that Daniel had been talking about.

We finally made our way to southern end of Valparaiso, walking half way and then catching a bus for the remainder. We then walked for about another 30mins up a huge hill. I think I counted about 1,000 steps, as it was too steep for a road. I was thinking to myself, “This had better be some location to have a party”. Maybe it was to be, so high up and so close to the sea, could only mean a great view of not only the city but also the sea. After 30mins of climbing we arrived at a small plaza that was overflowing with people, far too many to count. I asked Daniel, if this was the place and he said it was. There was no DJ, no dance-floor and no bars. I was beginning to wonder if there was going to be an organised party. I think one look and I knew, it was not going to be. Mind you, Daniel and his friends made an effort to communicate with me, in both their poor English and my even poorer Spanish. I even started talking to a girl who had been crying. I think I was feeling the same. Mind you, she had just had a discussion with a guy, who she classed as more than a friend and he had said a few drunkard things back. I think after 6hrs of standing, my back was killing me, so I asked Daniel, if we could go home. We made our way to the bus and then back to the house. I think we arrived at about 8am. I went straight to bed. Welcome to 2008!

It was also great to join in on some church activities. One such event was going to the Beach in Viña for the afternoon. About 8 of us jumped into a mini-van and we made the 45min journey to the beach. It was great to sit and chat and catch some rays. I even went for a quick swim. Mind you the water was a little colder than what it is in Melbourne. I think it is due to the vast deep waters of the Pacific Ocean that wash against the Chilean coast. Thalia joined us later, as she was doing a few things in town and Daniel was being his usual self, trying to get fresh with the girls. It was an enjoyable time, relaxing, talking, walking and playing on the beach. Not to mention, looking at the local ‘wildlife’.

Daniel and I also went camping with 3 of his friends. The five of us loaded ourselves into the car along with the tent, our clothes, food for both dinner and for breakfast and 4 bikes. We made the 1.5hr drive to the local National Park, where Leo (dad) had arranged for our free entry. He works for the National Parks of Chile and it is nice to have contacts. We set up camp and the others went for a ride on the bikes, while I stayed and looked after things. It was a great time of relaxation for me. We all bonded very well over dinner and shared stores and conquests of love. It was very funny. That night I slept in the tent with Danny and Guaton (translates as Fat). I woke up in the morning with the worst pain on my left side. I must have slept on a rock. I was in pain for about a week and could barely move my arm. Luckily we were only staying for one night and not 2. The only bad thing was that ‘Vampiro’ had driven his car home early on the second day and rest of us had to ride home. We left the park at about midday and arrived at the house at about 8pm. I was so tired and my back was in such pain. Mind you, I had a great time, even though I was ready to drink a river and sleep until 2009. Thanks to Thalia, my pain was eased a little with some massage and a cream similar to ‘Deep Heat’. It still took about a week for full movement to return without any pain.

Thalia and I would go to the local fresh produce market on most Wednesdays. I would love this weekly trip, as I could really get a feel of what the local traditional lifestyle was like in Chile. The aroma of the fresh herbs and some spices would fill the air. Thalia and I would have competitions trying to guess which herb it was. Thalia had done a study on the market for her University course and had gotten to know some of the stall owners, so when she asked to certain items, they would tell her to put the one in her hand down and they would give her one from a box behind them. These items usually looked bigger and better. However these trips would usually mean that I would be cooking with fresh produce, on our return to the house. I did quite a bit of cooking in VA and quite a bit of cleaning in the kitchen. I think my sister can vouch that I do not like to have a dirty kitchen. Clean as I cook and make sure the kitchen is better than before I started using it. I left the Moder family with my Self Sourcing Chocolate Pudding recipe, as it was very popular and went down very well.

There were two special events that I undertook with Thalia, within my last few days in Vina. As they say, you save the best for last. One was to go to the last of the opera performances in Vina. We went and saw ‘Carmen’ with the Symphony Orchestra of Chile. We were in the special VIP section, because one of Thalia’s lectures knows the Lord Mayor of Vina, so he organised the tickets for us. It was a great evening, as after the opera, we met up with some of Thalia’s choir friends and we went out for Karaoke. Only problem was Thalia and 2 friends had waited for about 2hrs for their turn to sing. When the music started they looked at each other and said, “that’s not our song” and when they did that, they got the donkey. They sound a donkey over the PA system, if someone is a bad singer or does not sing at all... We left straight after that, with the 3 girls saying it was not their fault, even though they had chosen the song. The second event was to go Kayaking in the ocean. Thalia wanted to treat me to an experience that I had not had before. Yes I had been Kayaking, but not on the ocean. It was such a wonderful experience. I think that Thalia thought I was not liking it, as I didn’t say much at all, but I was, as I was enjoying being in solitude. I felt that it was just God and I out on the ocean, a real spiritual experience. The hot shower after the cold waters of the ocean was just fantastic. I really enjoyed spending the time under the hot running water! Hot showers are always good. Next time Thalia, don’t leave your wetsuit behind and if you see my sunga, please grab it for me. Thanks.

