ALL OF BRAZIL! READ ME!
NEPTUNE DAY:
When you cross the Equator you participate in an all day event called Neptune Day. Starts at 730am, when you are awoken by the staff dressed up as tribal members marching through the halls. Afterwards, you walk up to the top deck where you await for the “king and queen”( our two deans) to arrive with their possy and sit in their “throwns”. It was so cool, the staff really went all out with their costumes, and the drums and decorations to make this a cool event. Once they arrived, the fish guts started being poured. It’s a tradition that when you cross the equator you have to get fish guts(which were just some weird solution of something) poured on you, you then kiss a fish, and its official. Another tradition that happened after the fish guts, was the shaving of heads. I think about 50 people got their heads shaved(like 6 or 7 were girls) by the captain. Pretty cool thing, everyone was getting hard core into it. Im pretty sure ive never been in hotter weather than that day of the equator. The water was the same temperature as the air they said. Man it was hot, you could just feel the sun beating down on you, and you knew it was really close.
TEST:
The following day we had our first global studies exam(the one class that everyone including teachers has to take). I was really nervous of course, partly cause im insane and I always freak out before exams, and party because I missed the first three days of class because I was sea-sick. I ended up getting an 80, which made me very happy. All that worrying for nothing. It was hard to sleep that night cause the next day we were arriving in Salvador.
BRAZIL DAY 1:
I had planned a kindergarten service visit, a 3 day hike, and a soccer game. The kindergarten trip got canceled because apparently its like summer break, I was so pissed because it was my only service visit planned for Brazil, and I bought tons of gifts for the kids. You would think that the travel agent would have thought to make sure that school was in session, before they booked 200 kids to do this trip!! Just the beginning of the disappointing Semester at Sea travel agent screw ups.
So anyways, it was canceled, so I decided to walk around Salvador with a few friends, do some shopping, see the culture(not the sights, you all know how I feel about museums and churches). It was so incredible. I cant even explain. Brazil is full of life, it was infectious. Even though there are 2 million people that live in the greater Salvador area, the streets are small, cobble stoned, and full of character. It was about a thousand degrees, which, again if anyone knows me knows that I would have been complaining and would have stayed in the first air conditioned place I could find. NOPE! I sucked it up and walked around in the scorching heat and had a blast sweating my butt off. I bought some art, ice cream, we had the most incredible lunch, internet café real quick to let you all know I was still alive, and just enjoyed the charm of the city. At night we went out to a nice restaurant, had a few drinks and appetizers, and called it a night. Nothing was really open because it was a Wednesday and they were all preparing for Carnival.
DAY 2-5. LENCOIS.
Hiking. Holy crap did we do a lot of hiking. First of all it was a 7 hour bus ride to Lencois(which is pronounced len-coy-eees). We left around 8am and arrived around 3pm-ish. We put down our stuff and went for an hour hike to these water holes where the local village was swimming. It was a cute little spot, with a view of the entire town. Lencois is west of Salvador, and is in the diamond highlands(was mined for diamonds much like the California gold rush). Its absolutely beautiful, very lush and just so peaceful. Our hotel was 5 star, yet the town was very concerned with ecology and preserving the land, so everything was made from recycled paper, the lights automatically turned off, etc. It had a very Mediterranean feel to it, open areas, white couches, big pool, lots of flowers, just gorgeous. We took a swim after the hike, had filet mignon and the most amazing mashed potatoes ever, and walked around the town for a bit before going to bed. No one wanted to do too much because we knew we had a 6 hour hike ahead of us the next day. So Friday rolls around, we have breakfast, which by the way, had about 5 different kinds of cake(chocolate, carrot), it was insane. They offered cookies, all these interesting fruits and just weird food we had never seen before. We left the hotel around 845, and did not get back till 6pm. Our day was 8 hours long, hiking 6 of that. Im not even joking, it was a 3 hour hike, EACH WAY. Everyone, athletic or not, was DYING during and after the hike. I wish I could describe how insane