First, I have to express my thanks to each and every one of you, for
providing so much compassion and support in response to my latest email
re Kitty. He is holding his own at the vet’s office, charming them all
I am certain with his feisty attitude and will to live. He is not out
of the woods by any means and may still not make it, but I am taking
comfort in knowing that he is in very good hands and is being treated
very well.
As for my experiences here in Brazil, I am trying to take to heart
the advice I have received from so many different sources: to continue
enjoying my time here as best I can, and to trust all will be well.
It’s hard at times to stay focused and to not wish the hours away, which
is the worst way of wasting precious hours of life, but I am doing my
best.
It helps that I am living in a house filled with crazy people. They
allow me very little time to wallow and to pout. The house has a
total of 8 people living in it (that includes me) and it is, quite
literally, a mad house. Four of the people are children ranging from
ages 5 to 14 and the other four are adults.
Conversations in this mad house are impossible. You should just
give up. That’s what I’ve learned. They should have a sign on the
door that says “Communication within these walls is currently
impossible.” Although it should be in Portuguese obviously. It
really is an exercise in futility. Because they all share their
thoughts at the same time. And the youngest child, poor thing, I don’t
think she has a hope in hell of ever being heard, which is probably why every word I've heard her speak has been screamed at the top of
her lungs.
I just sit there listening to
the chaos until I feel like my head is going to explode. Then I
quietly retire to my room, where I am able to listen to their entire
conversation and repeat it verbatum from one floor up and three rooms
over because they really are that loud.
In any case, despite the chaos and the noise, the kids are adorable and they’re all currently
indulging in a race to see who can read Amy’s entire Harry Potter
collection in Portuguese before she leaves. I really love my HP books,
but I am considering leaving them as a gift to the kids. After all,
kids’ books should really be enjoyed by kids, right? And what’s the
likelihood of some young Portuguese-speaking student in my class one day
deciding to read them? Not too great, I would say…
So, my host family’s great. Capoeira, on the other hand, is killing
me. All I have to say is never ever take an exercise class in a
foreign country. It’s just not a good idea. They believe that
everyone is capable of everything, including crazy-ass cartwheels across
a giant gymnasium and one-handed hand stands where your entire body
moves in some weird-ass arc that defies gravity and the space-time
continuum, but hey… it’s entirely possible if you just put your mind to
it, right? Right… I’ve never really felt my age until now, but I’m
telling you, I now feel my age times 10. I get home every night and
I’m walking like a little old lady who just fell down a flight of
stairs.
The students in my class can pretty much be divided into three
groups: the athletes, who attack Capoeira like it’s a game to be won
(and thus somehow, end up accomplishing all manner of things that defy
gravity), the dancers, who flow seemlessly through all the steps like
they were born doing Capoeira, and me. Yep, that would be me, the
group of 1. The non-athlete, non-dancer, ten years older than everyone
else in the group me. It’s really not a pretty sight…. Amy doing
Capoeira. I have a terrible fear that I resemble a giant lumbering
gorilla trying to do the cancan. Every time someone pulls out a
camera, I try to hide, but I’m afraid I was unable to avoid being
captured by some hidden, stealth-like spy cameras. It’s unfortunate,
but true. Somewhere out there the sight of Amy lumbering through the
steps of Capoeira is captured for posterity’s sake. Coitadinho de
posterity. (How sad for posterity.)
Well, I do believe they want to close this internet cafe down. I’m
getting the evil eye, so I should go now. Thanks to all of you for
your support and don’t forget to say a prayer that Amy survives four
more classes of Capoeira with the insane Brazilian instructors (who also
happen to be truly hot, so you might also ad lib a couple prayers – I
think you know the kind that I mean!)
Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Thursday, July 17, 2003
The Middle Weeks
I realize I have not sent an update in a while, and this one is more in the nature of an update on my state of being, rather than on my Brazilian experiences, but I feel all of this is pertinent to providing an overall picture of my summer in Brazil.
I really can’t talk about the last few weeks and my experiences here without touching on some of the things happening in the States. My uncle Jimmy (whom I must admit, I did not know very well, and who was sick for some time) died a couple weeks ago, leaving my grandmother devastated and my mom and aunts working over-time to make funeral arrangements. In addition, my grandmother’s health has reached a point where my mom and Aunt Pat feel she would be better off in an assisted living arrangement rather than living alone, so they are trying to help her find a place that she likes. It’s difficult being away from my family when such turmoil is unfolding in their lives.
In addition, and most devastating for me personally, is that almost overnight, Kitty’s health has deteriorated, reaching a critical point. Luckily, Celeste recognized that something was wrong almost immediately and got him to my vet, who has been treating him since Monday. The vet believes he has pancreatic cancer. Kitty already suffered a bout with his pancreas about five years ago, and the vet was able to nurse him back to health, but there was always a risk that the illness would return.