During my time in Villa Alemana, I would have various talks with various members of the family. Sometimes they would be short and others a little longer and more involved. I spoke to Daniel about some of his future plans about studying and also about girls. I also spoke to Daniel’s Mum, as one night she came home and it was just the two of us and she asked if we could talk. A little strange, when you have only known someone for about 2-3weeks, but this is Chile. We spoke about many things, She in Spanish and I in bad Spanish. Mind you, I think the HS was at work, as we were able to communicate and I did far fewer ‘No Entiendo’ as I have done in previous conversations. You know that the conversation is very emotional when you see a grown women cry, but it was a wonderful conversation with her and I think that God had allowed us to have that time alone. It was very special for the two of us. I also had many conversations to Thalia about various things in her life and in mine. Sometimes, I don’t think she really liked what I had to say, but I based everything on biblical references and principals. I really enjoyed our talks, as some of the topics we shared and spoke about were very personal. I just hope that I have helped her. I know that she said a few things to me that started to make me think about things. I guess first impressions can help. Thalia, I hope your walk with God is strengthened and is better from our conversations. Muchos Abrazos. Keep smiling.

I also went and did many other activites in Viña, Valpo and Villa Alemana, which are too neumerous to discuss. I went to several birthday parties (Happy Birthday Mirty and Nicolas), people´s houses, resturants, etc. In gerneral it was a good time, not always fun, but a good time.

Chile - Santiago

My plane was delayed in Rio by about an hour due to technical issues. They did not tell us what they were, so I guess it was better that they found out what the problem was before we took off and rectified it. This meant that when we stopped over in Sao Paulo, we could not leave the plane, as planned. Planes get very hot when they don’t turn the air-conditioning on and you think that opening doors will. I tell you now, it doesn’t. There were two other passengers from Australia on the plane and they made me embarrassed to be an Australian. I think that they were of an Arabic background from Sydney. They would laugh and joke at the service staff in a mix of English/Arabic and then demand things, with a few 4-letter words included. I felt discussed to be an Australian, the first time for a long time. We were all in the same situation and their actions were uncalled for.

The flight was a little late leaving Sao Paulo, so it meant that Paul, Danni and Natalia, had to wait a little longer at the Santiago airport. I was so thankful that they were collecting me, as I think I was still feeling the effects of my sickness in Rio. It was a week before Christmas, so it was hard not to get my thoughts off my family back in Australia. Being back in Pauls’ apartment was great, as it is my South American home, and I was in familiar territory again. Paul and I went and played Pichunga (baby football) a few times that week. It was great fun, but I realised how unfit I am. Plans were also in full swing for a Chilean Christmas. It is a little different here, as they don’t seem to decorate the streets and shops with such enthusiasm as back in Australia. There are very little Christmas movies and very few Christmas carols. I guess we are a little commercial about it in Australia. Danni and I went shopping a few times for various foods and drinks in preparation for the big night. We would also go out and purchase gifts for various people, most of whom I had never met or knew off. I guess a child changes people’s lives. I mentioned big night before because in Chile the Christmas celebrations take place in the evening of the 24th. I think that most of Europe and Latin America are like this.

Christmas dinner was great! Danni did a wonderful job of preparing and cooking the chosen foods for the evening. I think that Nati got most out of the celebrations and she reminded me so much of my little niece, when she started handing out presents and kisses to everybody. I began thinking of the family back home and realised, with the time difference, they too would be sitting down to their Christmas Lunch or opening presents, like we were. So I decided to give them a call and check in. It was great to talk to them. I tried calling a few others in Australia, but none answered my calls. Not to worry, they were busy with their celebrations. While I was chatting to the folks, the Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding I had prepared was in the oven. So after the roast turkey and trimmings, we all sat around and ate my pudding with scoops of vanilla ice-cream… I must confess it was good, but not as good as Mum’s Traditional Boiled Christmas Pudding with brandy custard. I really missed it this year. We all shared stories about various Christmas we had had over the years. I also shared some of my stories from my time in Brazil. I guess by talking about them I stared to miss them.

