So as if to signal that I needed to be a bit more active my Wednesday was filled with activity. I woke up at my usual 0900, gathered some food from my room, and went to make some breakfast. Some delicious peanut-butter toast with bananas on top! At this point I still had not taken a shower and had simply rolled out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Around 1000 after I had cleaned up my breakfast stuff we were just sitting and chilling in the kitchen/ living room area when Juan ( the owner) came in and asked if we would want to go down to a different beach as he was headed there to surf. I thought it would be a nice opportunity so I went and threw on some clothes (which for those who know me will atest, I NEVER leave the house without first taking a shower but hey, why miss an opportunity!), packed my packback, and headed out to the van. We then began our 15 minute drive to a beach further up the coast near a city called Lagoa. Whilst the guys donned their wet-suites I headed to find a good place to get some sun. As I approached the water I expected it to be as chilly as the water by the hostel but it was in fact quite warm and even clearer then the water further down.I then found a nice place by the dunes, laid down my towel then laid down myself! As the time passed I stretched out getting taking in so much beautiful sun and the beautiful view. As before there was hardly anyone on the beach which is so surprising but I am not complaining!
Around 1300 I headed back up, bought a nice cold coconut in which they had punctured a hole to drink its juices and waited for the rest of the guys! When everyone had reassembled we headed back to the hostel where I planned to remain the rest of the night. But around 1630 Juan came and said that they were planning on going on a “little” hike. (Now I wish there had been some quotations when he had said little but alas there were none) I agreed as he said it was not going to be that difficult. So off we went Juan, his wife, his sone and myself. We pulled up to a wooded/ jungled trail and began to walk. Let me rephrase that we began to walk UP! It was sooooo in the direction of UP! Early on I was lagging behind and so I just told them keep walking I will be fine and soon I found myself alone. Slowly, oh so very slowly I made my way up the trail. Soon the small trail turned into a clay road. As I walked up the curvy path I would see the bend and say “this looks like it is the last one, surely this is the last one, the mountain could not go any further, I don’t see how it could be!” But sure enough I would get to the top of that bend and there would be a whole other bend to walk up. I swear this happened like 5 times! When I finally reached the “top” I saw no one! I began to think I had taken a wrong turn somewhere and was now lost! I then saw a very steep rock and I heard people so with much hard work and a couple tries I made it up the rock, only to realize that is where it ended there was no more. So I resigned myself to my fate and set down for the first time for a bit of a rest. About this time Juan and his family emerged from the woods and told me it was time to head down! I just wanted to REST but there was no rest for the weary. So we headed down which to be honest was no better! It was steep and I fell many times! But I do have to say that I did get a very beautiful picture of the sun setting after all of it!
Thursday was another semi-lazy day. It began to rain and so it kinda halted all activity. I made a little trip to the local shop for some food but other then that stayed inside. Around 1500 we had all gathered ourselves (myself and the three other guys that were staying at the hostel, from Australia, Columbia, and France) We had the TV turned to Football (Soccer) and were generally just talking and such. Then Alex pulled out the guitar and John went and got his harmonica and I went and got my Ukulele and then we just started messing around. Playing random songs, singing and laughing at and with each other! It was amazing we were just having a genuinely good time! They then started to make the meal they had been planing of whole fish (it was actually pretty gross!) we then talked some more as they ate and then dispersed to bed around 2100.
Friday I woke up pretty late, around 1100 the guys were all packed up ready to move out (they were all going to lagoa, some for the weekend and some as their next stop, because it is closer to the clubs and party scene) So I just made a quick sandwich and headed back to bed where I Netflixed for the rest of the day as it was once again raining! Friday night my new and creepy roommate returned for the night and I was very thankful that it would be his last night.
Sabbath morning I awoke early to get ready for church. As I had yet to hear form Mary I had no idea if I needed to catch the bus to church or if she had arranged for someone to pick me up. Juan was nice enough to let me use his phone to call and I found out that she had indeed arranged for me to be picked up for which I was very greatful!
We made our way to church where this time I did not in fact get sick! (Yay, for me!) I set in the young adult Sabbath School trying to keep up with what they were talking about. Set through the sermon where I am pretty sure even if I had understood Portuguese I would have been relatively lost as the preacher kept jumping through many texts and reading them in reverse order (Ex. Revelation 21 starting at verse 5 then read verse 3 then 1 then 4! It was quite interesting! ) After church things where explained to me that I didn’t really get all the way and I ended up at another church members house that I didn’t know for lunch! But we had a great afternoon of interesting conversation about the differences between the states and here, about religion, about God and general topics, all in portuguese of course because no one spoke english making the conversation 10 times more interesting!
At about 1630 they dropped me back at the hostel and said that at 1800 someone else would be there to pick me up! So I got changed and refreshed, repacked my backpack and headed to wait outside as to not miss them (FYI it was still raining and in fact still is!) So at around 1825 in typical Brazilian fashion I was picked up by a group of people and we headed to someones house for what I figured out was a youth gathering. It was very interesting to meet new people, a lot of new people! They were having a lot of conversations, we did sundown worship, we played a game with number tiles (it was very interesting and I had never seen it before and it required ALOT of thinking!) and then they began serving Pizza. Now pizza here is very different then the states like last night some of the toppings included corn and peas, but it is equally delicious just different! We then played a game of guys against girls and a sort of charade game, which was very entertaining! At about 2300 people began to head out and I was taken back to my hostel where we made a quick detour to the pharmacy so I could pick up some allergy medications. When I got back to my hostel at about 0000 I found the power to be out but thankfully I had a very bright flashlight on hand (Dad I told you there was a reason I needed it!). I opened the door to find that I had a new roommate from Australia. I changed and crawled into bed where I did not emerge from until 1100 on Sunday .
I got up at some Farofa with eggs, saw that I had a million text messages, facebook messages and emails informing me that my iPad and iPhone had been found. (My parents were a bit worried about my lack of contact!) I informed them I was safe and sound and that the power had simply gone out and I couldn’t message them the night before. As it wast still raining I decided to crawl back into bed where I fell asleep till 1700, I then woke up, took a shower, and went to make some grilled cheese for linner. After joining the now 5 new people at the hostel in the main room and watching some basketball I headed back to the room at about 2100 to start writing which is where I find myself now!
Being here has so much reduced my stress levels! It is amazing, I am on Island time. When I a tired I sleep, when I wake up, I wake up, when I am hungry I eat! They only time I ever look at the clock because time is important is Sabbath! Other then that time is nothing, I just follow the time of the day by it being dark or light. I am so glad that I am having this amazing opportunity. I meet new people every day from all corners of the world and from right here. I get to learn a new language and culture. I get to live day to day not worrying about what tomorrow will bring. I finally am able to do what the Bible has always said with worry, DON’T HAVE IT! I have to say if you every have the chance to travel, DO IT! And I don’t mean stay in fancy hotels with a strict itinerary, no! Go and see what it is like to live, stay and do things that are outside of your comfort zone. Throw yourself into it, get to know people, people that are nothing like you because trust me, It is so worth it!
