Home again

I made it home thursday night. My brother picked me up from the Minneapolis airport after work and now I am in the full swing of life once more.

While I was still in Vicosa, Fabricio's dad, Albono and I came up with a travel plan that was not so expensive yet saved me down time at the airport as well. So on Tuesday night Fabricio's dad drove me four hours (regardless of my request to take a bus) to Juiz De Fora where Fabricio's aunt and cousins live. I stayed at their house that night. It was nice to see Fabricio's cousin Cristiane again. We talked for a few hours then went to sleep. I couldn't sleep as usual so I got up about an hour before everyone else. I took a shower, had breakfast then I got a ride from a complete stranger to go to the bus station. This lady must have been a friend of Fabricio's aunt because she picked me up in front of their house. I had never met her before and I tried for a conversation but a ride was all I got.
So I took a bus from Juiz de Fora at about twenty past seven. The ride was nice. Not a lot of people and the road was much nicer than the one from Vicosa to Sao Paulo.

I arrived in Sao Paulo at the bus station at about four pm. From there I took another bus to Guarulhos Airport. At the airport I had one last Coxinha de frango for dinner and then I walked around until my flight at 11 pm.
On my flight back to the states I wasn't able to sleep so I watched three more movies. August Rush wasn't really my type of movie but it was ok. I didn't watch all of Atonement because it was too boring and I kept falling asleep. Gone Baby Gone with Casey Affleck was really good.
Anyway, I arrived in Atlanta at about 7:30 am. I cleared customs easier than I have in a long time. I rechecked my bag knowing it was going to be on the wrong flight. I wanted to wait to re-check but I had this fat lady yelling at me so I just humored her and put it on the conveyor.
I had to wait in Atlanta for six hours again. I read a lot and walked a couple of miles but still couldn't sleep. My flight for Minneapolis left around 2:00 and I arrived around 3:30. It was a nice flight. I had a screw driver to help with a headache. I'm sure I was going through withdrawls from not drinking but I am not a doctor.
After waiting on the plane for what seemed like forever we were finally able to pull up to the gate. When I walked up to the baggage carousel it wasn't turning yet. While I was waiting I just happened to look over toward the corner, and there next to a line of carts was my bag. I wondered if my bag was going to make it to MSP. Because of my six hour wait they must have pit it on an earlier flight. So I didn't have to wait for my bag. I did, on the other hand, have to wait for my brother. He had to drive from work to come get me so I didn't mind waiting. Standing there outside by the pick up point was nice. It was nice to feel the cool midwest breeze.
While I was standing there people watching I couldn't help but laugh at the civil security guy. I think they only had one guy out there trying to keep people from blocking the pick up point. If someone was parked at the curb for a long time he would come by and tell them to take another lap, that this was a pick up area not for parking. Nobody was listening to this poor guy. Traffic was building up and he was trying his best to keep them moving. It was kinda funny.

I made it home and am now in what is almost a normal routine. I am working on some DVD's to send back to Brazil. I filmed some parties and the wedding. I am also working on the pictures I plan to post.
It was a good trip. Almost life changing. I am re-thinking my plans for the future because of this trip.
I am also already thinking of future trips.

Vicosa, MG

The last few days have been incredible. Thursday night fabricio's family made it to Joacaba and we had a bbq at Lica's parents house. It was so nice to see all of them again. We had dinner and beer and then went to Tres Tilias where Fabricio used to work a few years ago. Out side of town we stayed at a very quiet and beautiful resort. We had the place to ourselves. There were four pousadas a swimming pool, lake and a kind of dinning hall. Very nice.
We stayed there and partied that night and then the next day we just kind of relaxed with our hangovers. Then friday night we put on our Sunday best and went back to Joacaba for the wedding. And what a beautiful wedding it was. The reception afterward was amazing. Food, whiskey, beer, girls and dancing. Fabricio, Lica, Robledo, Al, and I were the only ones left when they closed the place down. I have more stories about this night too but they will have to wait.
The morning of the reception I slep at Lica's house and then we went out to the resort in Tres Tilias. First thing there Fabricio and I went to get beer and then there was another bbq. That was another incredible night. I didn't go to sleep at all after everyone went to bed Robledo and I stayed up and talked for a few hours. I didn't see him for three years so it was nice to catch up. After he decided to go to bed I wanted to go for a walk and look at the stars but it was raining. I got to see the stars the night before but I didn't really get to appreciate them. Anyway I went back to my room and took a shower and finished packing my bags. Just as I was finishing up it was five am and everyone else was just getting up. We left for Vicosa at six am.
Fabricio has a friend who owns a little charter bus and his family made the long journey down in that. On the way back the had an americano to join them. The trip was fun. Incredibly long and inpossible to sleep but still fun. The roads in Brazil never go straight for very long and are not maintained very well. It seemed that we were constantly turning or bouncing around. Crazy but we made the best of it.
After nearly twenty four hours in the van we are finaly in Vicosa. I haven't been in this city for three years. It's nice. I am staying with Albono in his apartment. Al is a really nice guy and incredibly funny. I met him in the US through Fabricio.

