People who Rock your Socks Off

The world is good. Yep, that’s right.  When traveling it’s easy to meet others who prove how  awesome people can be.  Lucky for me, I encountered a group that went above and beyond all expectations. They provided me with entertainment, lots of adventures, lessons about children, a place to belong, and a group to call my own.  They went from being a group of strangers to my adopted family.    The group consisted of an American family and a Canadian family, in total four adults and four children.   Each family is currently living in Curitiba for a total of two years for their jobs.  They are using their time off wisely to explore Brazil.  I think it is so cool that the children have such a unique opportunity

They arrived to Meia Lua on Sunday and I guess it’s true that first impressions don’t mean everything because my first encounter with them was our day walk around the ranch.  I think it possibly felt like one of the longest walks of their lives.   The poor kids had been traveling all day and were not up to a 1.5 hour walk through the Pantanal.  On top of that, one thing to learn about kids is that what would be 1.5 hour walk for you is going to be more than a 2.5hr walk for them.  Yep.  It’s a good thing they didn’t hold the walk against me!  Over the next week, Mirjam let me accompany them on several really cool activities.  We went to Estrada Parque for a full day where we did a driving safari, a walk through the jungle, lunch and a boat ride.  We saw armadillos, coati, parakeets, macaws, storks, herons, kingfishers, anhingas, lots of caiman and more.  Later in the week, I accompanied them to Fazenda San Francisco.  It was a very upbeat and busy Fazenda.  We arrived just in time for a snack and then we boarded the jeep for our night safari.  It was one of the coolest things I’ve done.  We unfortunately didn’t see any jaguars but we did see two other small cats, marsh deer, capybara, and more.  Plus, we had our own lighting show in the distance. After the safari we ate a delicious meal and headed home.  It was awesome! At the farm, I was able to help with other activities such as fishing and a night safari.   Both of these went much better than our first walk.  The boys caught a few fish and we were even able to use a go-pro to see the fish nibbling on the bait.  Now that’s cool.   We strategized how to make the night safari more kid friendly and shortened it so we were able to enjoy a stroll to the lake where we saw capybara, camin eyes, and frogs.  We ended the night with flashlight sword fighting and the song “what does the fox say” creatively changed to “what does the poo say.”

In the meantime, I was working out how long I would stay at Meia Lua.  Mirjam wanted me to stay longer than my original two weeks to help out why she was away.  I wanted to see Bonito.  So we worked out a plan.  I would accompany a group to Bonito to help them with translating and after I would return to Meia Lua to stay.   It just so happened that my new friends were headed to Bonito!  Mirjam called to make plans and I tried to figure out a way to tell them I was again tagging along with them. 

Lucky for me, they graciously accepted me without hesitation! I’m telling you these people rock.  We headed out early Thursday morning to Bonito.  It was a cold and rainy morning so we were unsure of how our activities would play out.  We arrived to our first place, Rio do peixe (fish river), and found it closed.  We said hello to their pet tapir and loaded back into the van.  We relocated to another place where they informed us we would be taking a walk to see the waterfalls.  We again asked about how kid friendly it was.  Quinn, the youngest, is only three but he’s a champ. I was so impressed because he took on every activity like a pro.  So our “kid friendly hike” ended up being a little longer and more difficult than planned but never less it was fun!  People usually swim but with the rain and cold it wasn’t on our list of things to do.  That is, until I saw the jumping platform.  Then I couldn’t resist a good adrenaline rush.  We ended our walk with lunch and dessert… and then more dessert.  It was the best dolce de leite ever.  Afterward, our driver took us to our Pousada. 

Things had been a little iffy about the pousada and where I would stay.  Originally, I was supposed to have my own room. Then they told me that wouldn’t work and I would have to share a room with the driver.  I guess this is where I should input that I have a yes man attitude here.  Whatever people offer to do or see or eat I say yes to.  So when they told me that to go I would need to share a room with the driver I immediately said yes.  Sure, whatever, I’ll juggle fire and jump in the lion pit to go to Bonito… Later in the afternoon I started thinking about that and that maybe it wasn’t a good idea.  Maybe sharing a bedroom with some strange guy who doesn’t speak English isn’t the best idea I’ve ever had….  So early that morning before we left for Bonito I quickly asked for other arrangements.   They called the hostel across the street and said I could stay there. 

