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!