I also got in contact with Daniel and arranged the final details of my planned stay with him in Villa Aleman (German Village, in English), which is about 30-45mins by car from the seaside towns of Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. For those of you who don’t remember, Daniel was the guy I stayed with in Brazil. The family connection is that his Dad is the cousin of Karen, Lorena, Nashi, etc. The plan was that I was to travel there and spend New Year’s Eve with him, as Vina and Valparaiso are the party towns in Chile, when it comes to New Year’s celebrations. So a few days after Christmas, I called Dad to wish him a Happy Birthday, chatted to the family and told them my NYE plans. The following day, I packed my bags again, said my goodbyes to Paul and Danni, and was off.

Brasil - Final Thoughts...

In general, I had a wonderful time in Brasil. I made many new friends during my time in Brasil, some I will definately keep in contact with and others, well, they have already stopped talking to me, even before I left. Their loss!!!
Anyway, I think I can summarise my time in Brasil into one bible passage...

Ephesians 4:17-32
Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.
20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
25 So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. 26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
28 If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. 29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

This passage reminds me of people that I have met, spent time with, spoken too and in some cases still talk too. People make up the country and its culture and with Brasil being the biggest Catholic country in the world, many do not live a life of Christ, even some Christians live an ungodly life. We must be Salt and Light, if we are not how can we expect to win more to Christ. I too was a little angry before I left for South America and after my experiences and conversations with some of my new friends, thanks Kaka, Lore and Nashi in Campinas and special thanks to my friends in Brasilia, espically Mylana, I felt a lot more at peace with myself. I think that as I struggled with the language barrier and as I had loads of time to myself, I read my bible a lot and I mean a lot, which helped me understand God/Jesus/The Holy Spirit (The Trinity) a little more and what I should be doing as a follower of him.

I had many fun times in Brasil, Alex and Karen's wedding was just fantastic and seeing it all come together in the end was just such a relief. (more so for Karen...) Meeting all of Karen's extended family and getting to know them, hoping that they will come to Australia so they can experience life in my little corner of the world... maybe then they may understand this gringo a little better. Travelling with Andrea to Ilha Grande was just so special... I think we watched 7 of the greatest sunsets ever. Going to Foz do Iguacu was such an experience, seeing God's creation in its awesome splender. Travelling by boat along the amazing Amazon River, seeing all its vast waters and thick forests, listerning to Aqua in Portuguese... and running away from my "girlfriend". Spending time with Zilmar and his family in Sao Luis and the morning we went riding on the motorbikes. Sorry Zilmar, I know you love your Buffaloes, but I so did enjoy the ride on the motorbikes. All that said, I must make a special mention of all my friends in Brasilia. You are a wonderful group of people and I miss you all so much. Just thinking of you brings tears to my eyes. I came to you a stranger needing refuge from the storm of my life and you provided it for me, you gave me back my joy and love of life. You all will always have a very special place in my heart. You were to me what the 'Fortress of Solitude' is to Superman.
Eu tenho muito saudades pra voces. Muito Obrigado!!! One day I will return!

Now at the end of about 6 months of time in Brasil, a chapter of Leigh's life ends and another begins... the end of 2007 is approching fast and I am off to Chile. Thinking of what has happened here, what adventures await me in Chile. Will they be all good, all bad or as usual a combination of the two. Time will tell.
Signing off from Brasil for 2007.

Rio de Janeiro

The bus that I travelled on to Rio de Janeiro, arrived about 2hrs late and after a few discussions with some terminal workers, an internet session, I made my way to Leblon on a local bus. On the bus I got to talking to a the lady sitting next to me, who helped me get off at the right stop (as it was the same as hers) and she also helped guide me to Myla’s cousin’s family shop. I arrived a little later than expected, but once all the greetings, in Portuguese (as none spoke English), were done we loaded the car and went back to their house and met Vanessa, Myla’s cousin. Vanessa’s English was very good and we started to get along very well, even with my strange accent.

It was raining very heavily the night I arrived and all I could say was… it will be better tomorrow, it has to be… I have so many places I want to go and see. Yet again, the following morning it was raining even heavier. I was a little disappointed, as there was also a very heavy fog, which meant you could see about 1km away, but not that well. Not real good for sightseeing and taking scenery photographs, as you do in Rio. So basically I spent the day with Vanessa’s cousin and family, hanging out at home and going to the local mall. He is a real funny guy and we laughed a lot, as he and I shared many things. He is a lifeguard at Copacabana beach.