Okay… so back to my story.  We arrived at the Pousada, they get all checked in and I went across the street to check into the hostel.  As I laid there taking a nap, I was beating myself up about not planning better.  Surely, I could have asked for a room at the Pousada.  What was I thinking?  Did they not have a room available or was there just not one for a reduced price?  Sure I was traveling on a tight budget but I could surely afford to stay with my new family.  I lay there thinking that my mom would kick my ass if she could see me now. 

After a quick shower, I went back across the street to hang out with my peeps and get ready for dinner.  They had two surprises waiting for me.  The mama bears were not happy that I was across the street.  They told me to get my stuff and that I would be staying there with them.  I was in awe of their generosity.  It was not just that they had arranged a room for me there but that they had swooped in and fixed the problem I had created, recognized and decided to do nothing about.  In one simple action, they made me feel loved, included, and worthy.  I only hope that one day, I can pass on this favor to someone else. 

So after Frank, the owner of the Pousada, got me all tucked in we headed to dinner.  We ate at a delicious restaurant called Casa de Jao. I tried a Caipirinha with sake and sampled several yummy plates.   That night I was able to hang with the fams around a good bottle of wine. (The wine and coffee here is to die for!)

The next day, we woke up to the hope of sunshine!  Woo hoo!   We all loaded up into the van and headed to Rio Sucuri  (Anaconda River).  There we got our wetsuits on, grabbed our snorkeling masks and headed to the river.  We floated down on our stomachs for 45 minutes!  It was stunningly beautiful.  The water was very clear and it was easy to see the fish.  The tour guide asked if all the kids would be floating and we replied of course they were.  When you have kids that are this cool, they do it all!  After lunch we headed over to Praia de Figueira  (Fig Beach).  You could tell that it could be a hopping little place, but in the cold we were pretty much the only ones there.  We enjoyed the trampoline, slack line, water, and zip line (kind of).  

Back at the pousada, I got to hang out with the kids and color.  Did you know how much effort goes into making a treasure hunt!? Iso lucky to have been able to hang out with such a cool group.  They impressed me with how much stuff they were willing to do and try.  They also taught me so much.  Like for instance, sometimes trying to understand a three year old’s story in similar to trying to understand Portuguese.  He he.  But really,  they thought I was looking after the kids but really they were looking after me.  After pizza, I had to say goodbye to everyone.  It was hard to leave them.  They showed me what being a family is all about.   

I woke up the next morning and ate breakfast alone.  It was quite and boring!  I was able to talk more with Frank and Maria, the owners of the Pousada.  Speaking of people who rock your socks, they are awesome.  They have owned the place for seven years and are originally from Germany.  They have a farm outside of Bonito where they grow vegetables and keep bees.  They even sold their honey at the pousada!  Too Cool.  I could easily spend a lot of time there!

I caught a ride to Miranda with a transport van that contained about seven guys from Australia who were backpacking through South America. Now they had some… uhhh… interesting stories.  I arrived back at Meia Lua to a lot of rain.  I spent the day relaxing and thinking about my cool journey!

A big thanks goes to my new Curitiba friends!   You guys are amazing! J

(Sorry about not having more pictures.  The internet here is SUPER SLOW!) 

Week one at Meia Lua

After wandering around the airport like a bit of a lost soul, I found my driver and also the group of guests bound for the farm.  We boarded the van and slept off the three hour drive.  I arrived to smiles, hugs, and a great vibe.  That’s how the farm works in general.  It’s a wholesome experience not quite super hippy far but far more than your average guest hotel.   I ditched my bag in my small room and set off to find my place.   It was hard at first.  I wasn’t sure where my place was or what was expected of me.  But soon enough I was elbows deep in dishes and joking with the staff.   I drank from a coconut, explained what a churrasco was to the guests, and ate a wonderful meal.  I finished drying the last dish at 9:30 and fell into bed completely exhausted, after saying goodbye to the tree frog hanging out on my wall.

