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!

Sao Luis

I arrived at the bus terminal in Sao Luis after one of the worst bus rides I have ever been on. I think that we hit just about every pot-hole there was and the ones we missed, I think the driver went back for them. The road was terrible. I think I only got about an hours sleep in total. So I was not to flash when I arrived and my brain was not working to well, so when I tried to communicate with Myla’s family I was getting all my Portuguese wrong and struggling to understand what was being said to me. That said, I was finally collected by Myla’s and their live in maid.

At the family home, I met the rest of Myla’s family, her eldest sister and husband, Jose and Marcelo, who had lived in the US for a few years, so their English was very good, which made life a little easier for me. I also met Myla’s youngest sister, Sue, and her fiancée and the youngest brother, Marcus. I had a whole guest house to myself, which was great, as I could spread out my things and not worry too much about it, as only I had to see and live with the mess… narh, it wasn’t too bad. The dad, Zilmar, was still at the family farm, so I did not meet him for a day or so.

During the first few days of my visit to Sao Luis, I went out with Sue and her fiancée, for a city tour, at night. It was great to get a feel for Sao Luis and then to eat some very nice pizza. The family also aided me in arranging an overnight trip to Barrarinhas, a local tourist town where they have vast areas of white sand dunes that are dotted with small fresh water lakes. The region is quite vast and quite dangerous in the dry season, due to its lack of water. It just so happened that I was there in the dry season. I also went to a local church in Sao Luis of a friend. I had met Marcus in Brasilia on my first visit and I thought that I would catch up with him at his church. His dad is the pastor of the church and he is his junior. We chatted and arranged to go on a city tour of Sao Luis the following day.

The tour was great, as we walked around the old centre, in its many small streets and lanes, you could feel the history of the place, as Sao Luis is about 400yrs old. We talked about the history and even the modern day issues of drugs and alcohol, as we saw many people who were passed out or throwing up. It was quite sad. Here in Brazil, they have many young pretty ladies trying to sell you things in the streets, such as telephone contracts, in-store promotions, etc… I don’t mind this, but it gets a little monotonous when they always seem to run through the crowd to try and give me their spiel. When I say thank you and that I don’t speak much Portuguese, they just start to smile and stare…even when I have moved on for some time.

The following morning I was collected at 4:30am, by the tour group, to go to Barrarinhas. A cold shower at 4am really does wake you up. Oh, they don’t have hot water in their showers here, as you don’t need it. It is always hot and you use the shower to cool down. Along the way we collected a French couple, who spoke no English, but the wife did speak Spanish, so that is how we communicated. After the 4hr drive we arrived in the tourist town and were dropped off at the hotel. I was told that I had 30mins to settle in before they would be back to collect me for the tour to the dunes. I think about 5 mins later there was a knock at the door. So we were off. The group now consisted of the French couple, 3 Ladies from Sao Paulo and myself. I was changing from Spanish to Portuguese when trying to communicate. I also acted as a very bad translator, when the French lady and the 3 Brazilians were stuck on words, during their conversation. I was really bad at it, as sometimes I did not know the word, so I said it in English or tried to use something that was similar. Anyway, the walk to the one and only lake we could find was hot and tiring, but very enjoyable, as I got to practice some more Portuguese. It was so dry! The sun was so hot! I can see why you would be in a lot of trouble is you did not have water with you.

On arrival at the lake, an hour after we started walking, we all jumped into the water and swam. About an hour later, I was just starting to relax and feel the heat leave my body, when the guide said… “Let’s go. We will return to town for lunch”. I was a little disappointed, but left the water and started to walk. On the return journey I discussed with the 3 ladies that it would have been better to take lunch with us and stay out at the lake for more time, as this was a major reason why we had travelled here in the first place. They agreed.