Anyway, Al is helping me plan my trip back to Sao Paulo. If I go by bus it will be very cheap but the road is bad and the bus constantly stops. It is a twelve hour bus ride. I am not looking forward to another bus ride. So I think I might get a plane from Belo Horizonte (BH as they call it in Vicosa) to Sao Paulo. It is pretty expensive but I will be able to stay in Vicosa for more time and not have to wait at the airport for twelve hours. So we will see.
I am not sure when I will be able to write again. It may be from home but there will be pictures and more stories to come.

Joacaba, SC

I have moved on from the state of Rio Grande do Sul and am now in Joacaba, Santa Catarina. A lot has happened since my last post. My time in Rio Grande do Sul was so awesome. I stayed with Tiago and his Family in Veranopolis. There we went to a few parties, and had a few of our own. We also had a bbq at Tiago's parents house. The best bbq in the world is from southern Brazil.
There was a Motorcycle show in Veranopolis. They were having a burn-out competition where they smoke their tires. One dumbass guy let go of his bike at it went into the crowd hitting a guy and cutting his arm pretty bad. Someone told us later that he died, but think that was a bunch of bull.
Veranopolis was great. Tiago's family was great. They always seem to make me feel at home.

After Veranopolis I went with Tiago to Passo Fundo where he goes to school. The first day there he had to go to class so he asked me to go with him. He is studying to be a Veterinarian. He had a Lab project and I got to meet his crazy teacher and classmates. Their lab project was to do a autopsy or a post-mortem examination on a dog.
That night we had a birthday party for one of our friends. We went to a soccer club and had a bbq and they played soccer. After the game we had the time of our lives. We stayed at the soccer club until we ran out of beer and then went to drink at the gas station. You can drink at the gas stations here. I think there was about ten of us that piled into the back of my friends tiny pick-up. We saw the cops so a bunch of them took off running. They didn't get caught but had to walk to the gas station. Me and another friend just laid down in the back and hoped we didn't get stopped.
I have more stories about that night but I will have to save them for another time.

So after two days in Passo Fundo my friend Fabricio (the one who is getting married) picked me up and we drove the three plus hours to Joacaba. Last night we sat around and talked and relaxed. it was nice to rest for a while. I slept really good last night. This morning we had breakfast and Fabricio left for work. About five minutes later Lica(fabricio's fiance) came and told me that fabricio had an accident. So I threw some shoes on and went outside and not even a block away Fabricio's car got hit by an old guy backing out of his garage. No real damage and Fabricio was fine. Brazilian women worry too much. So after Fabricio filed an accident report with the police he went to work.
Later Lica took me to a clothes store to rent a suit for the wedding. I have to go pick it up tomorrow.
Now we are just relaxing and being lazy. It's nice. For lunch we are going to a restaurant because Lica says her mom is an awful cook. I thought that was funny.
For tonight, we are going out to some bar. More parties. More fun.