The following Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were extremely busy.  I worked from 8am to 9at night doing a variety of things.   I tried to keep busy to prove myself.  I wanted to earn my place and make sure I was doing enough to help.  I then realized that I could relax a bit and still be really helpful!  I took time to lay in the hammocks and enjoy the pool.   Although I always had something to do, I did not feel stressed.  I took time to drink fresh cane juice and watch the Toucans in the trees.

During the week, I was able to help with the activities that the farm offers.  One activity was fishing.  There is a pond on the farm that has taipers.  They are a carnivorous fish.  Here I was, cutting up raw meat, putting it on a bamboo fishing pole, handing it to guest, and enthusiastically talking about fishing.  Man, if my dad could have seen me then.  He’s tried for years to get me interested in fishing and here I am in Brazil taking on the role of fishing guide.  Go Kaylee Go.  Fake it until you make it.  Sure, I’ll hold on to this slippery fish and remove the hook from his mouth and show him to you.  No big deal.  I do this on the daily…..  My first fishing experience was with two young guys from Switzerland.  They looked like they had just about as much experience as myself fishing.  It was very entertaining.   My favorite activity on the farm is the night walk safari.  We walk past the pond, into the jungle, and across a field in the pitch dark.  It’s awesome! Between the stars, the glow of the flashlights, the mysterious sounds coming from the dark, and good company, it’s a recipe for success.  Other things to do on the farm include horseback riding and a day walk.

On my second day, I rode out with two boys who worked on the ranch to help clear the horse trails.  As I was galloping across the ranch, I was ecstatic.  Dream come true.  Here I was riding a horse in the middle of the Pantanal.  At one point I looked down at my arms and I saw I was covered in dirt.  I tried to brush off my arms and realized that it wasn’t dirt.  My new friend, Gabriel, nicely informed me that those are what we call ticks.  CRAP!  They were tiny, no bigger than the tip of a pen, and they were at least 50 on each arm.  As I repeated, “nobody panic” over and over I started pulling them off one by one.  After what seemed like forever, I gave up pulling them off and decided I would continue later, which I did for the next several days.  I had the girls in the kitchen pull some off my shoulders.  I also had an amazing family help check my back.  They were from California and were visiting family/vacationing in Brazil.  She practices medicine at home and was delighted to help.  We arrived to the farm at the same time and she was a pleasure to have around.  She supplied that “mom” presence as I adjusted to the place.   My favorite thing to do is work with the tourists because it’s so fun to hear their stories.  Some really amazing people have come through here. 

On Friday, after a week full of activities many of the tourists headed out and by Friday afternoon the place was empty.  I took the free time to catch up with things like hanging in the hammocks, going on a bike ride, and climbing the watch tower to see the sunset.  It was awesome!  During the weekend, friends of the family visited and it was a really neat experience.  He was a spiritual guider and led family constellations. I also started running again after a (cough cough) temporary break.  Although it was a bit painful it was amazing.  There a two mile dirt road that leaves the fazenda and heads towards the main road.  When running it you are surrounded by nothing by pastures.  You see your occasional cow but also your occasional ant eater, greater rhea, serima, etc.  It’s absolutely amazing.  I swear, the animals here are straight out of a fairy tale.  I also had to say goodbye to Gabriel, which left me as the only “guide” who now spoke English.   Nobody, thought it would be an issue because I can go with a Portuguese speaking guide and “translate” what he is saying.  Oh boy, I knew things were about to get interesting.  Again, fake it until you make it.   I was ready and excited to see what the next week would bring.  Little did I know I would find a new family!

