Wow..
It´s been a whole week since I last update and a long/busy one at that.
Saturday I spent the day at the grandmother´s eating good food and arguing with the 8year old. People here never look there age (young ones look older and older ones look younger.) Unfortunately, this can lead to problems, like the crush I had on the grandmother´s 17year old male maid. The cousin is a model, but this kid definately had a much better body and spent the whole day everyday with his shirt of so he had an incredible tan. He was really sweet and kinda shy, different from most of the guys there. And he gave me a bunch of little presents like a hair clip and a eyeliner pencil randomly, but obvoiosly I was not going to go ficar with him. In the afternoon I wondered downtown and bit more and watched more português movies before going to a little kids birthday party. I ws going to go out, but I had been planning on going out with one of my professoras who was sick so I ended up just watching Crianças Esperanças (Brasil´s main telethon) with Samuel (the maid). I took a lot of awesome pictures at lunch of the variety of whole fish on the table (the father´s friend was visiting) and of my extended host family. Unfortunately, no one will ever get to see them (see below). The mother said we were going to go to their sitio the next day, so I didnt go to Presidente Figueredo (but those plans ended up falling through.
Sunday, I got up and had my last breakfast with the fam in the Mercardo. We then went to the market in another neighborhood right on the river. The views were amazing, and the whole fish laid out were freaky looking. I took more pics with the fam. After eating lunch with the family, and spending moer time with my forbidden crush, I decided to go to Ponta Negra. The river beach is really pretty. I brought my FAVORITE purse, which I bought at Eddie Bower right before coming here, and the practically full disposable camera. I walked down to this little cove where the forest is under deep water, and you can climb trees and jump off into the amazon. I watched for a while, and eventually was enticed to jump in, abandoning my purse hidden in a bush for just a few minutes. The experience was absolutely magical. It was so primative feeling, and the views were incredible. At one point there was a giant log floating in the water that looked like a crocadile, freaking everyone out ´til one guy finally swam over and proved to the crowd that it was just wood.
This brief experience however, was long enough for my purse (containg only the now fully used camera, my towel and my keys) to be stolen. I implored (in Português) so local teenage boys to go looking for it, which they did, claiming that it belonged to their mother and not some american tourist. Unfortunately, this was to no avail. The boys were incredibly nice, the younger one laughing hysterically at the fact that he came across 3diferent couples doing it in his 5min search for my purse. Meanwhile, the older one was asking me if I had a husband or a kid or a boyfriend, etc.....
Then, practically in tears, but thankful that all my money, which had been in my jeans pockets, was still there, I got on the bus soaking wet to head back. With no keys I banged on the house door with no answer. I then wandered downtown lost and forlorn a bit feeling more alone than I ever thought a person could. There I was, in a country where I still had trouble talking to everybody, no friends and no family anywhere around. No cell phone or way to get in touch with anybody, no place to go. I hadnt talked to my family in 5wks (I still havent). It really does not make a person feel good when youre parents dont even bother to try to see how you are in forever. Eventually my wondering led my to bump into my host family on their way to mass, which I went to with them, still wet. I started coughing so hard there I had to leave for a few minutes and sit outside. Afterwords, we went home and had a snack before going back over grandmas.
Monday, class ended up being a trip to Ponta Negra to stroll the beach and drink coconut water. It tastes kinda wierd but its really great for beating dehydration (and supposedly hangovers). They just give you a whole coconut with a hole drilled in it. They actually have a lot in them.
The reason for this trip was that after we were half done class Eliot, who is staying in Manuas til Christmas had to go to a meeting at UFAM and asked Marcia to take him. Since she had to stop teaching, she decided to take us to the zoo, but it was closed and Ponta Negra was close, so we did that and returned to finish the lesson. When I got home I explored downtown for the last time and my lonely planet book finally came in the mail. I hadnt realized how much there was to do in Manaus until I got it I I´m kinda bummed out that I didnt get to see everything.
Tuesday, our class was practicing taking lecture notes at UFAM. Researchers from all of the diferent areas of Project Piatam came to speak to us. Piatam is a joint project between universities and Petrobras to reasearch the effects of the Petroleum industry on the Amazon between a point on one of its 2contributairies and Manaus. It 9main parts crossing all the sciences, economics and history and is really complex and interesting. They gave us DVDs explaing every thing (with english versions) So if anyones interested in this when I get back they are welcome to borrow them.
After class I Raniere came up behind me a shocked me with a big hug. We talked a bit and he gave me his cellphone number so that we could hang out before I left, but I never got the chance to call him, which is another thing I regret. He is a cool kid. I hope that maybe someday I get to see him again.
After a quick lunch with Prof. Denise, her husband and Eliot at the Studio 5 mall I went off exploring the Lonely Planet. I went to the Palacio Rio Negro, the former governers mansion that now includes a culture, coin, and art museum. I then went to the museo do Homen do Norte, and the Indian museum (the later is run by a group of missionary nuns.) I took a lot of pictures. Tuesday night include my last trip to the grandmothers, where the maid told me that he liked me in not so many words. Unfortunately nothing can ever come of that because I will probably never see him again.