When he reached the vet’s office on Monday, his body temperature was critically low, and he was severely dehydrated and anemic. The doctors have been working to stabilize him and he seemed to be doing better yesterday, even sitting up and purring a little. The bottom line, however, is that there are no guarantees, the vets are doing everything they can for him, but it just may not be enough. At this point, they can’t even treat his pancreas because the treatment is so aggressive, it would aggravate his other symptoms, i.e., the dehydration and anemia.
The worst part, of course, is that I am so far away, and am not able to be there with him as he struggles against this illness. Feeling terribly helpless, I sat down on Tuesday night and recorded my voice on a cassette tape, rambling about my experiences here in Brazil. I then Sedexed (the Brazilian form of FedExed) the tape to the vet’s office. The fastest I could send it was 3-6 days (which still cost a fortune — the equivalent of around $16 US) but I am hoping it will provide him with some comfort.
For those of you who may not know Kitty, he is my 20-year old cat, who has been with me since my 12th birthday, and is most definitely, one of the best friends I could ever and will ever have. My home has always been filled with his presence and without him would feel terribly empty, as would I. I have, of course, known for several years that our time together has been getting more limited, and that every single day we have together is a gift. Sitting here in Brazil, knowing that I have been away from him for a month, something which may have actually caused the illness to come back, makes me feel that I have squandered so many of those precious gifts. When I heard that he was sick, my instinct was to jump on a plane and rush home. I restrained myself for one reason. I left him to do research here in Brazil and leaving without finishing that research would make all he has suffered almost pointless. At the same time, I am cursing my credit card-less existence, for if I had one, I would certainly be charging a plane ticket home right now, just so that I could spend a long weekend visiting him at the vet’s office.
In any case, this update certainly has nothing to do with any of my Brazilian experiences, and yet, in many ways, it has everything to do with them. For the past couple weeks, and in particular, this week, as I have attended my classes and conducted my interviews in schools, I have found it almost impossible to concentrate, as my thoughts have centered on my family and Kitty. The events back home have had a definite impact on my experiences here, as they should. I certainly have more experience in Brazilian public restrooms as a result, given that I spent most of Monday as I went from class to class, finding quiet corners in them to sob and whisper prayers for my cat. I can only hope that things will continue to improve with Kitty and that I will have the opportunity to pet him and listen to his purr upon my return.
I really can’t talk about the last few weeks and my experiences here without touching on some of the things happening in the States. My uncle Jimmy (whom I must admit, I did not know very well, and who was sick for some time) died a couple weeks ago, leaving my grandmother devastated and my mom and aunts working over-time to make funeral arrangements. In addition, my grandmother’s health has reached a point where my mom and Aunt Pat feel she would be better off in an assisted living arrangement rather than living alone, so they are trying to help her find a place that she likes. It’s difficult being away from my family when such turmoil is unfolding in their lives.
In addition, and most devastating for me personally, is that almost overnight, Kitty’s health has deteriorated, reaching a critical point. Luckily, Celeste recognized that something was wrong almost immediately and got him to my vet, who has been treating him since Monday. The vet believes he has pancreatic cancer. Kitty already suffered a bout with his pancreas about five years ago, and the vet was able to nurse him back to health, but there was always a risk that the illness would return.
When he reached the vet’s office on Monday, his body temperature was critically low, and he was severely dehydrated and anemic. The doctors have been working to stabilize him and he seemed to be doing better yesterday, even sitting up and purring a little. The bottom line, however, is that there are no guarantees, the vets are doing everything they can for him, but it just may not be enough. At this point, they can’t even treat his pancreas because the treatment is so aggressive, it would aggravate his other symptoms, i.e., the dehydration and anemia.
The worst part, of course, is that I am so far away, and am not able to be there with him as he struggles against this illness. Feeling terribly helpless, I sat down on Tuesday night and recorded my voice on a cassette tape, rambling about my experiences here in Brazil. I then Sedexed (the Brazilian form of FedExed) the tape to the vet’s office. The fastest I could send it was 3-6 days (which still cost a fortune — the equivalent of around $16 US) but I am hoping it will provide him with some comfort.
For those of you who may not know Kitty, he is my 20-year old cat, who has been with me since my 12th birthday, and is most definitely, one of the best friends I could ever and will ever have. My home has always been filled with his presence and without him would feel terribly empty, as would I. I have, of course, known for several years that our time together has been getting more limited, and that every single day we have together is a gift. Sitting here in Brazil, knowing that I have been away from him for a month, something which may have actually caused the illness to come back, makes me feel that I have squandered so many of those precious gifts. When I heard that he was sick, my instinct was to jump on a plane and rush home. I restrained myself for one reason. I left him to do research here in Brazil and leaving without finishing that research would make all he has suffered almost pointless. At the same time, I am cursing my credit card-less existence, for if I had one, I would certainly be charging a plane ticket home right now, just so that I could spend a long weekend visiting him at the vet’s office.