Story Time

What can I say? Life is good when every day you wake up in paradise, meet and work with amazing people, and fall asleep completely exhausted.  So following with my usual routine when I’m traveling, I’ve been slack with my blog.  It’s just there’s so much to do and see I’m not disciplined enough to sit myself down in timeout for an hour and catch up. So I apologize.  Let’s do some story telling.

Where:  A fazenda by the name of Meia Lua (Half Moon) located 10 minutes from the town of Miranda.  It is on the outskirts of the Pantanal.  The pousada is located on a very large cattle farm and contains a kitchen, dining room, porch, pool, churrascaria, and several guest houses.

When:  I arrived two Mondays ago to a place full of tourists, a churrasco, and a sink full of dishes.  I leave August 4^th on a night bus to foz de iguacu.

Why:  I came here because I wanted to explore the Pantanal at a reduced rate and also have a temporary place to call home.  I found more than I could have imagined.

What:  I am working as a volunteer at the pousada doing anything they need.  I work in exchange for a room and food and also fun activities.  I help a lot in the kitchen, especially with dishes.  When you are cooking for 10 to 20 people dishes pile up FAST.  If there were a certification program for dishwashing, I would be a certified expert. I’ve also been able to work in the Garden.  They have this neat system where you plant your garden so there are tall plants (trees), medium plants (like corn and tomato), and then your smaller ground cover (like salads and squash).  I planted many seeds last week and watered them everyday.  This week I have been able to see the fruits of my labor with many new little sprouts!  It’s SO COOL!  People are going to eat from these plants that I planted.  Why have I not been more involved with a garden before.  What is wrong with me???   Anywho, back to the story. My main priority is to communicate with the guest and act as a translator.  This can be a bit tricky at times because my Portuguese is really rocky but for the most part it works out.   I go on activities with the guests to act as a translator and guide.  I sure had to learn the animals and plants quickly!  I constantly stay busy but I’m loving every minute of it. 

Who:  This is the most important part of the story.  But isn’t it always?  It’s the people in our life that make it rich.  I was lucky enough to have stumbled upon a pretty stellar group.  The farm is owned and run by Mirjam.  She is from Swizerland but has lived in Brazil for many years.  She is extremely welcoming and takes great care of her guests.  The staff is small and dedicated.  They keep the place running. There are two men who are responsible for taking care of the property as well as guiding trips. They are both very nice and understanding of my speech limitations.  Last but not least is the group of women who run the kitchen and clean the rooms.  Their creative abilities with food are limitless.  I stick with them most of the time and try to learn as much as I can.   Mariem is the only person who speaks English so my Portuguese skills are really being tested! Last but not least are the tourists who are visiting the farm.  They all come from different places and have great stories to share.  My experience would not be the same without them.

Why:  I’m not really sure what goes here.  I guess I should have paid more attention in English class.  But I’m going to go with… because life is beautiful! 

There you go.  A quick catch up.  A small rough draft of my time here.  But don’t worry.  My story isn’t over!  It’s just beginning. 

Wishing you fresh coconuts right of the tree and toucans outside your windows,

Kaylee

Not all Who Wander are Lost

Well, it's been two days since take off.  I'm in Campo Grande waiting for my ride to the farm in the Pantanal.  I'm a bundle of mixed emotions.  First of all, I lied.  The whole  "I've got a gypsy soul to blame and I was born for leaving"  is bullshit.  I may have a gypsy soul but I was not born for leaving.  Leaving is hard.  Really, Really Hard.   I did not want to get on that bus and leave Santa Maria.  Yet, I chose to make plans in the Pantanal and head out when the program ended.  I could have stayed longer but I wanted to see more of Brazil.  So why was it so hard to actually leave!?  Gah.  I think it's hard to accept that my time in Santa Maria is over. I miss my family, my house, my comfort zone.  I think I'm also faced with the fact that I wish I would have done more and seen more in my two months.  I know that's ridiculous.   I want to rewind the two months and start again.  There are many things I would have done differently.  But I guess hindsight is 20/20.    On a different hand, I know that I did do so many things!  It's impressive when I look back at all the stuff I accomplished.   I guess there will always be demons demanding that you give more. 