When I went to the internet café that night I saw the older woman who works there for the last time. She took me down the street to the jewlery store and bought me a necklace and earings to remember her by and wear on my trip. People in Brasil are so freindly, so open, so caring, its incredible.
Wednesday was supposed to be the last class, but Mike didnt show up and I asked Lilly if we could go explore some things I hadnt seen instead of a lesson. She decided I couldnt leave without seeing the military zoo and Parque do Minú so off we went.
The Brazilian special forces train in the floresta in Manaus and are clearly present everywhere. The opperate a zoo where they keep rescued monkeys. It was pretty sweet. A monkey actually held my hand. From there, we went to the parque do mindú which has the dirtiest waterfall Ive ever seen, part of the polluted Rio Negro. There is a lot of florest and some birds (endagered animals including monkeys, that did not show them selves.) Overall, it was amazing. After, I was going to go on an expidition to a monkey jungle, but I was tired so I just went downtown to develop my cameras, try out a new place for lunch and a juice bar and comprar alguns presentes from the indians who have a little square downtown. I then went to double check my flight on the internet and it was cancelled. So I kinda freaked out. I came across the mother and ate pizza at her lanche with the cousin and junior. I also got a chance to say good by to the aunt, who owns the neighboring lanche, and her husband. Afterwords, I went back to the house, organized my photos a bit so I could send them home in scrap books, ate spaghetti prepared by the father and went out to Porão with the boys, Denise, her husband and Marcia.
At the club some creepy old guy came over and was all over me. I tried pretending that I was with Eliot, who helped me out in this respect, so I could ditch him, but it didnt work. Finally, Denise´´s husband had to shove him across the room and into the bar. Oh the men of Manaus....
Thursday our last class was supposed to start late, but instead of taking me there my family took me to the airport at 9am to deal with Varig. We waited in line until afternoon for them to put me on a plane to São Paulo, where I would have to pay to take a bus a cross the city to the other airport, then to Rio, then make the 3 1/2 hour drive to Campos. I was so sad about saying good bye to my family that I cried in the airport, they were really good to me. I was intitially mad about the change of planes, but I ended up getting to see most of São Paulo, which was pretty sweet. I got here at 4am went online for a bit and went to sleep.
Today was even more fun, but Im tired so Ill talk about that tomorrow....tchau.
Saturday I spent the day at the grandmother´s eating good food and arguing with the 8year old. People here never look there age (young ones look older and older ones look younger.) Unfortunately, this can lead to problems, like the crush I had on the grandmother´s 17year old male maid. The cousin is a model, but this kid definately had a much better body and spent the whole day everyday with his shirt of so he had an incredible tan. He was really sweet and kinda shy, different from most of the guys there. And he gave me a bunch of little presents like a hair clip and a eyeliner pencil randomly, but obvoiosly I was not going to go ficar with him. In the afternoon I wondered downtown and bit more and watched more português movies before going to a little kids birthday party. I ws going to go out, but I had been planning on going out with one of my professoras who was sick so I ended up just watching Crianças Esperanças (Brasil´s main telethon) with Samuel (the maid). I took a lot of awesome pictures at lunch of the variety of whole fish on the table (the father´s friend was visiting) and of my extended host family. Unfortunately, no one will ever get to see them (see below). The mother said we were going to go to their sitio the next day, so I didnt go to Presidente Figueredo (but those plans ended up falling through.
Sunday, I got up and had my last breakfast with the fam in the Mercardo. We then went to the market in another neighborhood right on the river. The views were amazing, and the whole fish laid out were freaky looking. I took more pics with the fam. After eating lunch with the family, and spending moer time with my forbidden crush, I decided to go to Ponta Negra. The river beach is really pretty. I brought my FAVORITE purse, which I bought at Eddie Bower right before coming here, and the practically full disposable camera. I walked down to this little cove where the forest is under deep water, and you can climb trees and jump off into the amazon. I watched for a while, and eventually was enticed to jump in, abandoning my purse hidden in a bush for just a few minutes. The experience was absolutely magical. It was so primative feeling, and the views were incredible. At one point there was a giant log floating in the water that looked like a crocadile, freaking everyone out ´til one guy finally swam over and proved to the crowd that it was just wood.
This brief experience however, was long enough for my purse (containg only the now fully used camera, my towel and my keys) to be stolen. I implored (in Português) so local teenage boys to go looking for it, which they did, claiming that it belonged to their mother and not some american tourist. Unfortunately, this was to no avail. The boys were incredibly nice, the younger one laughing hysterically at the fact that he came across 3diferent couples doing it in his 5min search for my purse. Meanwhile, the older one was asking me if I had a husband or a kid or a boyfriend, etc.....
