Author: oneworldtwokids

WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY … OUR LAST DAY

I cannot believe that this is our last day in Brasil. We have done this now over a dozen time – pack up and prepare for a move or flight. Each time feel just like the first. Do we have everything? Do we have everything? Do we have everything? I hope so! Usually we do. I went on a final run on the BeiraMar before throwing my running shoes in the trash. Running on the BeiraMar is nice because of the closeness of the water, but I prefer the trails of the jungle. The BeiraMar is so close to the sea that today I had to hurdle a fish on the running/bike path. Clouds and sun today. I can tell that Summer is winding down, because the sun does not go straight overhead anymore. When I returned to the house, we walked to the Cookie Garden Center and Decathlon and ate our last supper at Centro Administivo. We purchased 32 cookies to eat in the airports along the way, one for each world cup team. One cookie to rule them all! Everyone is so excited for our flight tomorrow. “Why couldn’t we fly today, Daddy?” –Viena. “Can I help pack anything?” – Viena. Dwana is all packed. I still need to do some fine tuning. Dwana is … how can I say this? Well … We will just see how things go. We have done this before. The show must go on. Ezra played one last time in the mud by the water hose. The sun is setting now. “Only one more dark?” – Ezra. And then the sun will rise and we will fly and fly and fly.

Thursday, 20 February 2014 DAY 670 327 MOON 23 WANING 62%
Today is our last beach day. When I woke up to push everyone through the early morning portal that transports us to a beautiful beach for sunrise, I smelled rain. I looked out the window and I could not see any and soon after a quick downpour of rain fell. So I did what most people would do, I went back to bed and we watched the sunrise from the comforts of our jungle retreat ( a euphemism of sorts). The sunrise would have been astonishing from the sandy beach because the rains quickly left as quick as they had arrived and the sky somewhat cleared leaving a few clouds behind for the dawn to paint. We ended up going to the beach at 8:30am instead of 4:30pm, and the difference is that we all came back with pretty good sunburns. Managing morning sun is easy to do, but afternoon mid-day sun in the Tropics is difficult to hide from. Oh well. We probably will not be sunburn again for a long time. I think I remember recovering from a sunburn when we first arrived in Floripa fresh from Autumn-Madrid. The waves were not good for body surfing, but Viena and Ezra loved, absolutely loved, playing in the waves, running, thrashing, jumping, floating, diving, crashing. They were in pure joy, as if they knew that this experience was unique and that this would be their last time to experience something like this for a while. Helicopter flew over the neighborhood tonight looking for monkeys in trees with spotlights.

MOON AND MARS TOGETHER AGAIN
Wednesday, 19 February 2014 DAY 669 326 MOON 23 WANING 69%
If I could explain the tiered level of green that goes into making the jungle surrounding Saco Grande, I would. But really, who would appreciate it. So many places like Saco Grande exist on Earth. Viena is showing me her baby’s outfit that she is going to wear on the airplane. Needless to say, we are all pretty excited, but Viena shows her excitement the most. The trails behind Saco Grande are walked by almost no one. I am amazed that I even was able to connect some of the dots in the jungle. Viena just gave me a big hug. She has been giving me more hugs these past few days. We walked the BeiraMar today in the mid-day sun. This is something we could not have done a couple of weeks ago because of the heat, but now the temperature has cooled down to manageable. I am going to miss the green-green jungle, especially as the sunset sun strikes and we sit and eat and watch the day end.

EZRA’S PET ANT
Tuesday, 18 February 2014 DAY 668 325 MOON 23 WANING 76%
“I have a pet ant. I am going to take him all around the world so he can have an adventure!” – Ezra. Ezra played with his pet ant for about an hour. The ant crawled on Ezra’s arms, hand, shoulder, back, neck, and even his face. We all were a little scared when the pet ant thought about using Ezra’s nose as a tunnel. Ezra made his pet ant a terrarium. Ezra drove his pet ant around in his truck. Ezra found a couple more ants so his pet ant would have friends. Ezra fed his pet ant and talked with his pet ant. Ezra even made his pet anta swimming pool. His pet ant did not really enjoy the swimming pool. This is what it has come down to, Ezra seeking out pet ants. In Taman Negara, we saw a guy let big 2-inch black ants crawl all over him, so maybe Ezra remembers. All I remember from my childhood ant experiences in Texas were that my ants were red, and they bit. My memories are not as pleasant as Ezra’s experience.

SWITCH-O-CHANGE-O
Monday, 17 February 2014 DAY 667 324 MOON 23 WANING 83%
Life is all about chances and what we do with them when we have them. Let me ask you a question. If you had the chance, would you steal back your old-stained-smelly T-shirt from a guy who did not have any legs who stole it from you only moments ago? If you had the chance … Well, I did! I still needed that t-shirt. They so not allow you on the bus without a T-shirt. I guess I should have never just neatly laid it down folded in the grass in the first place. Our new place, new room, is working out fine. The rains fell all day today, or at least all morning. Now, we welcome the rain. Bring on the rain!

Sunday, 16 February 2014 DAY 666 323 MOON 23 WANING 89%
We switched rooms with André today. What a difference a room with ventilation makes. Viena has enjoyed looking at the evening colors and the night sky. Tonight Jupiter was in the sky bright after sunset. We were waiting for the moon but the rain clouds moved in first. Today we went on a hike to the big rock with André. Finally! We have been talking about showing André this hike since our first week in Saco Grande. Now this is our last week. Amazing what deadlines will do. Ezra did super on the walk.

Saturday, 15 February 2014 DAY 665 322 MOON 23 FULL 100%
We leave in one week. We survived the three week heat waves. The days have been cooler. I re-built the Brasilian Bed and disassembled the bunk beds in preparation for our move. Hopefully we will find someone to rent our place for the rest of the lease. We had to lease until May, but that was still less expensive than paying outrageous summer vacation rental prices. The wind blew off a neighbor’s front gate. Dwana and I sat at the top of the stairs and ate lunch and looked out onto the neighborhood that will soon be only a memory.

Friday, 14 February 2014 DAY 664 321 MOON 23 FULL 100%
We are here at Cacupé – SESC. We walked and had breakfast at the bakery on the way. SESC has the best playground we have found on the island. Viena and Ezra are playing with some other small children. Happy Valentine’s Day! We needed more kid interaction on the playground, like Madrid. We stayed at SESC most of the morning and afternoon. I took photographs of all the wooden “Games of the World”. The slanted wooden cube was solved! I could not believe this. I have been trying to solve this puzzle since we arrive here at SESC. Now, with the help of an Unknown, I know how to solve the puzzle. I use the 3-pillar and Z-key technique, which is different from the Arc do Triumph Z-key technique of the regular cube. Understand! The simple things of life that make me happy! The kids were in imagination land as they played with puppets, dolls, swings and kitchens. They must have prepared food for 200 people. “It is hard work being a chef!” – Ezra. What a blessing to have a place like SESC nearby and a nice bakery on the way. The rain storm we have been waiting for finally arrived. We were sheltered in the small bus stop of Cacupé as the waves and wind and rain all were crazy around us. However, the conditions were still a warm wind and warm rain, warm tropical rain. We sat huddled together in the bus stop talking about “real” storms of Alaska where the bus shelter would be truly a survival shed and the storm would include freezing rain, hail and sleet. No, this was not a storm like that.

Thursday, 13 February 2014 DAY 663 320 MOON 23 WAXING 90%
One of the funniest things to hear is a little barefoot boy step in dog-poop and say, “ayé! Carámba!” We are at the playground up the hill in Saco Grande. A couple of boys are trying to build a fort inside the rocket-ship. Quite a sight! They are de-nailing strips of wood at the age of 6. They learn early here to build with what you have. The two boys were not successful and eventually gave up, throwing the planks of wood over the fence in disgust. Their non-peaceful interaction with each other was the funniest thing I have seen in a while. I know I have said this before, but … the day was hot. The sun rose over the mountains with nothing else to stop the heat from scorching this part of the Earth. We took a day off from adventure-sun-rising. Waking up at 4:30am is difficult to do 3 days in a row. We talked about going to SESC later. Ezra was in a dreamy state. I think he missed riding the bus and the opportunity for napping that was included in a bus ride. I know I have said this before … Ezra had difficulty listening and eating prepared food. The beach is by far a better place to spend the morning. In the afternoon I went on a very hot run to Shopping BeiraMar. I did not really see any interesting on my run. We are all dreaming of future places. Part of our minds are already there waiting for us. The moon was up this morning, bright and almost full. In the evening dark clouds visited and cooled the day off. Finally! We have had a week straight of hot weather. Besides the exclamations of the small Bob the Brasilian Builder Boys, the neighborhood is quiet, only a few dogs talking. From the playground you can see the big rock, Shopping Floripa and Morro da Cruz. This is a lovely place for a playground, but not such a lovely playground. The rains might be heading our way. Lightning and thunder return at night. The heat wave has officially broken.

