Going to Brazil

Hi All

This is a blog about Mary’s trip through Brazil and Central America all comments are from her via her emails to me . My comments are blue. At the bottom is a comments panel I encourage all who read this to leave a message to mary…

Most of the pictures are clickable to enlarge just backspace to come back.

been a bit of an adventure just getting here..the flight was  late so all my connections were missed.. Santiago I was given another ticket but pulled aside AS i was boarding until everyone had got on like some bad person then told I had been wiped off the flight but to get on anyway in another seat. I arrived Sao Paulo and was waiting at the luggage carousel until all the people had picked up theirs but none for me..I felt tears well up like some kid with no present under the christmas tree but no..I went to the officials, got a bed in a hotel for a few hours another flight to Rio at 0730 and the luggage was delivered next evening to the pousada. so all went well.

I spent 2 days in Rio window shopping ..its really expensive at Ipanaema, then lay on the beach amongst the beautiful people!!!well there were some amazing physiques on display ..never seen so many ripped muscles..the men seem to love showing their bodies as much as the women.. the actual beach is not better than NZ. at night I was woken by what sounded like gunfire but was a fireworks display beyond the flavella at 0400.

Took a 24 hour bus from Rio up here and had to stop for what seemed like an accident but locals had set fire to the road to get something done about traffic speeding. Just an hour from arrival too and had to wait for an hour and a half for the police to sort it!

I am here now at last with Ben in Itacare!!! what an amazing

place- he has tropical plants growing all over the section and up on the roof. Swam in the pool last night and went for a swim in the ocean this morning, bought some supplies then off for an adventure in Bens jeep. Its been like going jungle with Indiana Jones after a rough ride over cobbled streets then rutted tracks with no suspension, no roof or windscreen but yes a roll bar! We pulled up in the bush with an outstanding view over the sea and the forest towards the town at the very top of the hill. Ben has started building the tree house up a very solid looking tree …like some kid in his element. Its an awesome idea. There are exotic fruits of all sorts growing..we ate fresh cashew fruit, pineapple, mango and coconut straight off the land. Its just amazing..

trekking through the forest we saw some wierd spiders with really bright colours and darn cutty grass that splits your skin so easily…no snakes!

Back at the pousada again and dark at 6.30 loving it here!!!

heaps of love to all

Author Note : I have ripped muscles really I do they are just hiding

Author note : Itacare

I am soooooo hot ..theres the pool to jump into but cooling off doesnt last long. I have a big fan in the bedroom and dragged the bed under it..no mosquito nets and was okay last night but have been bitten a bit today. It realy is a great adventure..Ben has done AN OUTSTANDING JOB here. Its so beautiful.

Ben’s pool

Ben’s apartment rooftop

Apartment pool

I then rushed off late to the surf lesson but missed the guy. I tried giving it a go by myself but the waves were a bit thunping and no leg leash. Bought one of these on my way bak then gave it a go to practice on the very quiet beach just paddling, sitting and turning. Some friends then turned up and believe it or not the top woman surfer of Brasil was with them and she is giving me lessons tomorrow!! She is beautiful!!! so..quite a good day in the end.

Author Note : This is so typical of Mary she just falls into situations

Author Note : Such a gorgeous girl no wonder I want to marry her

I just had a full on day – too late for clinic so called by and said I was off surfing cos its my birthday… we had great fun or rather swallowed heaps of sea water and got totally exhausted with miss fitness Brazil!! Didnt manage to get many waves at all cos they were not so good today and me a bit slow!

We saw dolphins swimming in the rivermouth as we came back on the canoe from the far beach.Beautiful…then lazed by the pool with my book and later helped |Ben fit the shower on the rooftop and clean up some mess!!

