day 2: waterfall adventure two

I apologize for not having updated you sooner, but I think I’m lucky enough to even have access to a computer to use out here, let alone internet connection. I called my dad when I got in and I thought I was calling from outerspace....no joke. I’m not even sure how it even worked.
However, I have been ‘blogging’ in my notebook, so I’m going to attempt to get some of those on here every time I get a chance. Excuse the delay.

12-7-09

I’ve been running nearly every day out here, and it has been awesome. I did the ‘race course’ earlier this morning and I think I just may be able to beat the record out here (the record is 35:30, held by one of Roberto’s sisters who is arriving today). You can really tell that you are out in the middle of nowhere when you go on these runs. First of all, you can run forever it seems in any direction, literally without encountering with anything with a heartbeat, except for these funny looking cows. This is essentially, I recently found out, and they own nearly 70,000 acres out here. Rediculous. It’s funny, because you can’t take the California girl out of me, because on every horizon I expect there to be some kind of ocean just beyond that last fence. The cows are clearly spooked by my presence and at one point on my run today all 150 of them were staring at me. For real though....every last one of them. To be honest, the little wire fence that was between us didn’t look like it’d hold any of them back either.

When I got back, me and all the kids, avô (grandpa) and ‘uncle Bob’ (Roberto) went to a new waterfall. It was...by a long shot....one of my best experience in a waterfall....ever. Firstly, the whole thing was set up perfect for exploring its many nooks and crannies. And I was all up in those caves, under the many falls and of course, I climbed up to the top for a ritual Rocky dance. Just beyond the swimming hole, the water fell into this amazingly deep canyon of which you can’t even see the bottom. Avô said that it went 500+ feet down into the caves. Incredible. Yay exploring....and climbing waterfalls.

As Helena put it, if she were to choose between climbing and exploring, she’d choose exploring. Because when you’re exploring you can find new things...and probably even climb too! Haha. I agree.

I’m all smiles out here and I’m definitely a few shades darker, that’s for sure. I look like my Mom in her pictures from college....all dark and kissed by the sun. My bruises are even kinda faint seeming...if you can imagine that. But, I definitely have some already...of course.

At lunch today, Avô taught me how to make a caiparinha (my favorite drink since it first hit my lips in Argentina three long years ago). It’s made much like a mojito...just with limes, cachaca (Brazilian rum) and sugar....mmmm ummmm! Coctails before 5. ; )

Helena heard me say I missed peanut butter and found me this candy called Pacoquita (pronounced pachokita) which is actually pretty similar tasting to PB but might just be better.....and it made my day. Laura is getting pretty good at her please’s and thank you’s too! She’s becoming a natural with those and the ‘Lindsey, can you help me please?’, which works in almost any situation. Haha. Oh! And today on the farm I found these little peppers that actually make my mouth burn! (super stoked!)

More kids arrived today. Total: 10 + me. ..and more to come.

farm house. day 1

Wow. I am really out in the middle of nowhere. So...this morning, me and the Martin’s family piled into a 6 person plane and flew off to the family farm for the next two weeks. Ok. So, I’ve had my share of travels down here in Latin America, and I’m aware of how they ‘bend’ the rules here and there with arrival times.....business exchanges.....safety precautions......And I’ve also had my share of experiences traveling in small planes. I mean my first experience, if I’m correct, was in a booster seat. After talking to my dad.....I was ready not to get on that plane had the pilot not given me to correct response to how much ‘useful weight’ the plane could opperate on.

But, as on edge as I was before I boarded, my gut told me we’d be fine.....and we were. Actually, I was informed along the way that these planes, in specific, were used back in the 80’s and 90’s and flown deep into Brazil’s jungle to carry in and out all the necessary supplies for mining for gold. I guess they even used to fly out donkeys, horses.....people....ect. The donkeys, of course, were sedated and accompanied by a man with a gun to its head in case it woke from its sleep and needed to be ‘calmed down.’ I guess they would weigh down these planes so much (like 1000lbs on a 700lbs plane) that to get them off the ground, they’d tie them to a tree, rev up the engine and cut them loose at the last moment. Ha. There’s the latin improvising I was waiting for. The manufacturers of the planes didn’t believe that this is what was going on, or that their planes could actually do all this. So, they had to send someone out here to verify this absurdity. Ha. These planes were also used for smuggling a crap load of goods from other countries too (not drugs or anything tho ‘: l)

