A Random Few

Here are a few random pictures to tide this site over until I get my pics from Bahia! (I leave Sunday, I´ll stay for a week, and I can´t wait!)
The first one is of a gorgeous nativity scene that´s in the Pedro II house. You´d be hardput to find a house in Brazil without at least one statue or painting of Mary among other religious art.



The second one is our group photo at the Pedro II house after hanging out in the hammocks, playing the guitar, and drinking hot chocolate. Granted it only got down to about 70 degrees, but still! It was a relief from Teresina´s heat.



This last one is to give a little insight into the brasilian diet. Here they looooove meat. This meat is carne do sol (meat of the sun) where they put LOTS of salt on it and hang it up right on the sidewalk in front of the store. I´ve tried it, and it´s actually not that bad. It´s still not my favorite food though, lol.

More Reveillon (New Years)

These pics (besides the last one from Pedro II taken from the truck) are taken from my beach house veranda. It was GREAT-5 minutes from the beach concerts, visible shoreline, and more.

Delivering Sestas

These photos are still of Pedro Segundo, but they´re from a completely different world. I took these all when we were delivering sestas (feasts) to families. I was in the back of a truck with my cousin and the 30 bags of food, and my aunt and uncle just drove to wherever there were children running around outside (usually naked) and the house looked in need. By the way, the picture of the street with houses was an area that was too nice to give the sestas to.

New Years Trip

These pictures are of our house in Pedro Segundo-the city we went to before we went to the beach. I have so many more to post of the beach and such, but here are a few to start:







Wow man, I just got back from the BEST TRIP EVER!!! First we went to Pedro Segundo, which is a cute little getaway town with our own mini-castle. Because of the altitude, it was also nice and chilly--seriously, it was so amazing to curl up in a blanket and drink hot chocolate :) Granted it was only like 65 degrees, but I´m used to the inferno of Teresina. Anyways, we stayed there for a few days reading, relaxing, listening to classical music and the likes, and recovering from the Christmas parties and getting ready for the parties to come. And MAN WAS IT NEEDED!!! We also delivered 30 Christmas feasts to 30 needy families. We just packed them in the truck (bags with oil, rice, cuzcuz, and other essentials), and rode around Pedro Segundo looking for most needy houses. It was truly amazing to see what a difference such a small gift-10 reals (about $3.50) can make. Because of this adventure I want to organize another one here in Teresina. Anyways, we went to Louis Correia the 30th, and that night we went to the Biquini show--a rock show packed full of people on the beach. We stayed out until about 4am and then went back to our incredible beachhouse to sleep for a little. During the next day I swam in the ocean, went on a walk on the beach with Tine (girl from Denmark) and later Danilo and Rafael, and ate fresh fish, crab, and shrimp. It´s amazing how much better it is to take a nap in a hammock with the sea breeze blowing and the sound of the ocean in your ear!

Soooo-New Year´s Eve. What a freaking awesome night. I met up with Tine and danced a little, met other people from Teresina, and afterwards I went back to the house. After another nap (which by the way an adorable 4-year old ensured everyone was absolutely silent because I was sleeping, lol), we had a chic party outside under a cabana house. When the clock struck 12, fireworks went off, and we did all sorts of new years traditions. We ate 3 grapes, jumped on the right foot, threw a white rose into the ocean, drank a sip of champagne and the rest behind us, jumped over 7 waves, and walked into the ocean rightways and out of it backwards. I was so confused because there were so many things to do, and they were all explained quickly before the clock struck in portuguese, lol. SOOOOO how about that afterparty? It was Coqueiro Beach Sound with different stages of funk, electronic, rock, and more, and it was awesome!!! I danced with Danilo and Rafael´s group of friends, and we stayed out until 5am. On the 1st we went back to Pedro Segundo to spend the night (it´s a halfway point) and we got home just a few hours ago.

I LOVE BRASIL!!!