Later in the afternoon we went to his house in one of the slums of Rio, as we were dropping him off. While there I asked about where I could get a haircut and he said come with me. We walked about 100metres up the road to a local barber. I sat in the chair and he cut my hair for 5Reais. He did a really nice job too. He could not believe it when we told him that I was from Australia. When he asked ‘how much was it to have a hair cut in Australia?’, I told him about 20 Australian dollars… he could not believe it… we would be so rich working there. I then asked him, ‘how much is it to buy a banana, here’ and he replied… ‘oh about 1 Real for 5 bananas’, so he quickly rethought his rich idea when I said you pay about 5 dollars for 5 bananas. Rio is a place of extremes… the haves and the have nothings. The rich live in apartments near the beach and the poor live in the slums in the hills that overlook these apartments. So every day the poor go and work for next to nothing for the rich and every day they look down and see what they do not have. No wonder there is so much violence in Rio. These are only my impressions.

For the first time I saw sunny day in Rio. It was a Saturday morning, so I went with Vanessa to a friend’s house for a prayer meeting. There I met many of Vanessa friends from her church. We hung out for the rest of the day, travelling together by bus to a restaurant, only to go to the local mall to eat. Along the way I started talking to one of the girls in the group, asking the usual questions of does she study or work. She said that she was studying journalism and did some modelling part time. OK, so we chatted a little more… I found out later on that she was Miss Rio De Janeiro State for 2007. She was a very down to earth girl, not like some other pretty girls I have met. The journey back after eating was very funny, with about 10 of us all in a little VW Golf hatchback. Anything goes here in Brazil.

The following morning, I woke up and felt sick… I am not quite sure what I ate to make me sick, but it was the start of my throwing up time… I threw up for about 12hrs. I would sleep, wake up, throw up and then go back to bed to sleep some more. It got to the point that I was thinking that what else could I throw up? I was so bad, that they took me to the hospital. I had an injection and then went home where I went straight to sleep. I basically slept all Monday, only waking to have a drink of juice and some soup. I didn’t do much else. I was leaving on Tuesday afternoon, for Chile, so it was all I could do to pack my bags in the morning. I missed going to all the touristy locations, the world’s biggest football stadium, the Maracana, the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, the Statue of Christ and Pao de Acucar. All because the weather was bad at the start of my visit and I was sick at the end of my time in Rio. I just think that I will have to go back again one day to see the sights that I missed out on. Thanks for my time with you Vanessa and thanks for opening your home and family to me. My flight left Rio at 1pm.

Campinas

I had arranged with Alex and Karen that I would walk from the Campinas bus terminal to Paulo and Loren’s house. I think I walked with a spring in my step, as I was back in familiar surroundings again. It was great to see them again and I was mugged by the three boys, when they returned home from school. I hung out with them all day, waiting for Karen to come and collect me. She was a little late, arriving in the late afternoon to take me to her other sister’s house. When I walked through the door at Nashi’s place and started up the stairs, Sophie, her daughter saw me and threw herself at me, calling out my name. I think I almost lost my footing and almost fell back down the stairs. It was such a great environment to be in before leaving to Rio. I really enjoyed my time with them and I felt part of the family.

In my last night in Campinas, I went out with Alex and Karen for dinner. We chatted about my time in Brazil and what I thought about things and what I had experienced. It was a nice end to a nice stay in Brazil. I stayed at their place that night and stayed with them, as Karen was going to drop me off at the Bus station, so I could go to Rio. There were more people that I would have liked to have said goodbye to in person, but time did not allow. I hope that they read this and see that I was thinking of them, even though I did not say goodbye in person.

Brasilia

I returned to Brasilia by plane and called Myla to say that I had arrived. As she was at work, I caught a cab to her apartment, dropped off my things and went to Nandinha’s house to say hello and then to go out with her and Dede to the movies. It was a great night catching up with friends and telling stories of my adventures in the north of Brazil. I got home so late, I missed catching up with Mylana.

I spent the week relaxing and catching up with friends. Go out for lunch, eating way to much food again and just being the social Leigh once again. One night I went out to have Pizza with some of the guys from Church, and as a documentary on Australian animals had been on the night before, it was the topic of conversation. I realised that I had missed my friends from Brasilia and I really loved my time back here again. I also arranged my bus ticket from Brasilia to Campinas. I think that hit home to me that I was leaving Brazil soon. It was my first indicator. Myla also arranged for me to stay with her cousin, Vanessa, in Rio, which was just fantastic of Myla once again. I think she would make a great travel agent or PA to any boss, maybe she would make a great boss.

On the Sunday night, I went to church for the last time in Brasilia. Knowing that I was Mum’s birthday in Australia and knowing that I was also leaving for the last time, the following day, made me very sad. It was nice that people noticed I was looking a little down and asked after me. I received some wonderful support and conversation and by the end of the night, I returned to Myla’s apartment, still a little sad, but not as much as earlier in the day. It was a sad day, the day I left, as I knew that I was leaving many good friends behind. I am not sure when I will see some of them again, but I hope it is sooner rather than later.

Saudades em tudo!