Wednesday, 12 February 2014 DAY 662 319 MOON 23 WAXING 83%
For the second day in row we caught the 4:50am bus to Canasvieiras and then onto Praia Brava. We finally were able to arrive at the beach and enjoy the dawn, that time after darkness but before the sun rises. The dawn was beautiful and peaceful. We had the beach to ourselves to enjoy the growing morning light. A few clouds on the horizon added to the colors. The temperatures are so warm even in the morning. When day broke, we all went splashing around in the water. Ezra was becoming personal with a few of the waves, Ezra versus the waves. Wave after wave after wave after wave came, and Ezra battled each and every one. The sun brightened the white slosh of the waves that were perfect wave crashers for the children. Pure joy! Something finally clicked in Ezra’s head, “I can ninja-turtle these waves!” He was unstoppable, until that one wave stopped him and we headed into shore. Viena has really enjoyed body surfing. She is tall enough to jump out in front of the crashing wave. They both are becoming water surf lovers, hopefully, it will never leave. The plan was to catch the 11:00am yellow bus back to the mall, but the yellow bus left early at 10:45. Good thing we arrived early. We spent the rest of the day inside the air conditioned mall. Needless to say, I enjoyed the morning better than the afternoon.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014 DAY 661 318 MOON 23 WAXING 77%
Today, we did it! Yes! Another Galheta in the bag! I feel so successful, so empowered when I can awaken my entire household then catch a bus in the dark at 5am. We arrived at Praia Mole and walked the trail to Praia Galheta while the day was beginning. Greeting the day early on a day that is going to be hot is the way to go. Very few clouds were floating in the sky. Ezra and Viena both ran the trail and were the first ones on the beach. We arrived at low tide, so we did not need to walk the high trail. A few surfers were catching some sunrise surf break, nice big waves crashing. The waters of Galheta are shallow and not as turbulent as Molé. The sand is hard packed. I could not believe how clear the water was. Even when the water was up to my chest, I could look down and see the bottom and see schools of small fish swimming. A group of about 30 lifeguards were swim training. The body surfing was excellent, nice powerful clear refreshing waves in shallow water that I could just jump in front and fly like superman along the water toward the shore. The water of Galheta is so refreshing, especially in the heat of the day becoming more noticeable. Galheta is my favorite beach, such natural beauty, and not many people. We packed all of our food and drinks, which lasted until about high noon. Then, it was time to hike the Trilha Arqueologica back into Barra da Lagoa. Super-Dwana had to carry Ezra through sand so hot it burned through flip-flops. The trail was steep, but better than walking back along the beach through hot beach sand. The temperature was around 37C, maybe 40C. So, up and over the hill we walked, and 4 popsicles and 3 buses later we arrived on our front step with Ezra asleep of course. Ezra was exhausted from all the sunshine, wave playing, and chasing a sand crab. No rest for me though. I immediately went back into the heat to ship off our climatizador. Yes! Sold! Now, I am on the bus to Centro to buy some nuts and the sun is still blazing.

Monday, 10 February 2014 DAY 660 317 MOON 23 WAXING 70%
We are giving our two weeks notice! Viena is whimpering from her owwwies (machucados) that were sustained yesterday. Ezra is trying to re-organize his fort underneath the sink. Ezra woke up and grabbed my arm. I was thinking, “oh no, here we go again!” He said, “Dad, what if we played a game like this?” And he opened his mouth and said a word , but no sound came out and you had to guess the word. Wow! A quiet game in the morning is my type of game and a much better than yesterday’s wake up mantra of “Mom!” Viena and I went on a morning adventure. We tried to go to Centro, but the traffic jam diverted us to UFSC and Trinidade. School must be back in session because more students were walking around. On the way back, we picked up some chocolate chip cookies at the Garden Cookie Center. I then went for a hike/run at high noon. The sun was so hot, around 37C. I did not have an agenda for the hike. First, I went shopping for groceries at Bistek and arranged a delivery. Then I went running on the trail past the horse stables. I thought of trying once again to find the trail that goes to Lagoa I followed a trail into the woods. No. This was just another cow trail that went to a waterhole. Then, I found the cows and one bull without horns. I remember him. And the vultures, butterflies, spiders, big feathered birds and a leaf bug. I had resigned myself to yet another disappointment of not finding the trail to Lagoa, but then I was running along and saw one more splint off to the East, and this was it. But, I was not out of the jungle yet. The other side had its own difficulties in that the trail faded in places and the last thing I wanted to do was to bushwhack through this jungle. I am too old for that. But, I would save bushwhacking for another day, fortunately I was able to locate a strong vein of the trail that led me to the waterfall. I took a quick swim in the watering hole and then continued on 7 mre kilometers to the bus terminal. What an awesome jungle hike. My legs are all sliced up from the overgrown trail. The electricity went off in the entire neighborhood at night so Viena and I put the thermarests on the veranda and looked at the constellations in the unencumbered night sky. We were able to find the Southern Cross. A great way to end a great day.

Sunday, 9 February 2014 DAY 659 316 MOON 23 WAXING 63%
Viena asked the difference between God and Jesus. We watched a webcast of one of Mylon’s basketball games. Ezra woke up with a morning mantra of “Mom!” He would not stop. We were up around 7am trying to prepare to walk the Ratones trail to Lagoa. I tried to wake André and he said he would meet us at the 8:50sm bus. However, we ended up taking an earlier bus since the connection was perfect and the day was not going to get any cooler. I thought he would be able to catch up with us on the trail. The trail was full of butterflies. Oh, before the trail, before the bus, about 100 meters from our house we saw 2 saqui monkeys. Who needs to walk through the jungle when you live in a jungle? We crossed over to the other side of the island. We found a nice shaded beach near the last boat stop. We picnicked in peace except for the pokey caterpillars that kept parachuting from the leaves of the trees onto our backpack. The boat ride back was bouncy. Viena slipped on the trail doing stunts.

Saturday, 8 February 2014 DAY 658 315 MOON 23 WAXING 56%
I awoke with dreams with the Cleggs and the conspiracy theory of waiting until the right time. “When shooting stars hit the moon, why do they make circles?” – Ezra, as we are waking up to another blistering morning of heat. The day was hot from inception. André asked if we wanted to go to the beach, but we had lost our open window. I was thinking of walking to Cacupé for sunset, but a thunderstorm moved through the area. The rain felt good. Yes, finally! Big sharp drops of rain, falling from the sky. I kept looking for a rainbow. I went on a run in the shadows of the storm, still humid. Today was stay away from Ezra day. I ran 1:12:12, a new world and Olympic record.

Friday, 7 February 2014 DAY 657 314 MOON 23 WAXING 50%
I awoke with a dream on Great-Grandmothers house on future rich pathways and remodeled into a showcase historical home with great landscaping also. Another dream was with Greg and Sherri and the ghost of Alberto Einstein. Everyone is tired after a long day. The heat of the day, even when you are not outside in direct sun wears on you. We spent the day at Shopping Beira Mar in the comforts of, yes, air-con. We must be a sight to witness at the bus terminals. I am leading the pack, walking to various bus asking “Vai pra Shopping BeiraMar?” Dwana, Viena and Ezra are following like little ducklings. I woke up this morning to go on a run in the jungle development (10 laps at 7:30 pace). I saw a black panther. I mean I saw a little cute stray black kitten. Horribly I thought, well I guess the snake population of the jungle must be low. Running when the sun is not out is always better. At the Mall, Viena an Ezra went to a free exhibit call Sid the Scientist. They were able to play with magnets, Velcro fruit and pick carrots, and even make silly putty. They both enjoyed the activities and Ezra even gave a heartfelt, “Thanks Dad for letting us go in there!” Of course, Ezra has been on my bad list, he ruined our açai picnic experience by crying and whining. Viena was wonderful. I guess age does make a difference between a 7 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. Their dispositions are so different. One can mature a lot in 3 years. And to think Viena will be 8 years-old soon. They played on the playground with another little boy, mostly tag, but Ezra always tries to squeeze in a game of duck-duck-goose. Our room was blaring hot when we returned home.

Thursday, 6 February 2014 DAY 656 313 MOON 23 WAXING 43%
I am looking a little red today. We were out in the sun at Praia Brava since the sunrise. We woke up and caught the 6am bus. I always end up carrying Ezra on the Boonda Pack or he would not make it and everyone and every dog in the neighborhood would hear us. So instead, I saddled him up and he sleeps quietly and I walk. The system works out better than any other baby carrier we have purchased, and he is close to 18kilos by now (40 pounds). Now, Viena on the other hand is a great morning walker. Even though she stayed up until 11pm, she was ready to walk at 5:30am. The morning was warm and quiet outside. We hear crickets chirping and buses passing while we wait at the bus stop. The sunrise was nice since a few clouds joined the orchestra on the horizon. I wish the clouds would have stayed a little longer. The waves of Praia Brava were a little more “Brava” today, which meant the waves were not good for body surfing. A huge current flowing from the North to the South kept the life guards busy. Ezra found some boys playing with racquets in the water. The heat and needing to be in the water to watch Ezra did not allow me to just sit and take cover from the sun. But, I can hide from the sun back at our place. A strong warm breeze swept through. We took the Yellow Executivo bus back home. Still clear blue skies and warm. The store is out of bottled water so I bought 8 popsicles. We stayed inside the rest of the day.

Wednesday, 5 February 2014 DAY 655 312 MOON 23 WAXING 36%
The time is 10:30pm. I just traded pens with Viena. Yes, she is still awake. She was the first one up this morning as well. She is packing for the beach in the morning. I hope we are able to catch the 5am bus, but it is already 10:30 at night. Today was extremely hot. OK, maybe the temperature was not that much hotter than the other days, but we have just had day after day after day of hot days. We missed our opportunity to go out this morning. We just lazed around and made breakfast and before you know it, the sun had crested the mountain ridge and the heat was on, 7:30am. We practically played inside all day. Viena was playing with her dolls and Ezra was playing with his trucks and cars. The day was too hot for the imagination to think, and everyone just tried to stay away from each other, and that worked pretty well until evening when I went for a run to the BeiraMar. Ezra then fell apart eating beans and rice for dinner. We I returned home, I could hear him crying from down the street. I had that “Is that my child making that noise?” thought. Yes, I was correct. Thankfully he calmed down and was asleep within the hour. Viena on the other hand is still up and humming a song on the top bunk.