Today we went off surfing again and I caught 2 great waves to the shore- really rapt – this was after she told me to spread my knees ha ha to get the balance properly! After this we drove home past a chocolate place where they produce chocolate from scratch from the cocoa berries..yummy- however they also keep pet Jacarei (crocodile) that are abot

8 years old and they feed..she said they dont come up onto the land.. wierd how people have such dangerous pets.check out the photos. Ben said they used to be in the river here but have all been eaten by the locals.:

Last night we were out at a barbeque that started at 2pm -by 10pm I thiught it was time Ben tok us home in his jeep along with 4 others hanging on!!!it was along a very bumpy one way dirt road down hill and he drove amazingly considering…

It seems a really sociable life here amongst the expat and local people.. so hot people do little but plenty of time to sit and relax. I havent been back to the hospital cos there seemed to be plenty of staff and I felt a bit superfluous especially not speaking Portuguese so will spend that time learning it instead!

Author Note : Would you feed this?

I hear and see from Georges pics that the decorations at the hospital are pretty full on!! i,ve seen huge red lanterns hanging in a tree and father Christmas climbing it here but not really very festive yet..

Am not Christmas shopping for the first time ever!!!but did buy some fairy lights at the loga the other day to hang here.

I got up, did stretches and walked to the beach at 0800 this morning – already like 1200 at home–very hot. swam at resende, tiririca, costas,then Rebeira beaches each separated by palm trees and reef rocks.I lay and read a book and watched the surfing – they only ride for about 3 seconds- mostly just paddling and sitting out there!

actually felt hungry comng home so bought a great melancia(watwer melon) to share and had bananna and fresh bread rolls.

Ben has this new wooden dugout canoe that we went out fishing in last

night- Carlitos ( with the loud reggae music) paddled up front, Ben in the middle with Elisa,his girlfriend and me at the back..its very unstable which surprised me cos they load these things down with huge stalks of banana and all sorts of produce with the family balanced around itç even bicycles as well sometimes. anyway I moved too quickly and sent Ben flying in to the water just as we were approaching the Pontal where the boats all put

out- lucky it wasnt in the mangrove with the open sewer where we launched it! after that I sat down inside the hull and was a bit nervous of catching a fish in case the excitement tipped us out again!!or if I might see anaconda swimming by! Didnt catch anything but sunset on the river was beautiful. and we made it home …

Ben and girlfriend Elisha

I been out to the shops in Ilheus and did some Christmas prepaations – ie spending money – have sparkling lights down the stairs now and plan to make the best cheesecake, garlic bread and salads while Ben spit roasts the pork!!

Sounds like every gringo in town will be here!

Ben and Friends preparing the pork

well another family moved in today and tomorrow the guy and his wife with the fly=boat arrive so starting to get busier.

we had a really great evening for natal but the whole town power went off at 7pm for about 3 hours so that made it all a bit different -lucky people cook on gas but the fairground was not operating anmd no music for the bands setup!!I went with bens girlfriend to champagne starters by candlelight which was very classy and all dressed up-i wore my longblack;flowery dress I wore with you. then we came back to Bens bbq and drank cashasa and fruit juice. others mostly cervesa beers.

we had a huge feast but the pork was a little slow cooking so not really appreciated as much cos people were hungry and started eating at 9pm we had ipod music then the power came on in good time again.

we had spent the day preparing then went off for 3 hours at the beach swimming in sparkling sand waters-

30th December 2009

como estas: I am sitting on the rooftop by the coconut palm in the cool of the evening.will send this then photos after I an feeling crook with loose bowels aagin!!!!!darn it. I sent Ben to the pharmacy for loperamide, metronidazole and electrolytes – all available but no loperamide so instead have something for C-diff infection so just wandering what if any to take for foamy watery diarrhoea – will check on wikipedia next – already managed to sort Bens infection issue that way which saves time at the Dr since they are so unavailable. Doesnt help that he feeds the dog ( which often escapes to run in the sewer outlet) from the kitchen plates and there is cold water wash.

The toilet up here is not quite complete so flushed with a bucket of water and has no door and opens onto the kitchen.

A step better than those at bars and restaurtants that are a cupboard opening straight to where people are! And dont you hate it when you line the wet grubby seat with the last piece of single ply on the roll and realise you only have left the tissue you blew your nose on in your pocket!!

enough toilet moans and I am not going to mention the subject again!!