In any case, this update certainly has nothing to do with any of my Brazilian experiences, and yet, in many ways, it has everything to do with them. For the past couple weeks, and in particular, this week, as I have attended my classes and conducted my interviews in schools, I have found it almost impossible to concentrate, as my thoughts have centered on my family and Kitty. The events back home have had a definite impact on my experiences here, as they should. I certainly have more experience in Brazilian public restrooms as a result, given that I spent most of Monday as I went from class to class, finding quiet corners in them to sob and whisper prayers for my cat. I can only hope that things will continue to improve with Kitty and that I will have the opportunity to pet him and listen to his purr upon my return.
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Week 3 in Brazil
Well, I'm actually in the middle of week 4, I'm getting a little behind in my updates here. Oh, well…
First, I apologize if people's computers are having difficulty translating some of the weird keys I'm having to use on these Brazilian keyboards. They don't really believe in using the apostrophe here, so I have to make do with accent marks, which may be interpreted kind of strangely by some computers.
I thought I would take a moment to reply to some generic questions I've received from some individuals (and I apologize to those of you who have taken the time to email me personally and to whom I have not yet responded… I tend to have limited online time, but really appreciate all the emails I've been getting — they make me smile!) And so… on to the questions:
1. Have you been able to find any Dr. Pepper there in Brazil? Much to my great distress, I am living a dr. pepper free life here in the land of beautiful bronzed bodies. Luckily for me, however, I am able to consume the occasional coke. It's just not the same, of course, but in times of extreme paucity, one must make do with what one has.
2. Have you been able to consume your regular gallon of salsa and 5 bags of chips per week there? Much to my even greater distress, the Brazilians do not believe in either chips or salsa. Instead, they believe in the almighty Cat Chup (that would be ketchup for the less discerning eye), which they pour on everything from pasta to popcorn. I have yet to see a single human being eat cat chup on their french fries.
3. How easy is it to remain vegetarian? Now that I have made it past my original misconception that the word “carne” (literally, meat) has the same connotation here as it does back home, I have a lot less difficulty maintaining my vegetarian status. Originally, I would ask for dishes without carne and would be invariably directed to a variety of dishes that upon closer reflection included pork or chicken. People here just don't understand what it means to be vegetarian. I am constantly asked so you don't eat carne, right (which I originally replied yes to, but later discovered ONLY covers beef). I have since learned to specify that I don't eat beef, pork, chicken OR fish, which usually garners me some very strange looks and invariably results in me eating a variety of salads and side items. But hey, at least it's not some pork pie masquerading as a vegetarian dish.
4. What's the weather like in Brazil (I think this person was having trouble coming up with something exciting to ask, but hey…) Well, it's winter here, which for Brazilians means that they walk around in jeans and short-sleeved shirts and come nightfall, shiver and complain that it's too cold. Oh, and they limit their ocean swimming to the hottest hours of the day (mid-afternoon). For me, it means that I walk around in shorts and tank tops all the time and stare in open-mouthed amazement when my 10-year old host brother (who lives in the Northeast, where it's “really hot”) comes downstairs every morning dressed in shorts and a giant winter coat (I didn't even know they HAD winter coats here!) Imagine… an entire country colder than ME!!
5. Is that your program at http://www.ku.edu/~brasilis/summer.html? Yes, this is the website where you can read my itinerary and class schedule for the summer (no, there are no pictures posted, although I have it on good authority that the director of the program is planning to upload some photos to the website one of these days). And yes, we are actually taking capoeira classes three times a week. What is capoeira, you might ask? Well, basically, it's the Brazilian form of martial arts that often looks like dancing, it's so seamless (when you do it right of course, which for me, is never). In my case, it's more like 4 hours of torture every week, where I'm forced to make my body do things that it was never meant to do (under no circumstances should my legs EVER go over my head in that fashion!)
6. Are you ever coming home? Despite persistent rumours that I am having so much fun here fighting off the mosquitoes, rocketing down the rapids of Brazil, fishing giant bumblebees out of my yogurt, paying for slow internet connections, running for my life every time I cross the street due to crazy Brazilian drivers who do not believe in stopping (or even slowing down) for any reason whatsoever, watching all my favorite movies dubbed in Portuguese which means I don't get shivers down my back every time Sean Connery speaks, and spending endless hours three days a week in extremely BORING Portuguese classes where I am supposed to speak like Brazilians (not in that crazy Portuguese accent)… YES, I am coming home. August 10th.
First, I apologize if people's computers are having difficulty translating some of the weird keys I'm having to use on these Brazilian keyboards. They don't really believe in using the apostrophe here, so I have to make do with accent marks, which may be interpreted kind of strangely by some computers.
I thought I would take a moment to reply to some generic questions I've received from some individuals (and I apologize to those of you who have taken the time to email me personally and to whom I have not yet responded… I tend to have limited online time, but really appreciate all the emails I've been getting — they make me smile!) And so… on to the questions:
1. Have you been able to find any Dr. Pepper there in Brazil? Much to my great distress, I am living a dr. pepper free life here in the land of beautiful bronzed bodies. Luckily for me, however, I am able to consume the occasional coke. It's just not the same, of course, but in times of extreme paucity, one must make do with what one has.