After getting on the bus as a hot, crying mess, I spent the next several hours sulking and watching Ghost Rider.  The view to Porto Alegre was beautiful.  Although I've made the trip several times, It's always been in the dark.   I got off the bus and my friend Wilia was waiting for me!   She is retired but worked as a veterinary virologist for many years! I first met Wilia in Athens where she spent a month visiting friends.  She tutored us in portuguese for almost a month! She also picked up up from the airport when we first arrived.  It was relief to see her!  She drove me around for a good couple of hours and gave me a tour of the city!  What a cool place! It was way more legit than I was expecting.  I'm not sure why I currently have these stereotypes against big cities, but Porto Alegre sure proved me wrong.  It had a beautiful, old historic district with buildings I would only expect to find in movies and books.  You could easily see the european influence. There were also a ton of park areas with old, protective trees.  Porto Alegre sits near a very large lagoon.  The city has created many great ways for people to enjoy the lagoon.  There are parks beside the water, a nice walking path, and even bikes you can rent to ride.   I felt like I was at the beach.  There were so many people out and about because it was an absolutely beautiful Saturday.  The city felt so alive.  

After our tour, we went back to her really cool apartment and watched the Brazil-Holand game.  I was  exhausted and fighting with all my sad feelings of leaving Santa Maria so I took a quick nap.  It's a good thing I did because afterwards we went to a delicious restaurant with her daughter.  It was Paraguayan food and we ordered several dishes to split.  We had a roasted red pepper, caesar salad, melted cheese block thing, steak, a baked potato covered in cheese and of course dessert.   I had a blast and it was fun to practice my Portuguese with them.  The staff was very nice and invited me to take a picture behind the counter at the grill.  I had consumed just enough wine to think that was a great idea.   After dinner,  we headed back to the apartment.  I went directly to sleep!

The next morning, they graciously gave me a ride to the airport.  I was running a little late and was dismayed to find I had to wait in line to check my bag.  After my experience in Sao Paulo, where I ran around like a crazy person, couldn't speak to anyone, and barley made my plane, I'm a bit weary of airports.   Lucky for me, everything was fine and I was planted firmly in my seat long before the plane departed.  I even got to sit beside the cutest little boy and his mom.  He informed he his name was Lucas.  He liked to play with his toy figures from Toy Story and could also count to ten in English.  Muito Legal! (Very Cool!)  

When my plane landed, I happened to make friends with an older lady who had the same connecting flight as me. I'm not sure who was more nervous to find their flight.  I think she may have won.  We communicated only in Portuguese and it was easy!  We found our way and talked about where we were going.   I even convinced her that our gate had changed and we needed to move.  It's times like these I realize maybe I have learned quite a bit of Portuguese!  WOW! 

I arrived in Campo Grande to a small airport and a lot of obvious travelers.  It's weird to see and hear other Americans again. It's actually kind of fun to play guess who's not from Brazil.  I found a open air cafe where I could properly enjoy the drop dead, beautiful day.  It's so warm here!  And sunny!  Almost tropical.  

Yari picked me up with her two friends and off we went to a friend's house to watch the last game of the world cup!  It was great to Yari.  Like usual, she had it going on.  She's pretty much a rockstar.  She's fluent in Portuguese.  I mean freaking fluent.  She's from Porto Rico and speaks Spanish so I think it helped her a lot.  But I know she also put in a lot of time and effort.  She's the kind of person you want working on your team.   I had so much fun getting to know a few of her friends.  We watched the game, made and ate an amazing dessert, and looked up different dance videos on youtube.  I held my own somewhat at the beginning with my Portuguese but as the night drew on and I became tired I felt like I was barely comprehending anything. It's times like these I'm so mad at myself for not knowing more Portuguese.  I scream at myself,  "What were you doing the last two months!!!???"  You had all this time to become fluent in Portuguese and you still speak like a relatively smart parrot.  Aye Aye Aye. 