I had lunch with the French couple, as we had dropped off the 3 ladies at their hotel, which had a great restaurant, which we discovered later in the Lonely Planet Guide Book. Not to worry, as I enjoyed my meal of fresh fish. When we were dropped off the driver was talking about roads and my hotel. I asked him to speak slower to me to help my understanding. He just looked at me, gave me a ‘whatever’ look and kept on talking fast, pointing away from the restaurant. Not really understanding it all, I just nodded and said “Yes. My hotel is that way”. After lunch the waiter started doing the same thing as the driver with me. I looked at the French lady and said, “I think he is your guide for the hotel” and she like me believed that we were to be driven back, as it had said in our programme. I started walking, trying to follow his instructions. Normally I am very good with instructions and directions and have a general good sense of direction; I just do not know what happened on this day. I walked the streets for about an hour, trying to find my hotel. As the name of my hotel was ‘Hotel River’, when asking for directions, I was always given directions to the river. I think wearing my bathers and having a towel around my neck didn’t help… not to mention my poor Portuguese speaking ability (I understand more than I can speak). I eventually went back to the restaurant to start over again… This time trying to remember buildings, trees, etc… and not listening to the directions I was given. I found the hotel in about 15mins. When I arrived I saw the driver, from the morning, and complained about the lack of service, service I had paid for and expected. He was very apologetic.

The following day we all went on a speed boat riverboat cruise. We stopped off at various small villages for a stretch of the legs, photo opportunities and of course the usual purchases of either overpriced snacks or drinks. During the trip I met a girl from Canada who was travelling like me, taking her time, knowing that she had a flight out of Brazil in a month, from Forteleza, the next major city along the coast. She was happy to have a conversation with someone else who was a native English speaker, without a heavy accent… I understood what she meant. She asked when I was leaving and when I said that afternoon, she asked that I stay on an extra night so we could talk a little more and go to the local Jazz club together. I declined the offer and after the boat cruise returned to the hotel, packed my things and jumped onto the mini-van that drove me back to Sao Luis.

The following morning I arranged to go to the farm with Zilmar. First I had the day to relax, so I went to the beach. I walked for ages, just looking at the ocean, finally finding a spot to swim and enjoy the waters, making sure I kept an eye on my things. It was a great time of thinking about things and contemplating others. I thought of many things that day, where I had been in my life and where I was going. My friends, both in Australia and abroad, and especially my family were all thought of.

The following morning, Zilmar and I went to the farm. It was about a 2hr drive, but it was great to be out and about again see other parts of Brazil. The farm is great. I spent my days fishing, reading my bible, walking, looking at buffalo and sleeping in a hammock. It was very relaxing and very enjoyable. Even with the language barrier, Zilmar and I had many laughs, especially when I told him stories of my adventures in Brazil. I met the family that manages the farm when Zilmar is not there. They are a wonderful family and I got on well with them. I struggled to understand the mother, but the daughters and the husband were not as bad. During discussions I heard about the difficulties they girls have because of a lack of teachers. Sometimes they don’t have a subject ofor a whole semester or even a whole year because they have no teacher. This semester it was a lack of Maths and a lack of English teachers. I think that rural life in Brazil is a little harder than rural life in Australia. On the final day Zilmar, his brother and I all went motorbike riding. It was such great fun. I really enjoyed going at top gear, with the throttle on full, not knowing how fast I was going. I felt like I was just flying. It was so much fun.

That afternoon we returned to Sao Luis, as we needed to go to Marcus’ girlfriend’s party, which was being held that night. On arrival at home about 7pm, I thought, I must go and get ready as we have a party to go to. It wasn’t until later that I found out the party was to start at 11pm! Security was high, but when your Dad is the head policeman of Sao Luis, I guess that you can pull a few cops to guard your daughter’s birthday. After we had chatted for a little and had a few cool drinks, we danced and socialised. Dinner was served at 1:30am. Now that is a late dinner. We did some more dancing and then left to go home at 3am. What a different lifestyle. I guess the only party I have ever been to that starts at 11pm, is a NYE party. I was told that that was very common in Brazil. The following morning I arranged my return flight to Brasilia, my stopping point for my return journey to Campinas. I really enjoyed my time in Sao Luis and I have promised that I will return, one day, if they will have me. Zilmar said that he wants to visit me in Australia in the next 2 years. We had made a very good connection, even with the major language barrier we had.

Obrigado Zilmar para tudo. Voce tem uma familia linda e que legal da fazenda.