Then, practically in tears, but thankful that all my money, which had been in my jeans pockets, was still there, I got on the bus soaking wet to head back. With no keys I banged on the house door with no answer. I then wandered downtown lost and forlorn a bit feeling more alone than I ever thought a person could. There I was, in a country where I still had trouble talking to everybody, no friends and no family anywhere around. No cell phone or way to get in touch with anybody, no place to go. I hadnt talked to my family in 5wks (I still havent). It really does not make a person feel good when youre parents dont even bother to try to see how you are in forever. Eventually my wondering led my to bump into my host family on their way to mass, which I went to with them, still wet. I started coughing so hard there I had to leave for a few minutes and sit outside. Afterwords, we went home and had a snack before going back over grandmas.
Monday, class ended up being a trip to Ponta Negra to stroll the beach and drink coconut water. It tastes kinda wierd but its really great for beating dehydration (and supposedly hangovers). They just give you a whole coconut with a hole drilled in it. They actually have a lot in them.
The reason for this trip was that after we were half done class Eliot, who is staying in Manuas til Christmas had to go to a meeting at UFAM and asked Marcia to take him. Since she had to stop teaching, she decided to take us to the zoo, but it was closed and Ponta Negra was close, so we did that and returned to finish the lesson. When I got home I explored downtown for the last time and my lonely planet book finally came in the mail. I hadnt realized how much there was to do in Manaus until I got it I I´m kinda bummed out that I didnt get to see everything.
Tuesday, our class was practicing taking lecture notes at UFAM. Researchers from all of the diferent areas of Project Piatam came to speak to us. Piatam is a joint project between universities and Petrobras to reasearch the effects of the Petroleum industry on the Amazon between a point on one of its 2contributairies and Manaus. It 9main parts crossing all the sciences, economics and history and is really complex and interesting. They gave us DVDs explaing every thing (with english versions) So if anyones interested in this when I get back they are welcome to borrow them.
After class I Raniere came up behind me a shocked me with a big hug. We talked a bit and he gave me his cellphone number so that we could hang out before I left, but I never got the chance to call him, which is another thing I regret. He is a cool kid. I hope that maybe someday I get to see him again.
After a quick lunch with Prof. Denise, her husband and Eliot at the Studio 5 mall I went off exploring the Lonely Planet. I went to the Palacio Rio Negro, the former governers mansion that now includes a culture, coin, and art museum. I then went to the museo do Homen do Norte, and the Indian museum (the later is run by a group of missionary nuns.) I took a lot of pictures. Tuesday night include my last trip to the grandmothers, where the maid told me that he liked me in not so many words. Unfortunately nothing can ever come of that because I will probably never see him again.
When I went to the internet café that night I saw the older woman who works there for the last time. She took me down the street to the jewlery store and bought me a necklace and earings to remember her by and wear on my trip. People in Brasil are so freindly, so open, so caring, its incredible.
Wednesday was supposed to be the last class, but Mike didnt show up and I asked Lilly if we could go explore some things I hadnt seen instead of a lesson. She decided I couldnt leave without seeing the military zoo and Parque do Minú so off we went.
The Brazilian special forces train in the floresta in Manaus and are clearly present everywhere. The opperate a zoo where they keep rescued monkeys. It was pretty sweet. A monkey actually held my hand. From there, we went to the parque do mindú which has the dirtiest waterfall Ive ever seen, part of the polluted Rio Negro. There is a lot of florest and some birds (endagered animals including monkeys, that did not show them selves.) Overall, it was amazing. After, I was going to go on an expidition to a monkey jungle, but I was tired so I just went downtown to develop my cameras, try out a new place for lunch and a juice bar and comprar alguns presentes from the indians who have a little square downtown. I then went to double check my flight on the internet and it was cancelled. So I kinda freaked out. I came across the mother and ate pizza at her lanche with the cousin and junior. I also got a chance to say good by to the aunt, who owns the neighboring lanche, and her husband. Afterwords, I went back to the house, organized my photos a bit so I could send them home in scrap books, ate spaghetti prepared by the father and went out to Porão with the boys, Denise, her husband and Marcia.
At the club some creepy old guy came over and was all over me. I tried pretending that I was with Eliot, who helped me out in this respect, so I could ditch him, but it didnt work. Finally, Denise´´s husband had to shove him across the room and into the bar. Oh the men of Manaus....
Thursday our last class was supposed to start late, but instead of taking me there my family took me to the airport at 9am to deal with Varig. We waited in line until afternoon for them to put me on a plane to São Paulo, where I would have to pay to take a bus a cross the city to the other airport, then to Rio, then make the 3 1/2 hour drive to Campos. I was so sad about saying good bye to my family that I cried in the airport, they were really good to me. I was intitially mad about the change of planes, but I ended up getting to see most of São Paulo, which was pretty sweet. I got here at 4am went online for a bit and went to sleep.
Today was even more fun, but Im tired so Ill talk about that tomorrow....tchau.