Author quote  we dont need photos of a sick Mary

I moved from my room to the rooftop level as the rooms were supposedly rented but true brasilian style people changed their minds at last minute and all a bit muddly and just 2 rooms full at present!!So Deetche went with a sign to the town entrance and brought some guests back after a few hours in the sun- worth $1200 so was worth her effort for 10% of that. Now another friend is off doing the same – not my idea of a fun thing to do but even the last guy heading off said its just like another opportunity to meet new people and have a chat!!And pay for tomorrows expenses! Everything here is very hand to mouth, last minute and you could say late really. I find I am moving equally slowly now which is a huge change for me..

Deetche and Eduarda

Hey yesterday I went up in the fly boat – some Italian design with a rubber dinghy base and like a  powered paraglider fixed in it. It was really amazing to see Itacare from the sky and way up to Barra Grande, inland up the river with the rain forest and all the beautiful beaches. We took off at the river entrance by all the fishing boats and the kids were running round very excited. The pilot and his family are staying here with Ben in one of the quartos cos there is room to park it in security at night. Also cos they love the peace and quiet of this neighbourhood.

Author note Mary is as always daring Can you see you bens apartments with the pool

I looked after Eduarda again this morning while Deetche was up town. She is dynamite and needs such constant supervision in this environment – definitely not baby friendly. Shouldnt say that cos he has a little trike for her which is great to keep her still and feed her. anyway I weasnt going far from the bathroom today.

Ben has a new neighbour who usually lives in town central and has rented his apartment out to earn money for a few weks.( married with a little 3 year old, he looks 30, is very muscly and extremely good looking and somehow managed to plant kisses on my mouth when really it is quite normal only to kiss cheeks on greeting – eek) he wanted to go kayaking but I will be avoiding him a bit now – think he is a bit of a slut.

Author note I trust you Mary 100% but am a little pissed that he can steal a kiss from you yet I am here not able to touch you, oh well

Deeches sister won medals in Rio recently and had press photos yesterday with them for kayaking – she rows 6kms every day up the river and also offered to take me but I think it will have to be a much shorter trip.

Author note : Vanessa

I just wandered up to the store for noodles for tea to try eating again , everyone sitting outside their homes enjoying the evening and the young guys playing football at the field. Its a really nice family place to be in so many ways.

Author note : Ben and Mary’s street

Author note : House across the street

Hope you are having a great time at the beach with all my family..home is where my heart is but the adventure goes on..and by this you can really appreciate what we have back home in our luxurious organised lives but there is lots to be said for the real community feel of being here  – a bit more marae style I guess.and constant noise and vibrancy of life – theres always music pulsing somewhere and someone to chat to if you feel like it. am almost adjusted to the heat even – probably cos I am moving so slowly now!!ha ha

Itacare New Years Eve 2009

itacare is really lovely but the novelty would wear off – 10,000 people normally and swells to many thousands more over the christmas -new year carnival times.  Town supply water ran out in the bars at the beach yesterday afternoon so no toilets flushing and I dont know how they could wash glasses.Its turned off mid afternoon till about 8pm so if the header tank is empty thats it till late evening.Theres now about 60 guests in 9 bedrooms here..overcrowded and wish you were here to help manage. take a crash course in portuguese and come next year

no its really crazy and Ben avoids managing people like the plague – yesterday he was so pissed off he went to his shed and sharpened the chainsaw  like that needed doing huh: The people who reserved 5 rooms came 2 days late and then siad they were told there would be a room with a lounge – nonsense really and it didnt help that we~d given up waiting and werent here to welcome them!!! Then no toilet paper in some rooms and no gas in some cookers…who wants to be a hotelier..

Author note church Ilheus  sounds like Mary could do use it

Author note this is Mary with the Flying Boat people She looks almost as brown as me but not quite me thinks

I have been left holding the baby LITTERALLY this morning so better go cos she is bashing her fake barbie on the screen.

Ben jumped out of  bed and out the gate to help some woman fix her pump after getting Deetche to go buy beef for stroganoff for his lunch. thats what he really wants – a house goddess to sweat over the stove mid mornong!. and I was all set to bike to the beach!! such is life