2. Have you been able to consume your regular gallon of salsa and 5 bags of chips per week there? Much to my even greater distress, the Brazilians do not believe in either chips or salsa. Instead, they believe in the almighty Cat Chup (that would be ketchup for the less discerning eye), which they pour on everything from pasta to popcorn. I have yet to see a single human being eat cat chup on their french fries.
3. How easy is it to remain vegetarian? Now that I have made it past my original misconception that the word “carne” (literally, meat) has the same connotation here as it does back home, I have a lot less difficulty maintaining my vegetarian status. Originally, I would ask for dishes without carne and would be invariably directed to a variety of dishes that upon closer reflection included pork or chicken. People here just don't understand what it means to be vegetarian. I am constantly asked so you don't eat carne, right (which I originally replied yes to, but later discovered ONLY covers beef). I have since learned to specify that I don't eat beef, pork, chicken OR fish, which usually garners me some very strange looks and invariably results in me eating a variety of salads and side items. But hey, at least it's not some pork pie masquerading as a vegetarian dish.
4. What's the weather like in Brazil (I think this person was having trouble coming up with something exciting to ask, but hey…) Well, it's winter here, which for Brazilians means that they walk around in jeans and short-sleeved shirts and come nightfall, shiver and complain that it's too cold. Oh, and they limit their ocean swimming to the hottest hours of the day (mid-afternoon). For me, it means that I walk around in shorts and tank tops all the time and stare in open-mouthed amazement when my 10-year old host brother (who lives in the Northeast, where it's “really hot”) comes downstairs every morning dressed in shorts and a giant winter coat (I didn't even know they HAD winter coats here!) Imagine… an entire country colder than ME!!
5. Is that your program at http://www.ku.edu/~brasilis/summer.html? Yes, this is the website where you can read my itinerary and class schedule for the summer (no, there are no pictures posted, although I have it on good authority that the director of the program is planning to upload some photos to the website one of these days). And yes, we are actually taking capoeira classes three times a week. What is capoeira, you might ask? Well, basically, it's the Brazilian form of martial arts that often looks like dancing, it's so seamless (when you do it right of course, which for me, is never). In my case, it's more like 4 hours of torture every week, where I'm forced to make my body do things that it was never meant to do (under no circumstances should my legs EVER go over my head in that fashion!)
6. Are you ever coming home? Despite persistent rumours that I am having so much fun here fighting off the mosquitoes, rocketing down the rapids of Brazil, fishing giant bumblebees out of my yogurt, paying for slow internet connections, running for my life every time I cross the street due to crazy Brazilian drivers who do not believe in stopping (or even slowing down) for any reason whatsoever, watching all my favorite movies dubbed in Portuguese which means I don't get shivers down my back every time Sean Connery speaks, and spending endless hours three days a week in extremely BORING Portuguese classes where I am supposed to speak like Brazilians (not in that crazy Portuguese accent)… YES, I am coming home. August 10th.
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Week 2 in Brazil
Well, I’ve had an eventful second week. Moved to Vitoria by bus,
which was a hellish 8-hour bus ride, with the woman in front of me
reclining in my lap… Apparently, in Brazil, they do not have the same
concept of personal space as we do in the U. S.A. The seats were made to
recline, and recline bem mesmo! I literally could have rested my arm
on the top of her head, as it is, I used the top of her seat (thus
providing shade for the top of her head which rested upon my lap) as a
book prop! I was unable to move, because any shift in movement
resulted in my driving a knee into her back (and receiving a disgruntled
look as a result). It was quite interesting I must say…
I arrived at the bus station, where my family was waiting for me, and immediately received a huge hug from my little “sister,” Mariana, who is 8. I have a “mother” who is 3 years younger than me, a “father,” two younger sisters (Mariana and Darah, who is five) and two younger brothers (whom I haven’t met yet, but who are 10 and 14). Darah and the boys are off traveling with relatives, but will be arriving on Sunday, so the house should be exploding with people in another week.
And speaking of the house… I have my own room with own bathroom (!), a large bed that is not a mattress on the floor (so I’m feeling quite privileged here) and plenty of space for the tiny amount of clothing that I brought (in comparison to the other women I traveled in Rio with, who each brought a minimum of three giant suitcases/duffle bags/etc.) Actually, every room in the house has its own bathroom, which means that there are SEVEN bathrooms total, and there’s a swimming pool! Plus, I’m a couple blocks from the beach. I’m living right, yes, I am.