Tuesday, 4 February 2014 DAY 654 311 MOON 23 WAXING 29%
We took a trip to the air-conditioned Mall. Sometimes when we load up all the backpacks to go and catch a bus for a day trip, Ezra thinks we are moving to a new place. Ezra calls this, “going to a new island!” Ezra took a 3 hour nap today yesterday and was up last night until midnight. I think his long nap is his way of letting us know that he is ready to move on. I think all of us are ready to move on. Our small room is too hot and we are limited with the activities we can do around here in the heat. We have become Mall Rats. We have stopped going to SESC. The jungle is too hot and initial trail is too steep. Functional parks and playgrounds are non-existent. In order to go to the beach without turning into a red lobster or umbrella cowerer, we must wake up uber-early and ride a bus for an hour. Our small room of a place heats up like a sauna box at times. The heat is getting to us all. So, today we loaded up the backpacks with some water and went to the air-conditioned mall of Shopping Beiramar. Yes, air-conditioning. I did not thinking it would come down to one of the most sought after items as we traveled around the world, but here we are, heading to the Mall once again. We walked around and visited book stores mostly. They have two book stores in the Shopping BeiraMar. Unfortunately, books are one of the many items that are disproportionately priced here in Brasil. All books start at over $15 USD and they have zero promotions. Out of date Agenda books are prices from $20-$50. Ridiculous prices! They definitely make you pay to read. Books are only for the privileged few. Also, small little quaint coffee and bakery shops appear to be a popular thing to do, much like in the States. I know these types of places were in Europe as well, but we mostly saw and were familiar with quaint little stand-up coffee shops in Madrid and Rome, where you would drink your coffee and be gone in 5 minutes, all for a promotion of a 1€ for café and pastry. Here the same items would cost you at least 3 times that. Some pricing just does not make sense. We basically stick to the grocery store where we buy fresh bread, cheese, ham, lettuce and sprouts and then have a picnic in the mall or at the playground. Ironically, the electricity went out at the Mall for about an hour. A thunderstorm threatened all of Florianópolis. Yes! Finally some rain. I ran a 47:12 10K in the heat on the flat BeiraMar path. We arrived back at home just before the rains.

Sunday, 2 February 2014 DAY 652 309 MOON 23 WAXING 16%
We watched the Super Bowl thanks to hide the IP software. Viena and Ezra played in the sand-pile. I saw a speckled spotted bird. Dwana saw a toucan or a hornbill. I was body surfing the waves of Santinho as Joe was starting his marathon in New Orleans. Joe’s wedding is kind of what kicked off our trip some 650 days ago. When we came back from the beach we were able to watch live updates of his marathon and see that he qualified for the Boston Marathon by 9 seconds. Way to go Joe! I wonder what it will take for me to do something like that, and then I think of the things that I have already done, just this year. Especially the last two years. Joe and Miriam’s wedding was in April 2012. We have traveled a long way since then. We have been traveling the duration of their marriage. Today in Floripa is not a good day to run a marathon. Today is a good day to go to the beach. We started with another early morning escape. The waves were excellent for body surfing, The sunrise was beautiful and calming and the beach is surrounded by picturesque dunes and jungle. Ezra and Viena played so well in the waves. Everyone is looking red. We are going to need to take lots of showers today. “The heat gets to me before it gets to you. I don’t know what else I can do!”

Saturday, 1 February 2014 DAY 651 308 MOON 23 WAXING 9%
I ran today quickly to Shopping Floripa and back. I was looking for a microphone. No luck. The run was hot. I kept thinking how mentally tough it would be for me to continue running up into the jungle on a day like today when the temperature is at least 100F. At home, everyone just sat inside and tried to stay away from each other. Our bodies all generate heat, and we do not have something to generate cold, except a luke-warm shower. Late at night when the temperature finally cooled down, Viena , Ezra and I went outside and rubber-banded the LED light from Madrid up in the air. The rubber-band LED rocket is the best 1€ toy. I am glad I bought two. A new category would be favorite items that cost 1€.

Friday, 31 January 2014 DAY 650 307 MOON 23 NEW 0%
Ezra and Viena have both been reaching out for attention all day long. One of the problems with living here is that Dwana does not feel comfortable going out with the children by herself, except to the local markets. So, I am always involved with giving everyone outside activity. I am very comfortable going out by myself and running the trail and going to Centro with the kids. So, when I am gone in the morning on a run for 4 hours into Centro to buy cashews and Castanas da para, and other things, everyone else is inside. And when I return home, the day has already become too hot to venture for great length outside and there is not really a hospitable place like a park or playground nearby like in Madrid. We think only of air-conditioned places and that means money for the bus and usually money for things spent at the mall. So then, we are inside all day or at least Ezra Viena and Dwana are inside, and our place heats up inside and becomes stuffy. Last night was so hot and stuffy. So, with constant hot and stuffy, lack of exercise, Ezra and Viena go bonkers. They usually trade off days. Today was Ezra’s day to go bonkers. He has exhausted all the batteries with his train. He is dressed for Sunday school n his yellow buttoned shirt and plaid shorts. I wish we had a shaded yard. Go play in the yard. Someday.

Thursday, 30 January 2014 DAY 649 306 MOON 22 WANING 5%
I went for a run early before the temperatures rise to high. I left around 7:00am, but even that was almost too late. The sun comes over the mountains shortly afterwards. I ran a little on the road, caught a bus, and then ran the rest on the BeiraMar and then over to Trinadade and then back home through Joao Paulo and Saco Grande. By the time I arrived home, I was spent and drenched with sweat. Going to be another hot day 40C 104F. The power went off at 2pm just like yesterday. That means no fans. I was running back faster because I wanted to be here when the delivery from Angeloni arrived at 9:00am. They did not arrive until after 3pm, after numerous calls. I stopped calling because the phone went dead with the power outage. Dwana and I were seated in the shaded step enjoying a snack and a warm breeze, when the delivery guy showed up. Finally. Good to be reunited with your groceries. Viena mentioned walking to the big rock at 7pm. The sun was still warm. I said OK. I packed too big water bottles and we took off and made it to the flat rock in less than 30 minutes. Viena is a strong hiker. We lost the big blue water bottle and my core shorts max strength max smell under amour that I stashed near the side of the trail. Hard to believe that someone would take those two items from the side of the trail, but I guess they needed is, or thought it was discarded. I guess I am becoming a little soft on my safety. Let this be a reminder … of the world we live in.

Wednesday, 29 January 2014 DAY 648 305 MOON 22 WANING 11%
I have been eating well and running and reading Scott Jurek’s book EAT and RUN. Scott is also a physical therapist. What a path he has taken. Today is hot, another hot summer day. We missed the 5am bus, but we were able to catch the 6am bus, heading to Praia Brava. The sun was just surfacing from the horizon as the bus reached the Ponto Final. Interesting how quiet the morning bus is. We saw the sliver of the moon and the planet Venus for the sun rise. Tomorrow will be the New Moon. This will be our last moon on this journey. Good to see the smiling sliver. We will see you again in the States. The waves at Praia Brava were bunched up, but we had brought the boogie boards so Ezra and Viena had fun zooming in to the shore on the waves. I should have taken more photos but the sun was already too bright, too bright. I brought the soccer ball also, but Ezra only played with tit for 45 seconds. Not bringing the soccer ball again to the beach. The sun was bright and hot and we left for the Executivo Bus around 11:00am. Relaxing in air conditioning is so nice. At home it was too hot. The power to the neighborhood was shut off, so we left again on the bus to seek shelter in the mall. We saw an alligator laying out by the mall in the ditch, interesting, right by the overpass. The head was about 1 foot long sticking out of the water. We have seen so many creatures on this tip. I did some shopping at Angeloni for delivery tomorrow. We walked back to the Trinidade Terminal just as the sun was going behind Morro do Cruz. We made it home and started preparing for what would be a very hot night.

Tuesday, 28 January 2014 DAY 647 304 MOON 22 WANING 18%
We did not see any monkeys today, but Viena did find a giant rubber ant on our walk to the flat rock, and she has been trying to scare people with it ever since. We also saw a big bee hive in the making. It was pretty eerie staring straight up at all those busy strange looking bees making a bee hive. The bees looked like yellow white bodied bees. The bee hive looked like a big led lamp hanging from the tree right near the cave. We took our time on the walk and had a picnic on the flat rock. There was a good cool breeze. The sun was hidden most of the time behind a cloudy mountain mist, and we were glad. We could look out on all of Florianópolis. We heard the noises of the jungle, the screeching of the cicadas, the songs of the birds, and a natural rockslide somewhere. Amazing! The jungle is so alive. I wish I had just one person who likes to go and explore in the jungle. Not André. Not Dwana. Well, Dwana would if we had child care. Usually I just need to jungle myself out every month. Just over 3 weeks remaining, so I am probably going to stick with the low-risk adventures. Maybe I will run over to Lagoa today on the trail. We will see. Butterflies. Dragonflies. Orange. Red. Ezra is climbing well through the water chutes of red. However, he was the first one to slide and take a tumble. Oouch! Scratch! And yes, we must move on. Move forward. Progress. Smart Intelligent. Funny. You never see that in a Job application. Yes, I did go for a high-risk run in the jungle and the trail did lead somewhere – right back to where I started from, all over again. And I saw another monkey, a bigger one this time. And I saw white butterflies that led me along the trail and guided me home.

Monday, 27 January 2014 DAY 646 303 MOON 22 WANING 25%
I went on a run to the big rock, a fast run. The run took me 30 minutes to reach the big rock. This would have been a 2 plus hour walk with Ezra at least. The trail was dry since we have had little rain, but the jungle is still so green and thick. It is amazing that we have jungle sound so close to our home. I ran into two horses just grazing on the trail high in the jungle, spectacular creatures. Had I encountered any other beast that size on the trail, I surely would have had to find another way or turn around. The evening sun was still very hot at 6pm. The sunset around 8pm. Ezra Viena and I left Dwana at home this morning and we went on a walk, the circle walk of Saco Grande. First, we stopped at the jungle sidewalk to play some fútbol. Already too hot to run, so we just kicked around the soccer ball. We saw a hawk (I thought it was a monkey) deep in the trees waiting for his next meal. We then walked to the Mall and ate McLanches Feliz and 2 for 1 Açai drinks. Delicious. Gostoso. We continued to Decathlon and jumped on the trampoline and played ping-pong. When it is hot outside, we need to find all the air conditioned places. We finished by going to the Spring Garden and having chocolate chip cookies. The day was hot, very hot. Dwana was missing us. We went and had some popsicles. What would the world be without popsicles. We saw a school of fish in a stream. They must have been fresh from the ocean because a fisherman came over to investigate after we left. Dinner time! I tried reading some before going on an evening run. I received a rare email from Mylon, interesting how parent-child communication evolves. He is probably trying to make plans for his life after graduation just like I am trying to make plans for my life after we graduate from our round the world journey. I hope all is well up there for him in Alaska.

Sunday, 26 January 2014 DAY 645 302 MOON 22 WANING 32%
Today the weather is cloudy skies and drizzle, but warm. Dwana fell on one of the cheap chairs that I bought. Viena and Ezra have been playing so well together. They have been using their imaginations all day long, and peacefully. I have not heard too many “No Ezra!” Letting the playfulness flow naturally! The neighborhood is quiet. I made the first list of the 80 exercises, now I just need a list of 80 stories and then to write those stories. I think I can. I think I can. My knee still hurts from the turf impact of the soccer match 4 days ago. I had fun, but next time I need to stay on my feet. This is our last weekend in January. I am starting to think more about USA and employment and money and being smart. I saw a small monkey in the neighborhood. But I guess that is the lesson to find a place where you think more about monkeys and less about money.

Saturday, 25 January 2014 DAY 644 301 MOON 22 WANING 38%
A big thunderstorm was supposed to strike this morning, so we did not make an early morning adventure, but so far the big storm is just a little storm if you could call it that. Viena and Ezra woke up nice with a hug and a kiss in the morning. We stayed near the apartment all day, only venturing as far as the local market. I did try out the local chicken sandwich last night. The sandwich does not compare to Basilios in the Beco. We had a cool breeze in the evening time. Each time I would mention to Ezra and Viena to go and play fútbol the rains would show up a little more. Dwana is having the last moon of the trip. Hopefully we will be in Florida or beyond for the next moon. I did some reading on the top bunk. I even started reading my old journal entries. How about that? I spoke with Bob last night before he stepped into a restaurant.

Friday, 24 January 2014 DAY 643 300 MOON 22 WANING 45%
Why did the chicken eat all the bugs? Because he did not want the bugs to eat him. We needed a day away, so we hopped on the bus, went past the Waldorf school (bye bye Waldorf school, hello travel school), and we went to the Parque Ecologia do Corrego Grande which is bem perto to UFSC – the university. The day was hot, but that did not stop us. We had to explore a free wilderness park in the middle of the city, with no one using the park. Well, almost no one. The culture of this part of Brasil is in the beginning stages of appreciating green lands like these. Ducks, bunnies, turtles, tortoises, and a S-curved neck bird. A wild grouse was hanging out in the jungle of the city. The parked appeared like an abandoned botanical garden experiment. The hot day must have scared away everyone. We stayed in the shady spots. Viena and Ezra played for a bit on the playground. Ezra made up his own obstacle course just like I used to do when I was younger. We had a small picnic before walking to the air-conditioning of the Shopping Iguatami. What a difference! The walk to the mall went through the campus of UFSC, summer time campus, so not many students running around. At the mall, we ate and walked around and visited the book store. I read some magazine written in English – Fast Company 1000 creative minds, made me think. Dwana and I watched a movie tonight about finding and going after your dreams – and so here I am. But always ask – what next?

Thursday, 23 January 2014 DAY 642 299 MOON 22 WANING 52%
I went and played fútbol with André and his co-workers at SuitePlus, interesting dynamics. I scored a goal for the highlight reel. The game was at night, but I sweated more than I do in the daytime. Seemed like a place where guys would go at night. The turf was artificial so most of my injuries were from myself hitting the turf. My right knee has a machucado. I am not going to run today and hopefully my knee will heal quickly. The temperatures have been so hot here lately, hot and clear. In the evening some gray clouds roll in over the jungle landscaped mountainside. This pleasant sight of the evening clouds will be forever etched in my mind. And all the different colors of the neighborhood houses, the blue of the sky, the green of the jungle, and the white of the clouds. Everyone seemed on edge today. The heat was getting to everyone, everyone but me. I tried to just stay away in my little spot and read the Kindle or write. I was able to finish my resume and start the process of looking for a job. Step one complete, I guess. It is interesting the process of seeking work. Where is there a need? I am here to fill that need. Right now, Ezra, Viena, and Dwana need me. I am happy, more than happy, to fulfill this need.

Wednesday, 22 January 2014 DAY 641 298 MOON 22 WANING 59%
We missed the bus this morning at 5am, which left us sitting at the bus stop watching night turn to day and listening to crickets and the sound and sights of other empty buses, about 100 of them, going by on the way to work. I am not going to miss that bus again. The next bus was in an hour. We arrived at Praia Mole around 7am, a little after the sun had risen. We were able to watch the sunrise from the bu. Today is going to be a hot day. The waters of Praia Mole were good and cold. Boa y frio, perfect for body surfing, shallow waters and strong crashing waves to set you to shore. Everyone had fun in the waves and the water. We took frequent dips in the water from the heat. The sand was easy to dig a 3 foot hole, easy to make tunnels. Viena built a small shelter out of her pink umbrella. The hot day of 40C 104F brought out the people, but not crowded like the beaches up North. We left around noon and went to Retiro da Lagoa to take a respite from the sun at Nick and Bia’s house. Ezra played with Noah’s toys, but preferred to just zone out on the TV that constantly played cartoons in English and Portuguese. We made some açai as Bia told stories of the pure açai from the Amazon and how different the taste is. Bia gave us a ride home after the sun had set. It felt good to go and visit Lagoa and Beco again. The Lagoa was full of people fishing and playing long after the sunset.

Tuesday, 21 January 2014 DAY 640 297 MOON 22 WANING 66%
I keep trying to go on runs to buy groceries, but I keep returning empty handed, sweaty, but empty handed. I have been in communication a lot with Mason and Cayce. We are trying to set up our landing back in the States. Who knows what will happen? Brick by brick! I guess I have also been talking a lot to Ira. He flies back up to the slope today. I should try to call him tonight or tomorrow since we will share the same sunset. Cool, for him. Hot, for us. My run was sunny. I was on the road before the sun crested the mountains, which was nice. The sun is too hot. I was able to run a 22:30 5k at the end of the 10k run. My hope is to take 2 minutes off that, maybe 2:30. Ezra and Viena have been playing with the upstairs boy who is around 13, finally a play date. The boy is very patient and playful and smiling a lot. He does not speak any English so they must communicate with expression and hand movements. We have been eating Doritos Taco Salad and making acai popsicles, picole. We have one more inexpensive month here and then back to the expense of the States. And then what! And then what! I have a blister on my second toe from all the running, but the rest of the body is holding up well.

Monday, 20 January 2014 DAY 639 296 MOON 22 WANING 72%
My run this morning was more like a steeplechase, since I had to dodge so many objects. The sun seemed to be sapping my energy. I remember the fried chicken of Taman Negara. I remember the winged night-time insects of Chaing Mai and the cleanup ants. I had lots of thoughts on this run. I was going to go to Angeloni afterwards, but I did not bring enough money, so I caught the bus home. Tired. We still did not have any running water so I had to take another shower with the water hose outside. For some reason the water hose is connected to a different water source. Everyone is happy, must be all the plants we have now. Ezra and Viena are playing with the upstairs boy. Ira called to provide the word about the guy who walked into the Red Sea first before the waters were parted. Faith. Someone had to be first. Numbers. Ira 1344. The water issue is on everyone’s mind, but for us, it is just something else. We have drinking water and running water downstairs at the water hose. By evening, everyone in the complex was happy because the water situation was solved. We went twice to the local store to buy popsicles, a two popsicle day. Ezra and Viena are playing in the little swimming pool that is set up on the porch. I spent most of the afternoon completing applications for once we arrive back in the States. You gotta start sometime. You gotta end sometime.