it was. Most of it was steep uphill walking, all through the mountains. It was 95 degrees in the Brazilian equator heat. Man oh man. Luckily about every 45 minutes we would stop at a natural water hole carved out of stone and have a quick swim and fill up our water bottles(the mountain water was fine to drink). We had to hike a hour through this deep river canon with all these huge rocks, it was the most difficult thing ive done I swear, but I had the BEST time and really was glad I did it. We finally ended up at this huge waterfall, which everyone jumped off the rocks into the water. Youll all be glad to read that I jumped EVERY time you could, at each of the 3 water jumps along the way. I have it all on tape too. J
The one at the waterfall was brutal. I started jumping off straight, but then I kinda got into this chair position, almost like a cannon ball, but without holding my legs up, so I landed completely on my butt. I kid you not, the worst pain EVER, and the FIRST thing I said, no joke, when I surfaced to the water, was “OW, MY ASSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!” everyone was laughing, it hurt so bad! Haha what ya gonna do. When we got back, we took a nap, had another amazing meal, and then went to bed. The next day, only about half of us did the hike, most of us were too soar or tired to go on the final hike. We laid by the pool, did some shopping, etc. Had another 7 hour bus ride, and we stopped to have dinner before we got back to the ship. It was at this restaurant very typical of brazil in which the waiters walk around with all these different kinds of meats on skewers and give it to you until you turn your little paper over and say your finished. It was so much fun. We got back to the ship around 1130, went to bed.
LAST DAY IN BRAZIL:
Today is Sunday. I just got back from the soccer game. Basically today we just did some last minute shopping for souvenirs etc. I met an amazingly beautiful Brazilian guy, we talked for about an hour, but, yet again, it was time to leave. This is going to be the heartbreaking trip of the century, for both them and me!! Hahah. It sucks, you’re like hey your gorgeous lets hang out all week and then say goodbye forever. Oh well, don’t have to worry about drama, just have a good time and leave it at that!. Anyways, after shopping, we left for our buses to take us to the game. It was INSANE. HOLY CRAP I have never seen people react to a sport like this. The fans are just out of their minds. Everyone is wearing jerseys, screaming, having an amazing time. The stadium we went to seats 80,000. There were probably 20,000 there, plus or minus. About 400 Semester at Sea students went. We had about 10 buses. I loved seeing all the excitement in the stadium. You couldn’t help but scream with them. I got it all on video, I cant wait to show you all when I get back. They have about a zillion armed guards on call. The refs have to be escorted by 6-8 armed guards with dogs on and off the field. People go crazy at games. The cheers were so fun, they had fireworks, drums, just craziness. The game was 1-1. Apparently they were concerned with having a winner. It was really pathetic though because all throughout the game the Americans were getting up and down to get more beer. I swear, as long as people were playing the game, the Brazilians were watching. I was surprised at how little alcohol was being drank. I thought they all would get trashed at things like this, I guess not. Our group was 10 times more interested in alcohol. It just made me think about sporting events in American compared to other countries. For Americans, it’s a place to do business, to mingle, it’s a social event. Rarely does anyone ever watch the game. Not in Brazil. They are completely focused on the game, and if they do get up, its only during half time, but even then it seemed like everyone was staying in their seats. They don’t need alcohol to be wild, there like that enough just being themselves. Overall, Brazil was incredible. I wish I knew better adjectives to describe how special this place was. You have to come here to believe me. I will be going to Carnival next year if not the year after that, and am sure to consider it one of my favorite places ive visited. Id say Italy # 1, Brazil # 2.
I wish I could write more but Im so exhausted its ridiculous. Im so soar I can barely move. Thank god I have no classes tomorrow cause it’s a “B” day.
P.S. MY BIRTHDAYS ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost forget its coming because our schedule is so crazy. Probably just head to pub night and have a few drinks, nothing too exciting as we will be in the middle of the ocean.
Miss you all, love to hear how your doing. Take care with everything.