That night, we went back to Yari's place and hung out.  I kept her up talking about her time in Brazil even though she had to leave the house at 4:30am!   That's right 4:30!  She is spending the next week in the Pantanal through her university doing work on three different farms! 

I am now back at the airport where I await a ride to the farm I'll be working at.  I'm really excited!  Bring it on Pantanal! 

Goodbyes are the Hardest Part

Here I sit.  It' is July 12th, 2014.  A regular old Saturday except that I just ate my last breakfast at my home in Santa Maria, Brazil.   If at all possible, this week has flown by fastest of all.   It has been a roller coaster ride and my emotions don't know if they are coming or going.    Two months is no time at all.  Two months is a drop in the ocean.  Having only two months is like being teased with those sample fudge pieces at the beach when you can clearly see the fudgery and full bars of chocolate through the window.   Yet, these two months were mine.  All mine.  I hope that I treated them fairly and soaked as much experience up as possible.   I wouldn't trade my two months for anything.

This last week has been full of errands, packing, and saying goodbyes.  Professora Mara had us over for dinner. It was really nice and I'm so glad I was able to spend some time with her before we left.   We said goodbye to everyone at the university including pathology, surgery, and embryolab.  We hugged all of our friends.  And I even had to watch Ashlee board a bus without me yesterday headed to Foz do Iguaçu.

The hardest part is leaving my family.   I'm going to miss them so much. What an incredible family!  They picked up some random, wide eyed American girl from the bus stop who probably looked bedraggled and bewildered and accepted her into their family with open arms.  Who does that?  Well let me tell you,  These people!   There have already been many tears shed and I haven't even left yet.  Eish!  Looking at my empty room makes me sad!  

There's a quote from Eat, Pray, Love that I wrote down when I read it.   It goes...

"In the end, though, maybe we must all give up trying to pay back the people in this world who sustain our lives. In the end, maybe it's wiser to surrender before the miraculous scope  of human generosity and to just keep saying thank you, forever and sincerely, for as long as we have voices."

I think it is so fitting.  I have been so well taken care of here it is unbelievable.  I can't think of anyway to pay them back except to pay it forward. 

So what awaits me in the next month?

Being the procrastinator that I am, I waited until the last second to plan my future travels.  I return home August 8th and I therefore have almost a month to explore Brazil.  The possibilities were endless and I had ideas ranging from volunteering at a bird sanctuary, to taking portuguese lessons, to learning to surf, to jumping from hostel to hostel, to simply staying in Santa Maria.   I finally started sending out emails this weekend to places in the pantanal.  The pantanal is one of the biggest wetlands in the world.  It hosts an amazing array of flora and fauna.  I've had my eyes set on the Pantanal before I even stepped foot in Brazil.   Lucky for me, two different farms contacted me back with the option of volunteering for two weeks in exchange for a place to sleep and food.  I was beyond happy.  My mind started to create lavish stories of the adventures I would have while working on the farms.   The hardest part was choosing which farm to go to. Both farms were similar in that they were working farms that offered a place to stay for tourists and adventure packages such as horseback riding, wildlife night drives, and fishing for piranhas.  I went about choosing in a completely logical way of making lists, worrying, complaining, stressing, asking people what to do, and flipping coins.  In the end my decision was made by the farm that responded last.  You see, having given myself less than a week to make plans, I was pressed to get the ball rolling.  Thursday afternoon, I booked a bus ticket, plane ticket, and choose a farm.   I will be volunteering for at least two weeks.  Then I'll head out to wherever the wind blows me... Probably Bonito, the Falls, and maybe Florinopolis! 

Although it is hard, almost impossible, to leave Santa Maria, I feel the need to get back on the traveling bus where it's only my backpack and the open road.  I'm ready for adventure. I can't wait to explore this new place and experience the culture of another state.   "I've got a gypsy soul to blame and I was born for leaving..."