Summer Vacation: Northeastern Brazil

Our big trip this summer (Dec. - Feb. here) was touring around northeastern Brazil for two weeks. Brazil is such a large country, its regions are diverse and vary in appearance, food, and accent, much like regions in the United States. The food, especially, was different from where we live in southern Brazil, but the people are just as warm and friendly.   

Stop #1 Natal: 

Our resort on the beach. After a tough semester at the university for
Geoff and I, plus sleepless nights with a newborn,
this place was the perfect start to our vacation.

We saw lots of people at the swim-up bar,
but suspiciously not so many people getting out of the pool to use the bathroom.

The kiddie pool was fun for adults, too.

It's a good vacation when you spend most of
your days in a swimsuit and diaper (respectively).

The beaches of the northeast! 

                                        

                                                 

                                                 

Stop # 2 Joao Pessoa: 

My little doll face. Love her. 

                                             

People gather in masses to watch the sunset from the most eastern
point in the country while some dude with a ponytail plays
 churchy music in a pontoon floating nearby. 

                                     

Eri and I looking for fish on our boat tour.

                                       

Carneiros:

Amidst all the resorts, Brazil is still a developing nation. 

Geoff paid a few dollars to ride this contraption, called "Aire Bunda,"
or your bum flying through the air and landing in a lake.

We never get tired of the beach for obvious reasons.

Our beach hut, though it was hardly primitive. 

Our waiter Leo with our son Leo.

We took a "taxi" up and down the beach one morning.

Fresh lobster!

No tan line

Eri exploring the reefs at low tide.

Stop #4 Olinda-Recife:

It was the start of Carnival in Olinda-Recife. We thought
Eri was onto something when she wanted a mask from the street vendors.

This little old woman is making us tapioca
crepes, a regional dish we ate daily.

It looks like NASCAR, but it's actually people
walking to the city's downtown for the Carnival parade.

We love Brazil! 

Tidbits

Health code violation: We have all adapted well to the Brazilian lifestyle, though there are some things that will probably never fully be embraced. Street meat, see below, is popular here, but after almost two years in Brazil, I still can't believe that this looks delicious to anyone.

Dance: Eri, 4, has always loved to dance. A few months ago, she started going to ballet class, which she loves, and also dancing to Michael Jackson YouTube videos at home, which we love. (Think Michael Jackson post-Jackson Five yet pre-white woman looking, i.e., the Thriller, Bad, Billie Jean era.) Here she is in her appropriately coordinating clothes. (We had to improvise a little on the rhinestone glove.)

Context Clues: There are, to us, many oddities living in a foreign country. Here is one such example. Based on this box, what could possibly be inside? While "something for transvestites named Gina" is a good guess, the answer is toothpicks. Strange, right?

Miscellaneous pix:

Eri is no stranger to the river, but until recently had only
ventured down calm stretches of water.
On this day -- one of the best of Geoff's life -- Eri and
her dad rafted a class III river.

Selfie at the beach with the sweetest little boy ever.

He's World Cup ready!
We're not sure that can be said for the rest of Brazil,
but we'll find out in just a few weeks...

Mother's Day/ Dia das Maes

Sunday was Mother's Day in Brazil as well as in the United States, though I am certain I will never receive a present like the one Eri, 4, made for me in preschool: A picture book chronicling a baby's journey from inside the womb to the outer world. This is strange for more than a few reasons. One, I am well aware of exactly what takes place and, two, I found this gift very funny, which I'm sure was not the intent, and also very confusing -- what was the intent?

This is the cover, which says, "It all started here!"
At first I thought these were balloons. Nope, they are "esperma."

This page explains that there was no room to move around inside
and that something had to be done ... 

… so the baby decided to head out.
While I think Eri did an excellent job depicting the
situation with her color choices,
I find this unrealistic as more than 80 percent of
Brazilian women have c-sections.
Also, in parentheses it says,
"wow, it was tight ..." Just keeps getting funnier, right?

Eri also made me a notepad photo frame for the refrigerator. 

The children were asked to bring a picture
from home for this.

Summer Visitors

This last summer (December - February here), we were lucky enough to have four sets of visitors: Paul and Danielle, Geoff's kayaking buddies from Idaho; Mark, Elia and Elizabeth, fellow Olmsted scholars who live in Rio de Janeiro; Geoff's Uncle John, Aunt Jan and John's sister Kay from the states; and my BFF Katie and her husband Tim from Missouri. 

We have a pretty good itinerary to showcase wonderful Florianopolis, which usually includes the following attractions: the beach, the pool, hiking, white water rafting, cachaca tasting, churrasco and seafood, actual Brazilians Marcel and Marina, and holding baby Leo. We loved having our guests and were so happy they made the long journey here.

Paul and Danielle:

Mark, Elia and Elizabeth:

John, Jan and Kay:

Tim and Katie: