Thursday, May 30, 2019

Pirenopolis Group Retreat

We took an early morning bus to Pirenópolis for the group retreat. The metro was so full that it took two cars going by to find space in a car. Out of the whole bus, the first hour was only 5 people… and a little old woman was next to me and coughing. It was a 3 hour journey to Pirenópolis, and we went to the chalet fazenda. It was 2 km off the asphalt road and cows blocking the dirt road. There were 4 mini buildings with 4 beds each, a pool, a lake and tree house. We went into town to eat at a kilo place and then walk to little shops. I started feeling awful and dehydrated. I helped orchestrate dinner, and we made too little. I presented my workshop on social media and technology usage for helping students.

We went to on a Farm tour that you go and you can pay for breakfast and also get to see the farmhouse that is very iconic of the region that we were in. The breakfast and the tour cost about 20 us dollars and just a tour was about 5 us dollars. I decided to just do the tour and bring my breakfast. It was very tempting looking at all the food as everyone ate and I had to just watch. This lasted for about an hour. I wish that it didn't cost 78 reais for it. We did get to walk around and we saw owls in the rafters of the ceiling and small chickens wandering around. We also went to where the cows were attached to a machine to walk in circles and to juice the sugarcane. We also went over towards an area where there were lots of pigs and piglets. The tour guide was calling, like a pig call, but evidently it was for a huge ox. The ox came over and I was one of the few people who got to feed it with an ear of corn. 
Then we went home to make a quick lunch of spaghetti. We all drove out together to see waterfall Bon Successo. It was 5 waterfalls within 1 trail and we needed to pay 30 reais to get in. They suggested that we start at the farthest waterfall and make our way back. By time we got there around 1:30 it was getting cooler and the sun was starting to set. The water was so cold and it was about 65°. We still went swimming and even went swimming under the waterfalls at two of the waterfalls. It was nice to relax and enjoy on some of the rocks on the side or just to float in the water. And we spent about 2 hours there before we all got really cold as the sun was setting. We drove back to the farm and one of the other teams made a really awesome taco dinner for us. We had lots of workshops and they went on for a lot longer every night then anyone expected.
we had a big pancake and egg breakfast. There were already eight people in the seven person car, meaning that someone definitely couldn't go to the waterfalls in the car. I volunteered to stay behind with some people and then go into town and explore for the morning. We ended up walking around a lot of shops and I was able to buy some of the souvenirs that I was hoping to find with him Brazil. I found some tile that can be hung that are painted, some earrings that were very sparkly and rocks, and a sign that said Lar Doce Lar (home sweet home). It was really nice because I got to hang with Jessica and jazmyn a bit more and hear about their placement team stories and successes. Some people went to a vegan restaurant, but Jessica and I went to this buffet that cost less than a lot of the other restaurants and we really got the chance to chat and talk since we went alone. We met up with more of the people in town and Maddie and I decided to break off while everyone went to a cafe. We went to look at some of the shop and then have an ice pop, which was really refreshing. The flavor was a fruit called Jaboticaba. 
As we were leaving town there was a whole parade full of horses and Cowboys, but not really sure what the event was. The town has really small roads though and all cobblestone so it made it hard to drive through to get gas and find chicken for dinner. When we got back we had a really interesting workshop on games, which helped me because there were some new ones that I had never thought of before. Then we had some dinner and one of the team does made a chicken curry, which was a lot better than all of us expected. We played a card game that was called Dutch blitz and it's very similar to one that I play with my family, called nertz, except that you play with that cards and you still play solitaire using everyone's deck. Patrick and I made some brigadeiro and even rolled them up with sprinkles. I went to bed around midnight.
In the morning, one team left early to catch a bus. We could only buy our tickets for Goianesia in person at the station the day of, but we were successful. 





































Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Sao Bento Waterfall By Chapada dos Veadeiros and Traveling Back to Brasilia



We started earlier this morning, packed up our things, and checked out of the airbnb. We went to the Sao Bento waterfall, which had a total of three waterfalls there, but with different costs. Almecegas 1 and 2 cost 40 reais to enter and Sao Bento was 15 reais, but they all started from the same Pousada area. We started the 300 meter journey to the waterfall and passed by a pretty lake. It was a really short walk there, and we could hear the beginning of the waterfall quickly.
There was a calmer part of the water above the waterfall with a ladder to enter the water, but the water was dark and didn’t look appealing. We continued on and passed by the top of the waterfall and got a view looking down it. Then, we arrived at the bottom of the waterfall, which had steps to enter the open water. It was below the bigger waterfall, but also right next to a smaller stream of ripples and continuing water source.
It took a lot of bravery for me to overcome my fear of that dark water, and not knowing what animals and things might be in there, but I saw the mere 15 feet across one spot of the water to a rock formation that had a great view of the waterfall and wooden boards laid out. Lara and I laid out on the boards and admired the waterfall for an hour. Other people eventually arrived and they were cliff jumping by the waterfall and swimming up to the waterfall, but that was definitely not in my cards for the day.
We started the car ride back to Brasilia, and along the way we stopped for coffee for Lara. The Lanchonete we stopped at was quaint, and the two men working there asked if I wanted anything. I said no thank you, and they prompted on by asking- coffee, salgado, cachaca? I laughed and said it was a bit early for alcohol. We went to pay and they had a sign that said- free coffee if you said good morning and thank you, 50 cents for saying thank you, and one real for just asking for coffee. It was a cute surprise.
When we got closer to Brasilia it got more stressful to drive and navigate through the confusing highways, which are unmarked. For example, I live in Aguas Claras, Brasilia- and the highway divided into two portions. One went to São Paulo and Goiânia, the other went to Brasilia…. And the google maps didn’t say which to take, and only to continue straight- so we veered towards Brasilia, but evidently that was the wrong direction. Brasilia sure does love their Roundabouts, radars, and speed bumps. We made it home safely, cleaned off the car, Lara packed, and she made it to the airport.





100th Post On My Blog!- Update On Brasil Travels Overall

This post marks my 100th time writing on here! I started this blog last year with the intention of writing an update every week. My experience at my last university took a turn and I had a really rough time, and it got to the point that even thinking about writing anything made me anxious. Thus, I stopped writing for the second half of living in Parana. This year, I promised to myself that I would better document my experience to commemorate living in Brasil.
That being said, I took some time this week to think about all of the places that I have been in Brasil so far, and places that I still want to travel. It's incredible how quickly time will fly, and how many weekends you can lose to just hanging out if you don't remind yourself how many adventures are still yet to be had. I made a list of the 26 states and 1 federal district in Brasil, and marked where I had been in each so far. Below are the results:



Thus far, I have visited 11 states/districts! This past weekend I had visited Goias, which became my 11th. I'm hoping to visit Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais for Corpus Christi weekend. As well, Tocantins and Mato Grosso seem like only a bus ride away!
My goal is to also plan a week long beach roadtrip in November, since I have from November 14th-December 5th free (between finishing work and going back to the USA). I'm really hoping to visit a few states in the Northeast. 
It's crazy that I have 197 days left until I return to the USA!

Mirante da Janela In Chapada dos Veadeiros


Lara and I woke up and made some very dark coffee with no cream or sugar or milk… it hurt my heart. We decided to use a guide, but he found two other people for the group, so we ended up paying 50 reais each.
We started at the CAT- tourism center, in Alto Paraiso. Lara and I followed him to Chapada dos V, and the road once we got through Sao Jorge was ROUGH. This chevy was not built with enough clearance, and it was dirt roads. I give so much props to Lara for her maneuvering the roads with a manual car.
We finally arrived at the starting for the Mirante da Janela hike, and we had to pay another 15 reais to enter that trail. We walked through some foresty vegetation, which then opened up to a savannah/desert feeling geography. By the way, at this point we have seen 8 macaws just flying in the wild- yellow and blue.
So we make our way along the path and I found the huge flower that looks like the one you blow to make a wish, but it’s huge!! I had seen that online for a year and was super excited at the prospect of finding one.
We found our way down to the Abismo, which is a 7 part waterfall, but it has a calm bathing area,but we continued on past and stopped on our way back. We descended down the first mountain, and encountered the first set of wooden created steps. It was scary, but they were really helpful- it didn’t help with my fear of falling off of ladders. We made it down to the plain area, and it was a nice reprieve. Then, we started the ascent up the next mountain, which included a lot more of the wooden created ladders.
We finally made it to the Mirante! There was a long line for the window picture, but absolutely worth it. You had to maneuver yourself to start on the main rock, then lean across so that you are shimming your way across the rock feet on one side and hands on the other. When you got to the edge of the window portion then you grabbed overtop to hold a rock leaning down and propel yourself back onto one rock side. It was so scary and I was trembling. We took photos in three spots, and the waterfall through the rock window was beautiful.
Afterwards, we hung out on a rock to the side and admired the panoramic view. Afterwards, we headed back down the mountains and up the first one towards the waterfall- Abismo. I didn’t want to change clothes, and had other reasons, so I stayed on the side with my feet in the water. We ended up staying there for about an hour. The water was super clear and calm, and the rock was nice to sit on for dipping my legs in. We talked to the other girls in the group, and found out that they were from Amazonas and Santa Catarina.
We continued our journey to the beginning of the trail, and when we got back to the “ranger” station, he had watermelon for us to enjoy. As we relaxed there, a Red-legged Semeitra bird came up to the pile of rice and container of egg yolk and was eating it. This bird was pretty big (bigger than a stork), and just roaming around but not afraid of us!
We finished the hike and then descended the really rough dirt road, but made it out ok! We headed back to the airbnb and make a pasta dinner with some wine and listened to music and chatted.

In Alto Paraiso, we found this beautiful sign by the tourism center

Really common rock formations popular to the Central-West region of Brasil

A plant that looks like it popped out of a Dr. Seuss book

The abundant Cerrado region flora. 

So many hills and plateaus 


This small series of mountain photos was taken by the Abismo waterfall


Following the guide- yes we did pay for a guide, and it was worth it. It ended up costing about $25 USD per person for the day for the guide, and $4 USD to enter the Mirante da Janela trail

There were lots of moments ascending the mountain

I brought out the Peruvian hat for a bit 

The least scary picture to take at Mirante da Janela, before I maneuvered my way onto the rock

Mirante da Janela!

This is where you needed feet on one side and hands on the other to shimmy your way across the crevice to the hanging rock portion. There, you grabbed that hanging rock, and pushed yourself to the rock where your feet are. I was very glad to have a guide to help me 

But then he told me to scoot back even further so that my face would be in the sun

And this is what it looks like zoomed out. There were rocks below in the crevice, so it wouldn't have been too detrimental if I fell, but it still scared me

There was a perfect little crevice to rest your feet

Then, to get down you need to brace yourself and scotch down 

Possibly our last trip together- because she goes to Indonesia for a year and I stay in Brasil until December. My travel buddy, and best Fulbright friend, Lara 

The view of the waterfall that is seen through the window, but there are no trails to access the waterfalls because the park wants to protect the land there 

This is the view on the opposite side of the waterfall, and it is one of the main rivers that runs through the park

Found on the drive towards the park, from Alto Paraiso to Sao Jorge. There is a gravel pull off area at one point on the main road



We asked the girl to try and take the photo so that the waterfall was between us... didn't quite work as planned 


We hung out on a rock overhang for a bit to eat some lunch and admire the view

Which also meant a photo opportunity 


One of the most peaceful places that I have been in Brasil! This hike was absolutely worth it, and I would recommend asking the locals for the number of a guide. Some guides are in a Union, and they can't do tours for less than 150 reais, but if you ask them to find other people to join the group then the price could go down to 50 reais a person. The trails were not very clearly marked, and they diverged regularly. 

Presenting At ConectaIFB, Diplomatic Meeting, and EdUSA Fair

Such a big and tiring day. Amanda (my co-worker) and I met up with professor Fabricio at the metro station at 9 am, and because of traffic w...