Sunday, 19 January 2014 DAY 638 295 MOON 22 WANING 79%
We tried to make it to the jungle soccer filed before the sun arrived, but we were a little late. Even with the 8:30am morning sun, the sun is too hot for the little ones to run around and play fútbol. The morning jungle light was nice. Our running water in our place went out last night, I guess in the whole neighborhood. We walked to Shopping Floripa and then to Decathlon. Ezra enjoyed skating and jumping on the Trampoline, and we all enjoyed being inside and cool with air conditioning. Outside was hot, but we had our umbrellas. We walked by the Spring Garden Center and bought some more plants, a Venus Fly-Trap. Ezra said, “And look! This one even has a fly!” The apartment was still out of water when we returned. Everyone had to take showers from the water hose downstairs. Everyone! Even the slope-workers! Going to be a hot night!

Saturday, 18 January 2014 DAY 637 294 MOON 22 WANING 86%
Sun. Heat. Wind. Waves. Sand. Salt. Sea. We woke up early and caught the early bus to Praia Brava. The huge concert Planeta Atlantica was going on in Canasvieiras so we picked up about 20 Argentines at 5:30am who had been up all night, and they were loud. Their conversations started out gentle enough, but eventually crescendoed into who was going to win the World Cup and who was the best soccer player in the world. All in a bus ride. The funny thing was Ezra and one other guy had passed out on the bus and slept through the entire barulous conversation. Everyone exit the bus except us and the other guy passed out. His friends just left him on the bus. So when the bus stopped at the Ponte Final, the bus driver had to wake him up and he was dazed and confused and alone and had no idea where he was or where his friends were. He only knew he had to leave the bus and walk somewhere as the sun was rising and the day was beginning. We walked to the beach to watch the beautiful sunrise. He walked back along the road, not looking back once towards the beach. The beach was deserted. The sky was absent of clouds. Today was going to be another hot one. We were able to play in the waves. The water was so clear. We saw big crabs in the water and small circular jelly fish. André and Diva showed up right when we were leaving at mid-day. We caught the Executivo bus home. I am learning.

Friday, 17 January 2014 DAY 636 293 MOON 22 WANING 93%
I wish I could paint this jungle sunset from the village where we live. I wish I could quickly and easily transport myself up to the altitudes of one of the big solid rocks to just stand upon and raise my arms and say farewell to the sun. This green, this white, this blue, of the jungle are all so different, than the colors of lands I have seen before. Especially at this hour when the sun gives them shadowed spotlights. So great, and yet so fading. It must be known that today is a Friday and a reason to be joyful for tonight celebrations are allowed, and yet the jungle will remain unchanged. No one walks where we have walked. They do not even think of walking these places, up the trail. The night is closing in. The day will soon be done. This will be the first weekend for the 10 guys sharing a room as our neighbor. How will that go? A helicopter flies directly over the jungle heading to the Lagoa, not looking for anyone, because no one is up there. Even though supposedly 90% of the people of Southern Brasil are descendants from Europe, the desire to discover is not there. Now the colors have been erased and what have we done today. We woke up and biked/rollerbladed along the BeiraMar all the way to McDonalds. No one seemed content with the arrangements, not sure why. All the traffic along the BeiraMar could have been rattling, or maybe just doing something new, or maybe no food in the belly. We came back home and I had lunch with André and his friend who works for the Vice-Governor of the State of Santa Catarina. He and André talked about the good ‘ole days in Austin. And in 34 days is Viena’s birthday in Austin.

Thursday, 16 January 2014 DAY 635 292 MOON 22 FULL 100%
The dog is barking at me from downstairs. He knows I wrongly reported his demise yesterday in the thunderstorm. The boy in the green McDonalds hat walks by. He used to live across the street. Now he lives up the street and walks past his old house every day. The dog is doing down-dog yoga pose. The 16th. A full moon. A separator day. A day of rest. A day of laundry. McDonalds items are held onto here in Brasil as a status symbol like a Rolex watch. We once saw a young kid adult carry around an empty McDonalds fries and drink container for an entire afternoon, just to show everyone where he had eaten. McDonalds is expensive here. The jungle is in front of me and past the jungle is the Lagoa and past the Lagoa is the Atlantic Ocean and over the Atlantic Ocean is from where we came. How many generations did it take to forget where they came from in the beginning. Now, a quick flight will take you back to the homeland, or anywhere else – the age of travel. The dog is now howling a howl I have not heard him howl before. Maybe he is a bit resurrected. The sun is behind a thick layer of clouds that can easily be unveiled when the sun feels like talking. I accidentally made acai popsicles and they were so delicious. Houses of yellow, pink, green and blue cascade up the mountainside. This morning across the street, they had fresh bread and fresh milk. Jungle mist rises. Maybe I will run there today. A girl walks hand in hand with her grandma down the street as a car drives speedily past and another drives speedily around the corner. Tightly, hold on tightly!

Wednesday, 15 January 2014 DAY 634 291 MOON 22 WAXING 94%
I ran early in the morning to Shopping BeiraMar and caught the bus back. They bus system is so great here. Today was a day of accelerated blessings, a day at the waterpark, a day riding the yellow executive bus, a day of thunderous rainstorms, a day of complementary meal on wheels, and a day when Ezra once again fell asleep on the bus ride home. The sun was hot when we started our voyage to the waterpark, a sunscreen day for sure. I made a tigela de acai before we left. Viena and Ezra were so excited about going to the water park. We have been riding the bus past this water park every time we go to and from the beach, and this time we finally stopped. Their dream of stopping at the water park came true. “They have a water park at my Dragon School! They have 4-wheelers at my Dragon School!” They both started singing and dancing and did not stop until the clouds of storm came in around 5pm. Ezra and Viena played all day. We went on ride after slide after ride after slide. Viena was so brave on al the rides and slides. I rode on one that I should not have ridden. “Why did the chicken get run over by the car?” “He did not look both ways” – Ezra. “Why did the frog eat all the bugs? He did not want them to eat him!” – Ezra. We ate well today, thanks to being able to sneak in food. Viena’s favorite ride was the Dragon Slide that goes slow and then drops you down a steep slide. Ezra’s favorite ride was the “Indian” slide, but he never went on this one. The rains gathered. The storm clouds formed. A yellow bus appeared out of the traffic to pick us up before the onslaught. The rains poured while we were on the bus. We ate at the local Lachonete and two different people paid for our food and drink. Accelerated blessing! Home sweet home!

Tuesday, 14 January 2014 DAY 633 290 MOON 22 WAXING 87%
I caught the bus into Centro after waiting to hear from Cayce. At Centro, I was able to buy cashews, honey, sandals for Ezra, Brasil nuts, and add some more money to our bus passes. No run today, just running around. We walked a loop today that took us past Shopping Floripa, Decathlon and André’s work. On the way, we passed the field of kites and the field of horses. Ezra and Viena were happy to be walking since they knew that we were going to buy tickets for the Waterpark AquaShow. However, when we arrived at the mall, the waterpark ticket lady was not there. So, we had to walk around the mall and wait. Dwana escaped on her own and when we me back up, the tickets were still not on sale. Ezra loves looking at the video game television. Viena loves pointing out the “dangerous” store. We drank 2-1 juices. We delivered a thank you note to the dentist. We decided to give up on the waterpark ticket lady and we walked to Decathlon to jump on the trampoline and test out skateboards. We wandered around the store trying out as many products as we could. I ran back to the mall an viola!, the ticket lady was there. Success! We kept walking along the road, past the garden. Dwana, Viena and Ezra had some yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and they picked out some plants. We walked past where André works and he came out and greeted us. We then walked past the leaning tower of North Saco Grande.

Monday, 13 January 2014 DAY 632 289 MOON 22 WAXING 80%
We tried to go play soccer at the small field in Centro Administivo, but Brasilians do not really love soccer. The main guard would not let us in to play soccer on the field that no one plays on. “No Pode!” “No Pode!” How can Brasil spend billions building soccer stadiums, but yet there are no public fields for the people to play on. A person must be a member of a private fútbol club to have access to play. So, we just went to our regular place of play in the jungle development. The day was early, but the heat starts early here. We tried playing, but the game did not last long since tempers and attitudes were being affected by the heat. The best matchup we had was Dwana, Viena and Ezra versus me. We walked home and I found some foam packing that Ezra used for a track for his little racing cars. I am pretty amazed at all the imaginative play-sets that Viena and Ezra can create.

Sunday, 12 January 2014 DAY 631 288 MOON 22 WAXING 74%
“Remember! Have fun and be good!” I woke up with a dream about a hip-hop Spanish drug cartel with an exploration hike that went through a slippery grassy place. I did not have any shoes, but that was not a problem. The mosquitoes were out. I was going to go no further. I had to return. I visited a hardware shop. The store attendant in the dream wanted to talk, but I needed an attachment for my 20 liter water bottle. We spoke briefly about music and the low-tone items. I jumped back into the crowded car and started from home. A guy from a neighboring school said May 19th was his next date for skipping school He said his parents were going out of town and to come on over. I said OK, but was not so sure. In the dream I was making my own decisions and having fun. Now, I’ll go on a reality run. I ran to the Floripa Bridge and back with a little help from the bus, around 20km in 2 hours.