We flew over almost three hours worth of sugar cane crops. Brazil uses the sugar cane for a variety of reasons: sugar, some types of alcohol, but mostly....for ethenol. Now I’m quoting Roberto on this, but I guess somewhere around 90% of Brazil’s cars on the road are run on ethenol....a much cleaner burning fuel than ours. But don’t get all disappointed in ourselves, because their motives are not environmentally minded, but more for economic and logistical reasons. The oil crisis in the 70’s led them to their plan B (expanding ethenol crops). Plus, they had so much fertile land to use...it just made sense.

The views got more interesting as we got closer...canyons, waterfalls, plateaus lush with bushes/trees. I was already planning my runs on how to get to them and which ones looked like I could climb....yay! I was so excited to go exploring. Our landing strip, or dirt path I should say, is right outside the front door of the farm house. The whole family was outside waiting. The grandchildren, oddly enough , look a lot like me- blonde, light eyes. Half of them live in Boston and the others live in Florida (ages: 11, 12, 14 and 16). There should me a lot more coming....avó (the grandma) said something like 20 more. (!!!)

O avô (grandpa) took us shortly after to their favorite waterfall...just a 5 minute drive from the house...to surprise everyone with the new deck/platform he had built. This waterfall in specific they call ‘turbina’ because it’s the one that helps power their farm (from the use of a water turbine). He does all his own work on his farm....and after seeing only just a few things so far....he really is quite good at it. The watering hole was awesome. Perfect temp, rocks lined pool of water which was just deep enough to dive/flip/and play in. But the best part was the view.




First of all, when you’re in it, it feels like you are in an infiniti pool looking out over a valley of canyons and rivers. It’s so beautiful, you almost feel like it’s a mirage that you could only imagine if you were in the heat of a desert somewhere. The pool was built to act like a damn and the waterfall continued on down deep into the valley.....tiering down steps of rock . The night before I left, I was instructed ( a hem....Nevko) to do some waterfall climbing. ; ) Day 1-mission accomplished. I’m going to get into trouble ehre. I already know it. Oh and so I guess the daily plan is to go check out 1 of the 19 waterfalls they have on their land while we’re here. Maybe I’ll do OK from the outside world.....aka no skype. No phone. I do have my running shoes, my bikini and my camera however. I’m thinking we’ll make a good team.

PS: All the adults go on a 8km run (i think) in the morning and time themselves to compare to last year and each other. I have a lot to live up to, considering they think I’m the ‘designated athlete’ of the group....and it looks like the time to beat is 42 min. That means I’m shooting for roughly around a 8 min mile pace. (8km=5 mi). I got my game face on. : )

After um pequeno descanso, we went on a truck ride down to the bottom of the waterfall we were at earlier in the day. It is A LOT longer than I thought. O avô said, as we were standing back looking up at the canyon wall at the top of the waterfall....that this whole place during the raining season is flooded by water. Pretty much, the whole view of what we were looking at would be a waterfall...and the ground we were standing on....knee deep in water. Unbelievable. Seriously. He also said that their farm house is pretty much just at the beginning of the Amazonia! I made it!....kinda. But, I can’t wait to see more!

I know this one was a long one, but I’m going to do my best to detach myself more from the internet while I’m here. Até logo. (Catch ya on the flip side....note: not a direct translation) Oh, and pictures will be posted when I get home.

...my acoustic therapy and morning ritual

A Beautiful Day

Life is a journey,
Not a destination,
There are no mistakes,
Just chances we’ve taken
Lay down your regrets cause all we have is now

Wake up in the morning
And get out of bed
Start making a mental list in my head
Of all of the things that I am grateful for

Early in the morning
It’s the dawn of a new day
New hopes new dreams new ways
I open up my eyes and
I open up my mind and
I wonder how life will surprise me today
Early in the morning
It’s the dawn of a new day
New hopes new dreams new ways
I open up my heart and
I’m gon’ do my part and
Make this a positively beautiful day

Life is a challenge not a competition
You can still smell the roses and be on a mission
Just take a moment to get in touch with your heart
Sometimes you feel like you’ve got something to prove
Remind yourself that there’s only one you
Just take a moment to give thanks of who you are

Let’s make this a wonderful
Let’s make this a powerful
Let’s make this a Beautiful Day
It’s a Beautiful Day

Life is a journey,
Not a destination,
There are no mistakes,
Just chances we’ve taken
Lay down your regrets cause all we have is now

India.Arie

one of those days...