This weekend, we had our first excursion. Went to Biriricas in the mountains, stayed in cabins in the woods, and went on an unbelievably adventurous river rafting trip Saturday morning and afternoon. More about that in a separate email later, when I have more time to describe the incredible events of the day (a warning to all those who might be disturbed by images of Amy almost drowning in the rapids of Brazil: don’t read that email!) Sunday we had a crappy day of too much sun and too much sickness (envision no less than 3 girls at any given time puking out the windows of our bus as we rocketed down the mountain at nauseating speeds) and late Sunday night was convinced I was dying of some dread Third World disease, as my system expelled everything it has consumed all weekend long and my legs went up in flames due to the thousands (okay, maybe 30) of mosquito bites they had suffered.
Basically, it’s been fun! Classes start this week and they’re intense as well.
I hope all is well with everyone else. Just a word of warning: if you ever travel to Brazil… take PLENTY of bug spray along and use it LIBERALLY!
I arrived at the bus station, where my family was waiting for me, and immediately received a huge hug from my little “sister,” Mariana, who is 8. I have a “mother” who is 3 years younger than me, a “father,” two younger sisters (Mariana and Darah, who is five) and two younger brothers (whom I haven’t met yet, but who are 10 and 14). Darah and the boys are off traveling with relatives, but will be arriving on Sunday, so the house should be exploding with people in another week.
And speaking of the house… I have my own room with own bathroom (!), a large bed that is not a mattress on the floor (so I’m feeling quite privileged here) and plenty of space for the tiny amount of clothing that I brought (in comparison to the other women I traveled in Rio with, who each brought a minimum of three giant suitcases/duffle bags/etc.) Actually, every room in the house has its own bathroom, which means that there are SEVEN bathrooms total, and there’s a swimming pool! Plus, I’m a couple blocks from the beach. I’m living right, yes, I am.
This weekend, we had our first excursion. Went to Biriricas in the mountains, stayed in cabins in the woods, and went on an unbelievably adventurous river rafting trip Saturday morning and afternoon. More about that in a separate email later, when I have more time to describe the incredible events of the day (a warning to all those who might be disturbed by images of Amy almost drowning in the rapids of Brazil: don’t read that email!) Sunday we had a crappy day of too much sun and too much sickness (envision no less than 3 girls at any given time puking out the windows of our bus as we rocketed down the mountain at nauseating speeds) and late Sunday night was convinced I was dying of some dread Third World disease, as my system expelled everything it has consumed all weekend long and my legs went up in flames due to the thousands (okay, maybe 30) of mosquito bites they had suffered.
Basically, it’s been fun! Classes start this week and they’re intense as well.
I hope all is well with everyone else. Just a word of warning: if you ever travel to Brazil… take PLENTY of bug spray along and use it LIBERALLY!
River Rafting in Rio da Montanha
Well, here it is, the description of my river rafting experience at
Rio da Montanha in Biriricas. We began our trip in the morning.
There were five of us in my group (myself, Noel, Jenny, Tandi and Matt)
plus the guide, Neninho. I was seated in the middle (lucky me — the
prime spot to get squished between two people or knocked out of the raft
by any wayward oar) and was already a little nervous, not being the
strongest of swimmers and even worse, most decidedly NOT the most
coordinated person in the world. All that “Para frente, para atras,
frente com forca, frente esquerda, atras esquerda, frente direita and
atras direita” was a little much for me (front, back, front with
strength, front left, back left, front right and back right). I could
barely get it all down in English, let alone in Portuguese! It also
didn’t help that our rather hot guide was directly behind me observing
my every uncoordinated movement!
In any case, there we were and all was going seemingly well until exactly 2.9 minutes into our 3 hour rafting experience when our boat sprang a leak. It was a slow leak mind you, but ten minutes down the river and we were sitting in 3 inches of water. We were able to continue rowing, but everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) was more difficult (and more dangerous) as a result. Jenny and I (being the lucky individuals seated in the middle) were told to pay attention and be especially careful because the water made it especially difficult for us to brace ourselves in the boat.
Now, I realize that most people go river rafting for the whole “rapids experience” but I think rafting in a pool (commonly called sunbathing) would have been a better choice for our time! Every time we hit a terribly turbulent spot (which was always accompanied by enormous boulders and sharp rocks), our guide had to get out of the boat and literally expend “muita forca” to pull us over the rocks, as we got stuck. This was caused by a combination of our riding low due to the amount of water in our boat and the river being low at this time of year. But we continued on. Eventually, the water level rose and that’s when the real fun began. We began to rocket over these ridiculous rapids, with rocks banging us every which way, the guide’s shouts in our ears about front, back, this way, that way, every which way but the way we were going, and suddenly…
We came to an enormous waterfall (which was really just a small drop, but appeared quite enormous to my inexperienced eyes), went flying over it at a speed that left my stomach 20 yards behind us, dropped what seemed to be a mile, crashing into turbulent waters that soaked us all, at which point something that felt like a giant boulder fell on my back (it turned out to be my guide, who lost his balance as we rocketed down that cliff). I, of course, slammed into Tandi, thus making us a human sandwich for a couple of minutes. In the confusion, I lost my oar (the boat immediately in front of us managed to grab it for me and pass it back — damn them!)