Saturday, 11 January 2014 DAY 630 287 MOON 22 WAXING 67%
Viena loses another tooth. Viena and I have been reading Alice in Wonderland. Before I forget, here in Saco Grande they like to take their caged pet birds on walks through the neighborhood and drives and out to eat. Last night the thunder crashed. We were supposed to have late afternoon thunderstorms, but I guess they arrived in the early morning. I slept on the top bunk last night, not wanting to wake Viena or Dwana. I seemed to dream non-productive dreams and something about April 30th, almost like a warning of collisions of thought. We will see. I made watermelon juice. I think both the watermelon and the acai were bad from Bistek. Next time, I will visit BIG for delivery. BIG is the Brasilian Walmart. I went with André to Decathlon and to the BeiraMar. Viena just lost her tooth. Now, Ezra has a plan not to brush one tooth so that one tooth with “gunk” will “fall right out!” I ran back from BeiraMar Shopping, not sure of the distance. Calma! Calma! Calma! The day was hot. The run was hot. A guy had 10 beds delivered to his apartment with a refrigerator. This appeared like something Dad-Dad might do in his younger days.

Friday, 10 January 2014 DAY 629 286 MOON 22 WAXING 60%
“There are stars out! One is twinkling at me!” – Viena at 4:45am. We are on our way to sunrise somewhere, just waiting at the bus station. We are now at the beach, Praia Costo do Santinho. The bus ride was dark, quiet and relaxing. The only drama was a guy who wanted to ride the bus without a shirt. Ezra fell asleep on the ride, like always. We arrived in time to watch the beginnings of the sunrise. Many colors were in the sky. A few fishermen were trying their luck. The bus turn-around is the perfect place to watch the sunrise, but the bus must keep on going and we were able to stay. The sunrise was clean, very few clouds. A big golden sun showing up to start the day. Ezra even noticed the pink sky. The day was warm before the sun arrived. We ate our breakfast of oatmeal and diced up mango. I finally mastered filleting a mango. The water is clear and cold, refreshing and salty. The shoreline in front on the bus turn-around is uneven, so next time, we need to walk a little further on down the beach. A guy was juggling fire sticks during the dawn, with his friend accompanying him with the guitar. I am almost certain that they have been awake all night hanging out on the beach Dunes of Santinho. Today is so much different than our last few days, 2 day spent at the dentist and 2 days spent at Policia Federal. Today is clear and will be hot all day. This is a great way to begin the day. At mid-day, still the sky is absent of clouds. More people are on the beach now, but nothing like Ingléses or Canasvieiras. People like to bike this beach. There is probably a good jungle trail on either side. We caught the yellow Executivo bus on the way home. Yes! Dwana was happy. We all were happy. Ezra passed out on the sidewalk before the bus arrived. The air-conditioning felt nice on one of the hottest days of the year. We really felt the heat when the bus dropped us off. We had to stop and eat at the local lanchonete before the bridge crossing. We spent the remainder of the day inside. I was the first one to fall asleep at night.

Thursday, 9 January 2014 DAY 628 285 MOON 22 WAXING 53%
Today we went on our second trip into Policia Federal. This time, just barely, we came away with what we needed, a Visa extension. So, now we are good to stay in Brasil for the remainder of our stay, until February. Yes. The front desk guy made the mistake of not handing me four tags numbers when I showed him that I had 4 passports. He said I only needed 1. Turns out I needed 4. It all worked out. The main guy made me sweat it out by telling me my paperwork to complete my paperwork in less than 1 minute. That saved me about 4 hours and 40 Reais. So the way this worked out was I woke up at 5:30am and caught the bus into Trinidade and BeiraMAr where I ran to the bridge and back to Policia Federal to start waiting in line in front of the building by 6:45am. I was the first in line. I had to wait another 90 minutes for the tags to be handed out. Then I ran back home, took a shower, ate something, and gathered everyone. I went by and did some shopping at Bistek for delivery and told them to deliver in the evening. We all caught the bus back to Angeloni where we again waited another 90 minutes, but it all worked out. The groceries were not delivered until 10:00pm, another mix up. But now we have food to take on an adventure tomorrow. I slept on the top bunk.

Wednesday, 8 January 2014 DAY 627 284 MOON 22 WAXING 46%
We went to Policia Federal in the afternoon but no success. We returned and we went to play soccer in the rain. On the bus ride into Policia Federal, right in Saco Grande, we saw a body in the street covered with a white sheet. This is just one of the many stories that we never find out what happened. That is the crazy thing. We never find out the end of the story, the rest of the story. What happened to the girl on the motorcycle who hit the wall? What happened to cause this person to die in the middle of the road in the middle of Saco Grande? We walk this street all the time to go to the mall. Dwana and I both looked at each other as the bus just drove around the body as if it were a parked car. What a way to start you day. We were dropped off near Angeloni and walked the short distance to the Federal Police to try and renew our Brasilian Visa, but no luck. I guess you must show up Bem Cedo, very early, before 7am to acquire a senha or ticket to come back in the afternoon. Oh well. We went to Angeloni and had lunch and then caught the bus back. In the evening, we decided to run to the jungle development and play soccer. The skies were darkening and had been cloudy all day. Ezra said he saw lightning. You could tell a storm was coming, but I thought it would not erupt on us. I was wrong! 10 minutes after we arrived the storm unleashed another torrent, and we spent the next hour watching lightning strikes and listening to thunder booms over the jungle in the comforts of the bus shelter. The rains lessened and we made our way home. Rain leaked in our place.

Tuesday, 7 January 2014 DAY 626 283 MOON 22 WAXING 40%
We went back to the dentist. We went to the mall. When we came back we went and played soccer. We walked home through Saco Grande. Sounds like déjà vu. I made some fresh orange juice. We had early appointments with the dentist near Shopping Floripa. We saw the bus go by up the hill past our place so we hurried our things so we could catch the bus on the downside. All the exams went fine. We then went to the mall to eat and walk around. Ezra likes watching a pirate game and a game called Gran Turismo 6, a race car game. We discovered a juice place at the mall that has 2-1 juices before 11:30am. We also ate a tigela de Açai. Not much sun was out on the walk home. We ate some rice and beans at home. Yummy! I took Ezra and Viena and we went and played at the Jungle development. Today I did not feel like running. My legs were lethargic. We played soccer. Ezra and Viena ran my last lap with me and Viena almost beat me to the finish line, almost. Ezra likes biking to the jungle development, but does not ride his bike once he is there. Viena and Ezra built a little shelter out of the bricks. I talked with Mason and with Cayce about options for the USA.

Monday, 6 January 2014 DAY 625 282 MOON 22 WAXING 33%
We walked to the dentist today, and believe it or not, that took all day. We walked past the health office and I could have seen a public health dentist for free, but I found another dentist near Shopping Floripa that could see me without any wait. I just had them place the crown back on. We all were walking and Dwana took Ezra and Viena into the mall while I was at the dentist. I returned with a full set of teeth and had a tigela of Açai. Ezra had been crying for some type of a Mud-Car purchase. Some days he does so well just looking at stuff, while other days not so well. He is crying now. We have had a long day, but not really. We just walked the loop of Saco Grande. We did not cross a mountain pass or walk down a hot sandy coastline to an uncharted beach. We did not catch an omnibus and ride all over the island. We just walked to the dentist and back. The return trip back took us along the highway. Oh, we played again in the Decathlon store, skateboarding, bicycling, and soccer. Great store! I did not buy anything. We arrived home around 5:30pm and were out the door again by 7:00pm to go and run/play soccer at the jungle development. MY times are improving for the circuit. Today was not as hot and I was able to complete the circuit in 34:45. My hope is to keep this pace of improvement going and be able to sign up for the Alamo Half on the 23rd of March. That is my goal.

Sunday, 5 January 2014 DAY 624 281 MOON 22 WAXING 26%
The day was dull. Today is the last day of the revelion holiday. They day was grey without a hint of heat. We stayed inside all day. We woke up late after recovering from last night’s late cab ride home. I tried to speak to as many people from back home to wish them a happy 2014. Ira seemed to be the one who wanted to speak the most about the accelerated blessing that will come his way in 2014. I mentioned to Dwana that ours is already happening, all you have to do is look. Here is one of the blessings: a mobile air conditioned library. And more fun items that just show up in front of us. I am glad for our continued health. I took a late evening run at sunset. The sun had finally showed at the end of the day. The green jungle was showcased with a spotlight. I ran up and down and back and forth in the jungle development. The skies with sunset clouds changed into shapes. Viena and Ezra had curtain forts set up on the beds.

Saturday, 4 January 2014 DAY 623 280 MOON 22 WAXING 19%
I went on a run late in the day all the way to the bridge in around 72 minutes, somewhere in between 7-8 miles, I think. I last 5k was marked, so I could keep track of my pace. The rains were falling all day long, like a constant drizzle. This was our first drizzly day. We stayed inside and read or did artwork with glue and noodles and beans and watched the rain come down. The day was cooler and we were without the need of the fans. Today was a much needed cool Brasil winter day in the beginning of Summer. Ezra has been not listening and has used this day inside to test each of our temperaments. We caught the bus to Shopping Floripa and enjoyed walking around the mall, the toy store and the sporting goods store. André joined us and looked at bikes. Ezra had fun riding a scoot bike, a skateboard, and playing a racquet tether game. We all piled into a cab home. Ezra was tired and had a shoulder ride up the hill. The washing machine hose came undone.