Alright, so today tested my patience.  It really shouldn't have, because I essentially got the entire day off (which actually ended up being a surprise to me).  It's a good thing I'm not a planner, otherwise I'm pretty sure this lifestyle would kill me.  

So!  I woke up, got ready for the day and we all went to the mall to go ice skating.  Helena wanted me so badly to come along and ice skate with them, which was cute.  So, I stuck around and did some laps with them.  There is a promotion for the Ice Age movie so they have this little rink downstairs in the mall for the kids.  Today was our third time going actually. : ) ahha....note: me in a tank top, plastic skates, knee and elbow pads, a hair net and a helmet.....so sexy. 

Then....it was me time.  My little haven for freedom....the mall (haha.....one of my favorite things to do...as you all know).  Oh yes, and today is a sort of independence holiday for Sao Paulo, so Roberto was home today.  And, as usual, holidays are kind of a big thing down on this side of the world, so......pretty much every store in the mall was closed (luckily I found out, only until 2).  So I had a few hours to kill and decided to sit and study at a little cafe.  It was nice, and after once everything opened I shopped around the grocery store, picked up a few items that will suffice for ingredients for smores and headed off to the parada de onibus (bus stop).  

We're going to the family home out in the country in a few days and I was thinking of showing them all how to make smores.....if I can only find that crucial element....the marshmellows. : /

I sat down at 3:30 and waited.  I wasn't too sure about what time the LevaYtras onibus was coming exactly, but I figured I could wait a half hour or so...no biggy.  

An hour later, I finally asked someone if the bus was coming or not.  The seriously ear-drum breaking-ly loud music playing from across the street was really getting on my nerves.  My ipod wasn't even drowning it out.  My instincts told me that this holiday probably had something to do with it not having passed by yet......and I was right.  Ha.  I mean, really? I mean....I had to laugh......What were my options now?  I could walk home.  I could try to go back to the mall and ask someone to use their phone....or take a taxi.  After kind of entertaining the thought of each one of them, and getting ahold of Alexandra to tell her where I was, I chose the taxi.  But, not a normal taxi....a moto taxi (aka....motorcycle).  It's cheaper and more exciting.  Besides, I've never really been on one....except for that souped up scooter thing I rode in Costa Rica that one time....ahh good memories ; ).

Alright, so yea, my first time on a motorcycle was riding on back with an older man who smelled funny...with a helmet on that has been used by who knows how many people.  Thank God I'm not a germ freak huh?  But, hey, it added a little adventure to my day.  I got on the thing, and just hoped I didn't burn my leg or something.  That would just top it all off. It was a short ride, but the wind in my face relieved some tension and I even got a little speed fix when we rode on the freeway for an exit or two.  $3.50 US later...I'm home and needing a workout. But, yes.......the gym's closed.  But, I have the house to myself...and a ton of books around here are calling my name.  Maybe a down day is OK? (I hear my mom saying).....but I do know I need some sorta fix.  

a great end to the weekend

Ahh....what a night. The family all went to go see the 'zoo' of birds out at the golf course across the street, but I was itching to go swimming. It might have been 4:30 or closer to 5 maybe. My short little dip in the lake earlier was just a tease. I found that all day I had been in a great mood because of it.....so I wanted more naturally. ; ) So, I hopped out and walked home barefoot (I'm pretty sure my feet are never going to be clean here as I'm in a constant state of barefoot-ness...and loving it). I made my way quickly to the dock and guessed I probably had....about a half hour left before things got really interesting out there on the horizon. Perfect. Sunset swim. Set my timer. Goal: 30 min.......and I dove out into the 'freezing' water (ps. i'd say at best it was refreshing).

So, I didn't last very long. Ha. It seems it's been a while since I've free-style swam in open water...aka....short workout. But, eh, it was more for the soul than the body to be honest.

Not long after I got out, Helena came running out to me screaming much like her mom, "you're crazy Ling-say!" But, she's crazy too, I found out. And she was the first to jump in with me, clothes on and all. HA! Now, this is what I'm talking about. We took turns jumping off the dock and taking pictures...all with this gorgeous sunset on the horizon. : )


We talked the rest of the girls to at least get in the water with us for a bit. As we ran back home, we walked in the house soaked and shivering...with smiles from ear to ear. Alexandra did not look happy. : / I think the words that came out of her mouth were.......'I'm going to kill all five of you..."


I took a shower with the girls, giggling and trying to go as fast as we could. Helena noticed I had a lot of bruises on my legs.....which I figured out by her pointing at my legs and saying I was all 'purple'. Haha. This is true....this is true. So, showered, fed and warm the girls are right now watching LadyHawk (with Michelle Pheifer) for the third time this weekend and I'm laying outside by the pool.......writing this by moonlight. ; )


8pm. 7-5-09

Itirapina, Brasil

4th of July (last entry was on the 3rd)

Today was a great day...I had a nice run this morning, play time was fun, and our walk by the lake at sunset really brought me to my place. It turned out that this weekend's theme was beautiful sunsets. : )

I found out that this family lake house was built by Roberto's cousin's (Floriana) father on his huge huge farm...which now is the entire resort. He built multiple other homes, a clubhouse, ect.....and now six of his children each own a vacation home here. It didn't turn out to an entirely lucrative endeavor, but it is truly an awesome set up.



Here's the girls on the pula-pula (jump-jump)...or...trampoline. ; )

We went on a boat ride this morning (which was awesome) and I got a chance to wow the girls with a backflip off the boat into the water....hehe. When I got to shore, Alexandra was like "you are insane....with how many peppers you eat and swimming in that freezing lake...I don't know why I leave my kids with you!" Haha....Her girls definitely have some guts and are competitive...so she's going to have it rough with them.

first night at the lake house

This is just what I needed…The cool air, clear night, endless amounts of stars, a lake, a whole night of Portuguese. What more could I ask for? I can’t wait to see this place in the day time. We are staying at Roberto’s cousins’ lake house just an hour outside of Ribeirão Preto….and it is amazing. The house has a beautiful layout and is perfect for having lots of guests. It has a long hallway with tons of rooms and beds, each with their own bathroom. It has a number of living areas and is built to be very open to the outside ‘living areas’…….which is the best part. Let me paint the picture: palm trees, pool, tennis court, trampoline (!!!), guest house, back porch, endless grass and to top it all off….its right on a lake. Ridiculous.

Roberto’s cousin’s family are fun and they have three girls all the same age as the family I’m staying with. So far, I’m having a lot of fun with them too. Laura is so cute. She wanted to sleep with me tonight so she came up to me and asked me to. Luckily that’s the way it needed to work out, but I appreciated and was touched by her request. She’s laying just in the other bed right now and is a strong competitor for being the cutest little thing I’ve ever seen sleeping.

After exploring the house and the grounds a bit, I already know this weekend is going to leave me feeling renewed. Moon is just about full and shining really bring tonight. The moon….always brining me closer to those that aren’t so close in distance. We all share it, we all wonder what else could be out there, ponder life’s blessings and know that we’re all under the same one everynight….or at least that’s what it does for me. ; ) It’s brightness doesn’t out shine the stars though, which is when you know you’re out of the city.

I explored a little more inside and found an interesting mix of DVD’s and books…found the ‘Up in Smoke’ music tour DVD (HAHA! Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube) amongst other Portuguese movies……….ahh…the comedy.

Dinner was nice, conversation was encouraging (I'm catching on!) and dessert was delish - homemade chocolate layered wafers and this egg yolk bon bon thing covered in sugary almonds.....interesting and not that bad). Oh yes: a few differences I've been meaning to share about stuff:

-cachaca (brazilian rum) is also known as pinga (which is NOT used anywhere else because it translates to the worst name you could call a woman...starting with a C)
-wedding rings are simple gold bands, no frills, no diamonds.
-lunch is at 2
-dinner is at 10
-maids are common, and cooks and nanny's too
-family homes are a big tradition out here (usually out in the country somewhere)
-Brazilian wine...not so hot

..that's all for now