So, on we went on our wild ride from hell. I was certain at any moment I was going to be swept overboard and eaten by some giant Brazilian piranha (not that I heard that there were any piranhas in this river, but you never know) when suddenly Jenny was swept overboard. Everyone panicked of course, including her. She reached for the side of the boat and our guide, exhibiting an unbelievable amount of strength, grabbed her by the life jacket and in one swift movement, hauled her back on board. And on we went.
Finally, we stopped for what I thought was a break, but which actually turned out to be the insane portion of our trip (insane up until that moment, that is). The guides told us it was too difficult to ride the rafts through this, the most turbulent part of the river, so we had two choices. We could walk along the rocks or we could float down the river. FLOAT DOWN THE RIVER. With only our life jackets and the river god keeping us safe. And so, because I experienced a moment of complete and utter insanity, I “floated” down the river. Let me tell you: If a Brazilian guide ever tells you to just “float” down some rapids, you tell him HELL NO and get the hell out of there.
So… I floated. If floating can be considered this weird experience where you sucked down a gallon of dirty river water, your entire body flipped around, you almost lost your glasses (which is what caused all that body flipping in the first place), you scraped your legs along the bottom of a river and missed by mere inches being slammed up against a boulder the size of Texas. Yeah, great fun. Floating.
So, back in the boat and on through more rapids than I ever want to see again in my lifetime. But we were nearing the end. Oh, hallelujah! I could see the boat in front of us … they were on dry land next to the trucks come to take us home. We had survived!
But wait… there was just one more thing we had to do. Go down a tiny bit of rapids and then we’re home free. Oh, and avoid that cliff of to the left. AVOID THE CLIFF OFF TO THE LEFT! What cliff? What? OH, SHIT!
And so that is how I ended up staring at the river rushing toward me at an awesome speed, knowing with every ounce of my being that our boat was going to flip, watching the body of our guide flying over my head, and … hitting the water. For a tiny fraction of a second (or a millennium, who knows) I was trapped under the boat and then… I was free.
Now, we all like to think that in these situations, everyone will be all about helping your fellow man. But let me tell you. When you’re in the water and you’re gulping down gallons of nasty river water and you’re literally fighting your way to the surface for any chance at air, well… the rest of the world is just shit out of luck, because it’s every freaking person for themselves! Sure, after I had saved myself, I tried to count bodies, but it was a little difficult trying to stay afloat and count and … the hell with it. I made my way to shore and hoped that everyone else found their way as well.
Later I found out that Tandi had been trapped under the boat for a while and that the witnesses on land were freaking out counting bodies and coming up one short. Luckily, she had found the air pocket under the boat and when the raft was lifted up, there she was quite safe and sound. I was also told that our crash was worthy of sports recording history, that it was quite a “spectacular” sight to see. I’m so happy we managed to entertain the masses.
And so, we were all safe. We climbed aboard the truck, headed back, soaking wet, to our cabins. But alas, halfway there… our truck broke down.
So, the guides radio’d the other truck to ask for help. Guess what they said? “We’re broke down too.” And that is how, I ended up riding back to our little cabin in the woods along tiny roads deep in the mountains, standing up in the back of a pickup truck, hanging onto some weird contraption, thinking to myself… if I survive this experience, it will be a miracle.
But I survived. And guess what? I think maybe I want to go river rafting in Colorado sometime.
In any case, there we were and all was going seemingly well until exactly 2.9 minutes into our 3 hour rafting experience when our boat sprang a leak. It was a slow leak mind you, but ten minutes down the river and we were sitting in 3 inches of water. We were able to continue rowing, but everything (and I do mean EVERYTHING) was more difficult (and more dangerous) as a result. Jenny and I (being the lucky individuals seated in the middle) were told to pay attention and be especially careful because the water made it especially difficult for us to brace ourselves in the boat.
Now, I realize that most people go river rafting for the whole “rapids experience” but I think rafting in a pool (commonly called sunbathing) would have been a better choice for our time! Every time we hit a terribly turbulent spot (which was always accompanied by enormous boulders and sharp rocks), our guide had to get out of the boat and literally expend “muita forca” to pull us over the rocks, as we got stuck. This was caused by a combination of our riding low due to the amount of water in our boat and the river being low at this time of year. But we continued on. Eventually, the water level rose and that’s when the real fun began. We began to rocket over these ridiculous rapids, with rocks banging us every which way, the guide’s shouts in our ears about front, back, this way, that way, every which way but the way we were going, and suddenly…
We came to an enormous waterfall (which was really just a small drop, but appeared quite enormous to my inexperienced eyes), went flying over it at a speed that left my stomach 20 yards behind us, dropped what seemed to be a mile, crashing into turbulent waters that soaked us all, at which point something that felt like a giant boulder fell on my back (it turned out to be my guide, who lost his balance as we rocketed down that cliff). I, of course, slammed into Tandi, thus making us a human sandwich for a couple of minutes. In the confusion, I lost my oar (the boat immediately in front of us managed to grab it for me and pass it back — damn them!)