Friday, 3 January 2014 DAY 622 279 MOON 22 WAXING 13%
I am dripping with sweat. We are in the jungle development playing soccer. My shorts are soaked with sweat. Ezra says he is dripping with sweat too, but not like me. Two dogs are acting as spectators for our soccer game. A mosquito is on Viena’s leg. Dwana is offering spicy gum to everyone. This is our personal playground this summer. The sun has just come out to show our shadows. I am glad I brought our umbrellas so we could hide from the Sun. I ran the 5 laps in just under 40 minutes. Ezra had fun playing soccer. I can hear Viena chomp her gum. Ezra likes that we have lots and lots of toys that we brought today. We brought a dump truck, bouncy balls, and little guys. I had a good banana Açai smoothie this morning. Yesterday while walking back from Cacupé Ezra said, “Dad, we need to go to a different island to look for my dune buggy. But it’s not on the island of Israel because they have too many guns on that island. At my Dragon school we used binoculars to look and saw that they have too many guns there.” Viena set up the paints for Ezra and they painted a beautiful picture and then Viena quickly spilled the wash paint water all over the floor. Then the rains came and Dwana yelled, “Foley! Foley! … The Clothes! The Clothes!” I never know what to expect after her exclamations.

Thursday, 2 January 2014 DAY 621 278 MOON 22 NEW 0%
We walked/biked to SESC at mid-day. Umbrellas were definitely needed. I am not sure why we did not use umbrellas for shade protection earlier in our trip. SESC is about 1.5km away with broken sidewalks along the way. We love talking to all the big dogs that come up and “greet” us along the way. Today is hot, but SESC has plenty of shady spots. They have two playgrounds, an affordable place to eat and playrooms that have art and all sort of toys. I have been teaching Viena how to play chess. Ezra has been tired and crabby today. He woke up demanding chocolate milk. When he did receive some chocolate milk, the milk was soured from being out of date. The winds are blowing strong today. A guy is mowing the grounds with a masculine big hat. Viena is playing with some of the toys and wooden toys. A dad is trying to snooze in the corner. A mom is on her phone. The heat takes energy away from them all. I need to make a dental appointment. Now that 2014 is here, the reality of what 2014 will be for me, for us, has quickly taken shape. And yet what else might pull on us. I am going to try and run more, Yes, and place my body in better shape to run. I still have my 108 day program and this is the 2nd day of the second quarter of that program. I give myself a “C” as far as meeting the essence of the VIENA-EZRA. We live a magical life. We found a portable library and then we were visited by and invited to go see a witch’s house – casa das bruxa. We are sitting now on the shores of Cacupé. Ezra and Viena are eating meat slices and smiling at a newborn baby with a little diaper. The clouds are heavenly with a bright, swirl, dark swirl. Hopefully, we do not have any thunderstorms on the way home. “I’m a big baby!” Ezra says, as he chows down his third slice of meat.

If you like Pina Coladas, getting caught in the rain

JIMMY BUFFETT

Wednesday, 1 January 2014 DAY 620 277 MOON 21 WANING 1%
Happy New Year. Happy New Moon. Happy 2014. I woke up at 4:30am and we had just enough time to gather our thing and catch the bus along the highway. Cars were honking at the girls walking home from their night, but they did not honk at us. We were just starting the day, not ending the night. André tried to join us, but missed the bus. Our bus driver was very very tired, and kept swerving. We saw a crazy aftermath of an accident on the highway. I was glad to be safe on the swerving bus. We just arrived at Praia Brava and the sun was rising right near the south rock. A good reference point since now the Sun is returning to the North, and as the Sun goes, we go. We were able to watch the sunrise before the sun slipped behind some low-lying clouds. There were no horizon clouds so we were able to take in the full sunrise before the sun ticked behind so low lying clouds. Beautiful! Worth the early morning escape. The water was wonderful, cool and refreshing but not as cold as Galheta. We met Philip an American with a little baby boy. It was good to talk to an American. Viena and Ezra absolutely loved playing in the waves. Shallow water! A few tents were scattered on the beach to avoid the at least 400 Reais a night lodging fees. When we arrived on the beach the beach was virtually empty. There were people leftover from the night, completing the party all night on New Year’s Eve and bring in the New Year’s sunrise. When we left the beach, the beach was packed. The bus trip home went flawless, hot but flawless. Ezra and Viena slept on the bus in both directions. Dwana and I were jealous and I was quite happy with a family that wants to begin the year by waking up at 4am to catch a bus to go to the beach. A great way to start 2014!

Beginnings and ends are the same here
And everything else passes in silence

WINDS

Fireworks! What Fireworks? We were in bed by 10pm. We heard the fireworks at midnight, but only saw them briefly in our mind. Imagination is a very noisy creature. I went on a run Shopping Floripa to see if I could find a dentist open on New Year’s Eve. Ha Ha Ha! They all take their two week holiday. I will have to wait for one more week. I made the mistake of stopping at Bistek on New Year’s Eve. Chaos! Crowded. Packed. I shopped for 30 minutes and waited in line for 60 minutes. Then I had to take a cab since the delivery guys had already stopped delivering. But the trip was worth it for our New Year’s celebration. I saw Elyo walking a horse and passed the wall of infinite vines. When I returned, we thought about going on a walk to the big rock. We started out with André, who lastly grabbed his umbrella as we headed out the door. We made it to the jungle development and the skies unleashed a torrent of rains. Falling, falling, wind, lightning, thunder, everything – so quickly. Dwana and Ezra were soaked. Ezra was coasting away with the wind at his back when the rains arrived so he had the farthest to come back to the bus shelter where we huddled until the worst of the storm was over. The hike to the big rock will have to wait until another day. We took a walk to the neighborhood playground and watched in our imagination how the fireworks would look and how the playground would look at midnight.

A fragrant mist shine over you
Until the sun rises in the dawn of a new day

JANDEK

What would you do if you had two more days left in the year and this was one of them. Would you stay up until the New Year? I wonder when that will become the trend. We woke up. I woke up at a little after 4am. I said to myself – if you are going to do this, you need to act now! Glad I did. We were out the door carrying Ezra by 4:50, which is the hour that the bus leave Centro heading our way. I have never caught this first bus out of the yard, so this was all going to be a new experiment. Luckily, the bus was running and could see me waving in the darkened bus stop along the highway. We were loaded up with lots of bags for the beach, full of food, water, toys, umbrellas, kangas, and extra clothes. Our connecting bus went well and soon we were watching the sunrise while cruising over the many speed bumps of Rio Vermelho. We arrived at Praia Mole to join the other huddled people who had stayed up all night to watch the sunrise. They are the true warriors – the warriors of the madrugadao – a warrior of a different type. We walked to Praia Galheta where the natural beauty and shallow waters suit us better. The difference between the beaches of Galheta and Canasvieiras is unfathomable. We so much more prefer Galheta. We played tag. The water was cold and refreshing. The sun was hidden behind clouds. A mist was in the air along the beach, as if the ocean was trying to cool the land, but the heat of the young summer sun was making this a no-win situation. The rains fell and we gathered under an umbrella before running out to perform our sun dance. The sun finally appeared with gathered strength, too strong. We laid naturally on the sand while rain fell on us and bright sunshine struck down, an amazing day. We hiked back in the heat over the hill.

I want to be a pirate
A pirate’s life for me
All my friends are pirates
And sail the big blue sea

GEORGE HARRISON

I woke up early to prepare for our beach trip to Canasvieiras with neighbor Fred’s mom Sonya, who speaks zero English, but she speaks lots of Portuguese. Ezra was the last one awake and had to be carried down to the car at 8am. Imagine if we had caught the 5:10am bus. One of these days we will catch that bus, maybe tomorrow. I should go down and buy some bread today for tomorrow at the padaria across the street. Ok, we are all set for tomorrow. But what about today? I drove a car today! I drove Sonya’s car or Fred’s car or G’s car. Whoever’s car, I drove it, a manual transmission. I was driving for the first time since we sold our van in Maui almost a year ago. I do not miss driving at all. Ezra was screeching in the back seat, not listening, so I guess he does not miss rising in a car. I was trying to communicate directions with Sonya on where she wanted to go. I had to avoid all signs of Policia Federal or Policia Military because I am not legal to drive. We parked right next to the beach of Canasvieiras near the main street and the playground. A big tree provided some shade in the morning and we had plenty of options to place our umbrella and kangas when we arrived early. Hardly any people down at the beach, but the sand quickly filled up with umbrellas, chairs, and beach towels. People of ages were at the beach. Vendors were selling hats, cashews, swimsuits, drinks, bbq, corn, pineaples, sunglasses, clothing, ice-cold aqua da coco and still the people came to the beach. And just when you thought the beach was packed and could not handle any more people, more umbrellas were planted in the sand – umbrellas atop umbrellas. People were laying out on the beach every which way, not very pretty. I hunkered underneath the shade of our small umbrella. A little 1-year-old boy cried because he wanted to play in the water, but his parents did not want to play in the calm ocean water. Friends carried a wheelchair bound guy into the water with a life-vest to enjoy a swim. They seemed the happiest. Rapping and smiling and laughing to their own sounds, like characters from Cannery Row, here in Floripa! Why does writing need to be a part of my life, and not just writing reports, assessments, and evaluations? We stayed until we were squeezed out and sunned out. Dwana, Viena, and Ezra had fun playing with another family with lots of children celebrating a family reunion from Curitiba. On the drive home we laughed at all the other people heading North stuck in traffic. No traffic for us. I am glad I did not need another lesson on how to drive in traffic. When we came home, Ezra started running into everything. They day continued to heat up and only now do I feel some coolness and clouds in the air, a good day.