:)
Sara
When you cross the Equator you participate in an all day event called Neptune Day. Starts at 730am, when you are awoken by the staff dressed up as tribal members marching through the halls. Afterwards, you walk up to the top deck where you await for the “king and queen”( our two deans) to arrive with their possy and sit in their “throwns”. It was so cool, the staff really went all out with their costumes, and the drums and decorations to make this a cool event. Once they arrived, the fish guts started being poured. It’s a tradition that when you cross the equator you have to get fish guts(which were just some weird solution of something) poured on you, you then kiss a fish, and its official. Another tradition that happened after the fish guts, was the shaving of heads. I think about 50 people got their heads shaved(like 6 or 7 were girls) by the captain. Pretty cool thing, everyone was getting hard core into it. Im pretty sure ive never been in hotter weather than that day of the equator. The water was the same temperature as the air they said. Man it was hot, you could just feel the sun beating down on you, and you knew it was really close.
TEST:
The following day we had our first global studies exam(the one class that everyone including teachers has to take). I was really nervous of course, partly cause im insane and I always freak out before exams, and party because I missed the first three days of class because I was sea-sick. I ended up getting an 80, which made me very happy. All that worrying for nothing. It was hard to sleep that night cause the next day we were arriving in Salvador.
BRAZIL DAY 1:
I had planned a kindergarten service visit, a 3 day hike, and a soccer game. The kindergarten trip got canceled because apparently its like summer break, I was so pissed because it was my only service visit planned for Brazil, and I bought tons of gifts for the kids. You would think that the travel agent would have thought to make sure that school was in session, before they booked 200 kids to do this trip!! Just the beginning of the disappointing Semester at Sea travel agent screw ups.
So anyways, it was canceled, so I decided to walk around Salvador with a few friends, do some shopping, see the culture(not the sights, you all know how I feel about museums and churches). It was so incredible. I cant even explain. Brazil is full of life, it was infectious. Even though there are 2 million people that live in the greater Salvador area, the streets are small, cobble stoned, and full of character. It was about a thousand degrees, which, again if anyone knows me knows that I would have been complaining and would have stayed in the first air conditioned place I could find. NOPE! I sucked it up and walked around in the scorching heat and had a blast sweating my butt off. I bought some art, ice cream, we had the most incredible lunch, internet café real quick to let you all know I was still alive, and just enjoyed the charm of the city. At night we went out to a nice restaurant, had a few drinks and appetizers, and called it a night. Nothing was really open because it was a Wednesday and they were all preparing for Carnival.
DAY 2-5. LENCOIS.
Hiking. Holy crap did we do a lot of hiking. First of all it was a 7 hour bus ride to Lencois(which is pronounced len-coy-eees). We left around 8am and arrived around 3pm-ish. We put down our stuff and went for an hour hike to these water holes where the local village was swimming. It was a cute little spot, with a view of the entire town. Lencois is west of Salvador, and is in the diamond highlands(was mined for diamonds much like the California gold rush). Its absolutely beautiful, very lush and just so peaceful. Our hotel was 5 star, yet the town was very concerned with ecology and preserving the land, so everything was made from recycled paper, the lights automatically turned off, etc. It had a very Mediterranean feel to it, open areas, white couches, big pool, lots of flowers, just gorgeous. We took a swim after the hike, had filet mignon and the most amazing mashed potatoes ever, and walked around the town for a bit before going to bed. No one wanted to do too much because we knew we had a 6 hour hike ahead of us the next day. So Friday rolls around, we have breakfast, which by the way, had about 5 different kinds of cake(chocolate, carrot), it was insane. They offered cookies, all these interesting fruits and just weird food we had never seen before. We left the hotel around 845, and did not get back till 6pm. Our day was 8 hours long, hiking 6 of that. Im not even joking, it was a 3 hour hike, EACH WAY. Everyone, athletic or not, was DYING during and after the hike. I wish I could describe how insane it was. Most of it was steep uphill walking, all through the mountains. It was 95 degrees in the Brazilian equator heat. Man oh man. Luckily about every 45 minutes we would stop at a natural water hole carved out of stone and have a quick swim and fill up our water bottles(the mountain water was fine to drink). We had to hike a hour through this deep river canon with all these huge rocks, it was the most difficult thing ive done I swear, but I had the BEST time and really was glad I did it. We finally ended up at this huge waterfall, which everyone jumped off the rocks into the water. Youll all be glad to read that I jumped EVERY time you could, at each of the 3 water jumps along the way. I have it all on tape too. J