So, on we went on our wild ride from hell. I was certain at any moment I was going to be swept overboard and eaten by some giant Brazilian piranha (not that I heard that there were any piranhas in this river, but you never know) when suddenly Jenny was swept overboard. Everyone panicked of course, including her. She reached for the side of the boat and our guide, exhibiting an unbelievable amount of strength, grabbed her by the life jacket and in one swift movement, hauled her back on board. And on we went.
Finally, we stopped for what I thought was a break, but which actually turned out to be the insane portion of our trip (insane up until that moment, that is). The guides told us it was too difficult to ride the rafts through this, the most turbulent part of the river, so we had two choices. We could walk along the rocks or we could float down the river. FLOAT DOWN THE RIVER. With only our life jackets and the river god keeping us safe. And so, because I experienced a moment of complete and utter insanity, I “floated” down the river. Let me tell you: If a Brazilian guide ever tells you to just “float” down some rapids, you tell him HELL NO and get the hell out of there.
So… I floated. If floating can be considered this weird experience where you sucked down a gallon of dirty river water, your entire body flipped around, you almost lost your glasses (which is what caused all that body flipping in the first place), you scraped your legs along the bottom of a river and missed by mere inches being slammed up against a boulder the size of Texas. Yeah, great fun. Floating.
So, back in the boat and on through more rapids than I ever want to see again in my lifetime. But we were nearing the end. Oh, hallelujah! I could see the boat in front of us … they were on dry land next to the trucks come to take us home. We had survived!
But wait… there was just one more thing we had to do. Go down a tiny bit of rapids and then we’re home free. Oh, and avoid that cliff of to the left. AVOID THE CLIFF OFF TO THE LEFT! What cliff? What? OH, SHIT!
And so that is how I ended up staring at the river rushing toward me at an awesome speed, knowing with every ounce of my being that our boat was going to flip, watching the body of our guide flying over my head, and … hitting the water. For a tiny fraction of a second (or a millennium, who knows) I was trapped under the boat and then… I was free.
Now, we all like to think that in these situations, everyone will be all about helping your fellow man. But let me tell you. When you’re in the water and you’re gulping down gallons of nasty river water and you’re literally fighting your way to the surface for any chance at air, well… the rest of the world is just shit out of luck, because it’s every freaking person for themselves! Sure, after I had saved myself, I tried to count bodies, but it was a little difficult trying to stay afloat and count and … the hell with it. I made my way to shore and hoped that everyone else found their way as well.
Later I found out that Tandi had been trapped under the boat for a while and that the witnesses on land were freaking out counting bodies and coming up one short. Luckily, she had found the air pocket under the boat and when the raft was lifted up, there she was quite safe and sound. I was also told that our crash was worthy of sports recording history, that it was quite a “spectacular” sight to see. I’m so happy we managed to entertain the masses.
And so, we were all safe. We climbed aboard the truck, headed back, soaking wet, to our cabins. But alas, halfway there… our truck broke down.
So, the guides radio’d the other truck to ask for help. Guess what they said? “We’re broke down too.” And that is how, I ended up riding back to our little cabin in the woods along tiny roads deep in the mountains, standing up in the back of a pickup truck, hanging onto some weird contraption, thinking to myself… if I survive this experience, it will be a miracle.
But I survived. And guess what? I think maybe I want to go river rafting in Colorado sometime.
Monday, June 16, 2003
Week 1 in Brazil
Well, I have survived my first week in Rio. I haven't had much
luck with my research so far, but I've given it the effort it
requires! I have attempted to contact my organization, including
stopping by personally a couple times (no one seems to ever actually be
in the office!) but I'm not too worried as the bulk of my research
actually takes place in Vitoria (where I'm headed on Wednesday).
I've been to the beach several times, I'd forgotten how much I miss the beach living in Kansas. It's especially beautiful in Rio surrounded by hills and mountains. I'm taking an endless number of photos, of course.
I also found myself incapable of visiting a foreign city without visiting a local movie theatre, which is how I am able to tell you with absolute certainty that Rio de Janeiro has absolutely the most comfortable movie theatre I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in, bar none. The seats were so comfortable, it was like sitting in an armchair in your own home (although the aisles were extremely close, the chairs were high enough, you could actually stretch out with your feet under the chair in front of you). Even more amazing, at the front of the theatre directly to the right of the movie screen was… a women's bathroom! The men's was located at the back of the theatre. I only visited the women's of course (out of pure curiosity) and it was like walking behind the stage. The door led to some stairs that led up to another door which opened into one of the cleanest movie restrooms I've ever seen (with several stalls).
Everywhere I go people ask me “voce e portuguesa?” (are you Portuguese?) I have to laugh and explain. Maybe it's a compliment, maybe not, I'm not really sure! All I know is everyone knows I am most definitely NOT Brazilian (they do such weird things to their vowels!)