Porto Alegre

I love this city of Porto Alegre. My friend's girlfriend Morgana is at school right now. Around noon she is going to come and bring me to this hospital where she works. So until then I sit here and get to be bored. She asked me if I wanted a key so I could go out. I told her no, that I would just find a way to get lost.
Last night Morgana and I walked to the mercado where I bought us some Coxinhas for dinner. They were delicious. We walked around a little bit. I wanted to stay out and see more but I knew she had to study and that some parts of this city are too dangerous for girls to be walking around at night. So I lied and told her we should go home.
The other few times I have been here in Porto Alegre I am usually accompanied by my friends uncle Harold. Harold is from France but moved here when he was young. He speaks english very well and is extremely cool.
Harold usually takes me to his friends restaurant and we have what he calls shrimp in pasta. Whenever he hears that I am comming to Brazil he says, "The shrimps are waiting!" I wish I had remembered to bring his number so I could call to see if he wanted to have lunch.
Harold has given me a few tours of this city. I have seen a lot of monuments, parks, art galleries and historical buildings. I can't remember any of the names but I saw them.
Harold is an artist and has shown me some of his work. Very bold and dark. He says when he is painting or creating a piece that he sees the dark in the world. So, I guess that is why he has dark work. It is dark but very beautiful.

Anyway, last night I slept better than I have in a long time. I went to bed early, about eight. I woke up at about one and stayed awake for awhile but fell back asleep until 6:30.
This afternoon Morgana, Debra (Morgana's roommate), and I are going to take a bus to Veranopolis. There will be a party in Veranopolis for some kind of town anniversary or something so that should be fun.

I made it to Brazil

Well, after a very long trip I am finaly in Brazil. I left Minneapolis around 10 am and had a ok flight to Atlanta. The reason it was only ok was because I had to sit next to a very unhappy baby. I have to give his mom credit for warning me pre-flight about my new travel partner. He was cool though. He cried at first but then went to sleep.
I was in Atlanta for six plus hours. I found a quiet corner and tried to sleep but kept waking up due to a slamming access door. These two young ladies thought it was pretty funny to watch me jump everytime the door slammed. Their laughter hurt me on the inside. I got up and read for a while.

After no sleep in Atlanta I was finally able to board my flight after they changed the gate number twice. It was a good flight. The plane wasn't as packed as it usually is. I watched two and a half movies in my ten hour flight. "Dan in real life" is a really good movie. "Juno" was ok. I enjoyed it. Then I watched the begining of "Autumn rush". I think that's what it was called. I couldn't watch much of it because I was so tired. So I listened to some music and fell in and out of a sleeping state. It's funny because I jumped awake and a few people were looking at me funny and a stewardess asked if I was ok. I must have yelled or something. I think the guy across from me got mad because I woke him up by yelling then smiled at him.
Just before landing in Sao Paulo I got to see the morning dew cover everything but the tops of the mountains. That and the sunrise was beautiful even in my groggy state of mind.
In Sao Paulo I had to change airports to the one across town. I asked a cab driver how much to take me there and he told me some rediculous price (R$98.00 or about $45). I took the bus. It took a long time going through traffic but it was air conditioned.
My flight to Porto Alegre was really nice. Less than two hours. Plus I made a new friend Vivian. She is a business consultant of some kind. Very nice person. We talked most of the flight. She gave me her business card and told me to call. I don't think I will have time.
Anyway, I am at Morgana's house right now. She and her friend met me at the airport and we took a cab back to her place where I will be staying tonight. I am in the process of convincing them to go out with me tonight. They say they have school tomorrow and that I should get some sleep. I told them I can sleep when I die. They laughed but the answer still stands at no.

Tomorrow I am off to one of my favorite places in the world, Veranopolis.
I hope to write again soon but I am not sure when. tchau for now.

Almost there

Tomorrow I am leaving for Brazil. I am going to be flying into Sao Paulo, then to Porto Alegre. My friend Tiago is going to have his girlfriend pick me up at the airport. I will spend the night at her place thursday night, then take a bus with her to Veranopolis (Tiago's hometown) friday. It is going to be interesting because she doesn't speak english and I haven't studied Portuguese like I had planned. I am going to have to study as much as I can on my flights and my six hour layover in Atlanta.
Anyway, after a weekend in Veranopolis, I am going to spend a few days in Passo Fundo with my buddy Marcelo. Then it is off to Fabricio's wedding in Santa Catarina. From there I will travel with Fabricio's parents to Vicosa, MG which is twenty six hour bus ride. I will stay there for a day or two then take a bus back to Sao Paulo.

That's the plan. Most of the time I never stick to the plan but atleast it is an idea.

Well, my next post will be from somewhere in Brazil.
Mais tarde