The one at the waterfall was brutal. I started jumping off straight, but then I kinda got into this chair position, almost like a cannon ball, but without holding my legs up, so I landed completely on my butt. I kid you not, the worst pain EVER, and the FIRST thing I said, no joke, when I surfaced to the water, was “OW, MY ASSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!” everyone was laughing, it hurt so bad! Haha what ya gonna do. When we got back, we took a nap, had another amazing meal, and then went to bed. The next day, only about half of us did the hike, most of us were too soar or tired to go on the final hike. We laid by the pool, did some shopping, etc. Had another 7 hour bus ride, and we stopped to have dinner before we got back to the ship. It was at this restaurant very typical of brazil in which the waiters walk around with all these different kinds of meats on skewers and give it to you until you turn your little paper over and say your finished. It was so much fun. We got back to the ship around 1130, went to bed.
LAST DAY IN BRAZIL:
Today is Sunday. I just got back from the soccer game. Basically today we just did some last minute shopping for souvenirs etc. I met an amazingly beautiful Brazilian guy, we talked for about an hour, but, yet again, it was time to leave. This is going to be the heartbreaking trip of the century, for both them and me!! Hahah. It sucks, you’re like hey your gorgeous lets hang out all week and then say goodbye forever. Oh well, don’t have to worry about drama, just have a good time and leave it at that!. Anyways, after shopping, we left for our buses to take us to the game. It was INSANE. HOLY CRAP I have never seen people react to a sport like this. The fans are just out of their minds. Everyone is wearing jerseys, screaming, having an amazing time. The stadium we went to seats 80,000. There were probably 20,000 there, plus or minus. About 400 Semester at Sea students went. We had about 10 buses. I loved seeing all the excitement in the stadium. You couldn’t help but scream with them. I got it all on video, I cant wait to show you all when I get back. They have about a zillion armed guards on call. The refs have to be escorted by 6-8 armed guards with dogs on and off the field. People go crazy at games. The cheers were so fun, they had fireworks, drums, just craziness. The game was 1-1. Apparently they were concerned with having a winner. It was really pathetic though because all throughout the game the Americans were getting up and down to get more beer. I swear, as long as people were playing the game, the Brazilians were watching. I was surprised at how little alcohol was being drank. I thought they all would get trashed at things like this, I guess not. Our group was 10 times more interested in alcohol. It just made me think about sporting events in American compared to other countries. For Americans, it’s a place to do business, to mingle, it’s a social event. Rarely does anyone ever watch the game. Not in Brazil. They are completely focused on the game, and if they do get up, its only during half time, but even then it seemed like everyone was staying in their seats. They don’t need alcohol to be wild, there like that enough just being themselves. Overall, Brazil was incredible. I wish I knew better adjectives to describe how special this place was. You have to come here to believe me. I will be going to Carnival next year if not the year after that, and am sure to consider it one of my favorite places ive visited. Id say Italy # 1, Brazil # 2.
I wish I could write more but Im so exhausted its ridiculous. Im so soar I can barely move. Thank god I have no classes tomorrow cause it’s a “B” day.
P.S. MY BIRTHDAYS ON TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost forget its coming because our schedule is so crazy. Probably just head to pub night and have a few drinks, nothing too exciting as we will be in the middle of the ocean.
Miss you all, love to hear how your doing. Take care with everything.
:)
Sara
posted by Sara at 2/06/2006 05:35:00 AM
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