Amazingly enough, I am not having any problems remaining vegetarian here. Yes, their meats are supposedly a specialty, but they also have the most amazing veggies and fruits. I'm eating quite well (perhaps better than in the U.S.!) and am loving their food.
I visited several street fairs with the most amazing crafts, wood work and clothing. I am of course resisting all temptation (although the used bookstores are especially hard to resist — I actually found Artemis Fowl in Portuguese!) So far I've resisted the Lord of the Rings in Portuguese (after all, they're hard enough to get through in English!)
I've been to the beach several times, I'd forgotten how much I miss the beach living in Kansas. It's especially beautiful in Rio surrounded by hills and mountains. I'm taking an endless number of photos, of course.
I also found myself incapable of visiting a foreign city without visiting a local movie theatre, which is how I am able to tell you with absolute certainty that Rio de Janeiro has absolutely the most comfortable movie theatre I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in, bar none. The seats were so comfortable, it was like sitting in an armchair in your own home (although the aisles were extremely close, the chairs were high enough, you could actually stretch out with your feet under the chair in front of you). Even more amazing, at the front of the theatre directly to the right of the movie screen was… a women's bathroom! The men's was located at the back of the theatre. I only visited the women's of course (out of pure curiosity) and it was like walking behind the stage. The door led to some stairs that led up to another door which opened into one of the cleanest movie restrooms I've ever seen (with several stalls).
Everywhere I go people ask me “voce e portuguesa?” (are you Portuguese?) I have to laugh and explain. Maybe it's a compliment, maybe not, I'm not really sure! All I know is everyone knows I am most definitely NOT Brazilian (they do such weird things to their vowels!)
Amazingly enough, I am not having any problems remaining vegetarian here. Yes, their meats are supposedly a specialty, but they also have the most amazing veggies and fruits. I'm eating quite well (perhaps better than in the U.S.!) and am loving their food.
I visited several street fairs with the most amazing crafts, wood work and clothing. I am of course resisting all temptation (although the used bookstores are especially hard to resist — I actually found Artemis Fowl in Portuguese!) So far I've resisted the Lord of the Rings in Portuguese (after all, they're hard enough to get through in English!)
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
First day in Brazil!
Well, I've made it safe and sound to Rio. I arrived around 11
a.m. this morning (or about 9 a.m. K.C. time) and met up with my friend
Noel in the airport. We then called a couple hotels from the airport,
found the best deal, and caught a bus to Copacabana. We had to walk a
couple blocks from the bus stop (gotta love those suitcases on wheels)
but are now staying in a lovely (though extremely small) room at Hotel
Canada, which is two blocks away from the beach. The room is about $16 a
night per person and really does qualify as a hotel room (rather than a
hostel) as it is equipped with a full bath, fridge, a/c, etc. In
fact, it’s quite a bit nicer than the $300 plus room in NYC Mark and
Lynnette treated me to on our last hurrah before I left them for greener
pastures in KS.
I’ve already explored the area, purchased a watch from a street vendor for approximately $3.50 and found this lovely internet shop which offers a full hour of internet access for 4 Reais (about $1.33). I’ve also found the local bookstore (only a block away from our hotel) and am already in trouble. You wouldn’t believe how many wonderful books there are available in Portuguese! Well, maybe you would, but it was like walking into heaven. An entire store of foreign language books (not that they’re foreign here, but you get the idea). I already had to resist purchasing the entire Harry Potter series in Portuguese (although I did allow myself to buy the first one), not to mention the Lemony Snicket and Junie B. Jones series — I never even made it to the adult section. I decided the kids’ section was more than enough temptation for one afternoon! I’m thinking I may be able to read the newest HP book before going back home after all.
What else can I tell you? Tomorrow I will embark upon my quest to make contact with the children’s organization here in Rio (seeing as I’m now required to fulfill those research commitments I made in order to receive the grant money that brought me here!)
I’ve already explored the area, purchased a watch from a street vendor for approximately $3.50 and found this lovely internet shop which offers a full hour of internet access for 4 Reais (about $1.33). I’ve also found the local bookstore (only a block away from our hotel) and am already in trouble. You wouldn’t believe how many wonderful books there are available in Portuguese! Well, maybe you would, but it was like walking into heaven. An entire store of foreign language books (not that they’re foreign here, but you get the idea). I already had to resist purchasing the entire Harry Potter series in Portuguese (although I did allow myself to buy the first one), not to mention the Lemony Snicket and Junie B. Jones series — I never even made it to the adult section. I decided the kids’ section was more than enough temptation for one afternoon! I’m thinking I may be able to read the newest HP book before going back home after all.
What else can I tell you? Tomorrow I will embark upon my quest to make contact with the children’s organization here in Rio (seeing as I’m now required to fulfill those research commitments I made in order to receive the grant money that brought me here!)
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