At night
When the sky is still
When the south wind blows
And the air is warm
There’s a world that’s born

ELVIS

Standing in front of the Banco do Brasil mirrored glass would have made for a good picture as we went out and visited Andre at work. I made some tuna sandwiches from the freshly made bread from across the street. I collected 40 liters of bottled water from up the street. I went on a run this morning that took me up the jungle and to the flat rock. Looking out over the city from the big flat rock is worth the steep walk up. Florianópolis must have so many different hillside views that are all amazing. I ran to the grocery store to arrange for a delivery of fruits and vegetables and acai. I weighed in at 78.5kg. I think the scale is a little off. Nothing like a few hot days to burn the weight off. I continued my run through Joao Paulo neighborhood and then to the start of the Beira Mar and to Trinidade. I was able to stop at a few home supply stores to look at fans. After checking the specs, I bought two industrial sized fans, let’s hope they do the job. On the way back, I caught the omnibus carrying the two big fans. The apartment manager saw me walking up the street and gave me a corona (ride). We talked about possible a/c installation. It might be in our future if this heat continues. Hopefully the fans will suffice. We were able to Skype with Olivia, Kirk, Granma, Vivki, and Mason. They looked like they were having a good fellowship communion. Logan and Su were in Vegas and Dad-Dad and Cayce were on their own adventures and Iso was in Houston with Su’s parents. Dwana even was able to reach Mylon. I set up the fans. Now, let’s see how cool the night is!

Well surprise, surprise, surprise
Yeah surprise, surprise, surprise
Well surprise, surprise, come on open your eyes
And let your love shine down

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

I tried and tried, but the early morning adventures are more difficult to do around Christmas, and in this heat. The past two days have been the hottest we have had since Petra. I was awake at 3:45am to refill the “air-conditioner” with some more ice. This kind of reminds me of waking up in the middle of the night to stoke the fireplace. I should have stayed awake and started breakfast and then we could have caught the 5:00am bus to the sunrise. Today must have been a beautiful sunrise. I was in dream land, dreaming of the caste system in India and where we all fit in that. I mean, here we are traveling the world, like royalty. Well, royalty would have real air conditioning. I did leave the house at 7am to go on a run. The heat of the day was already here. I guess temperatures topped 44C yesterday and today temperatures appear more of the same. I ran around Cacupé and by the end of the run I was in need of some water. André had a fresh papaya smoothie waiting for me when I returned. We quickly gathered our things and were out the door heading towards SESC. Ezra was happy because Papai Noel had stopped by again and delivered a car/truck transport system, very nice. This is just another benefit of traveling the world with children, people are more kind with their actions, neighborhood love. Four neighbor boys were visiting upstairs but we were at SESC all day during the heat. At SESC, we played chess, checkers, gymnastics, ping-pong and billiards – all inside games. Most of the parents at SESC looked like zombies – us included. The heat of the day and keeping up with our children was just taking the life out of us. We walked and Ezra biked. We had our must-have umbrella. We enjoyed acai form lunch. Viena was having a rough time with this heat. Her left eye hurt and she has a big tooth coming in. We saw a beautiful butterfly.

Can it heal where others before have failed?
If so then somebody
Shake shake shake me sane
’cause I am inching ever closer to the tip of this scorpion’s tail

TORI AMOS

Today was a day of scorpions, hornbills and summertime heat. Five days after the Summer Solstice, the Summer heat arrived. Temperatures are over 100F. People are scraping around for more fans and air conditioning systems. We talked of going places. We had big plans. But today we just stayed at home in the heat of the shade of our apartment and toke lots of showers. Viena and Ezra were happy just playing with some of their Christmas bounty. Late in the afternoon, Ezra Viena and I walked to the jungle development and played fútbol. All of our cheeks were red with just so little exertion. I ran my normal laps, but the heat provided a record slowest time. Amazing what the heat will do! I tried clearing some pieces of broken concrete from the road, but that was not the best idea because underneath were two scorpions seeking shade. I would not want a sting from them. While we were playing fútbol, a streamlined hornbill, vould have been a toucan, flew right over us to join his partner in the trees. To have these wild colorful big sighting right in our back yard is so cool. We came home and prepared for the hot night, not cool.

T’was grace that brought us safe thus far
And grace will lead us home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun;
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we first begun

JOHN NEWTON

Merry Christmas. Everything went as planned. Santa was able to find us. Actually, we must have seen 5 or 6 Santa’s going up our street. Not too many Christmas lights up. People here tend to us Christmas as just another reason to celebrate. This morning, a young guy was trying to teach a young girl how to ride a motorcycle for her Christmas present. She ended up crashing into a brick wall without her helmet on. Merry Christmas. The neighborhood was out on their porches after that one. Viena received a sunshine doll and Ezra received a bog truck. After the gift exchange, we loaded up and caught the bus to Praia Ingléses where we met up with André and Diva … and 1000 other people on the narrow beach of Ingléses. Too many people for us. The water was nice and the sun was bright. I was hoping for some more clouds. The island bus rides were not crowded and quite pleasant in itself to be driven around the beautiful island. Green. Green. Green. And many places of this jungle mountainside is undeveloped. I was glad to arrive home and thankful for everyone’s quality of content, my Christmas present.

There’s a Brave New World awaiting all you kids out there
With a brand new way of getting through your day there

DONOVAN

Today is Christmas Eve. The stores all close before 6pm. Why do I know this? Why should I even bother with the consumerism part of Christmas while we are here in Brasil? We have had 3 different sets of Santa Claus that have been walking up the street or being guided up the street in the backs of cars with a lead-car bass-a-blowing. The car parade gives out candy, candy and more candy. Incredibly, Ezra was given a Ben-10 and Viena was given a Barbie Doll. What a cool little neighborhood treat! The children are all ready for bed. Let the night begin. Let our Brasilian Christmas roll on. I went on a run to try and accomplish some last minute shopping, but oh well, the stores close at 6pm. Today we went with André to explore Praia Brava. The waves were incredible for body surfing. The weather was perfectly hot. WE were glad to leave on the 1:45 onmibus out of there. The trip takes about an hour from our house. Great sand. Viena and Ezra had fun playing in the waves. Dwana had a case of the sneezes all day. Maybe she is allergic to Christmas. Just remember, BEN-10, the spirit of Christmas.

Jump, little children, jump
Jump, little children, jump
Jump, little children, jump
Jump, little children, jump

BROWNIE MCGHEE

I took a ride into Centro. I am definitely improving with my bus catching skills and price-checking purchases and finding the right store at the right time. I was able to zoom around and gather all them items I was looking for and still make it back in the early afternoon. Lots of people were out doing Christmas shopping. The day was sunny. I had eaten lunch before catching the bus so I did not need to take in any of the Centro street food. Most of the Centro street food is not very appealing. I was able to find cashews for 35/kilo and Brasil nuts for 45/kilo. A brief heavy rain storm sent people for shelter, but the day belonged to the sun. When I came home, we went to our field in the jungle and ran and played fútbol.

There’s a land where I’ve been told
every street is paved with gold
And it’s just across the borderline

WILLI NELSON

We must have stayed inside, but we did not. We should have rested today, but we did not. We could have taken it easy today, but we did not. We caught the bus to Shopping Iguatami. I know sounds difficult already. This was an exploration of sorts since we were trying to find a single bus to take us there, and we were successful on the way there, but not on the way back. On the way back, I chose to wait at the wrong bus stop, so instead , we had a harried time of crossing the road with all of our groceries, since the grocery store does not deliver on Sundays we found out. We crossed back over the street again to catch a bus to Trinidade terminal. Now it is almost 8pm and we are waiting for the bus to Saco Grande. We saw another bus that I thought might take us home. Ezra ran ahead since he was not carrying anything and was the fastest and he hopped on the bus without us, and it was the wrong bus heading for Centro. That could have been bad. He hopped off after the driver realized what had happened. Finally, the right bus arrived and we were back home safe with all of our stuff. I am thankful for all the times our groceries have been delivered. For lunch, we had a good view of the mata below. Shopping Iguatamei built right on the mata. We could view all the way to Praia Daniella. Today was a switch from yesterday. We were inside all day and it rained all day, and it was windy all day. We were inside, dry, but sunburned and wind-burned from the day before.

Summer solstice, evening sky
Your cheerful nature caught my eye

SYLVER

Today is the longest day of the year (for those in the Southern Hemisphere). I awoke at 3:30am, 5, 6, and 7am, waiting for the sun to appear. Like yesterday, the sun appeared with a bright entrance. We are on a night schedule and all are still sleeping. The day is a little brighter. The early morning grass cutters arrived. Ezra mentioned a couple of things today and I will need to review the video clips. Even with the threatening rain, we left and went to Praia Daniella. We were greeted by rain and wind on the beach, but the sunshine would have the last laugh on this longest day of the year. I quickly made a tigela de acai with bananas, strawberries, and granola – a yummy breakfast Brasil style. The sun arrived and brought the people down to the beach. Ezra played with an American family visiting from Chicago. At mid-day, most of the people left the beach from lunch. Our plan was to walk around the point and then enter Daniella from the other side. But guess what? You cannot do this unless you plan to walk through a swamp. The birds were even looking at us funny – “Don’t you know this does not make a circle back to the beach?” SO, with the sun beating down, we turned around and walked all the way back around the point, just like the Lion Hunt story. Since we missed our bus, we decided to stay for lunch and until the sunset. Why not stay, on the longest day of the year.

Friends are special so important, they make the world go ’round
We like helping one another in school or on the playground

BARNEY

The day started strong with sun pouring out of the jungle mountainside village. I placed the sheets on the clothesline outside, and no sooner had I hung the sheets then the sprinkles of rain started falling. I watched for a morning rainbow, but none was to be found. On this beautiful morning we had some breakfast and stayed home. I read with Viena a little bit. I then started on the quest of eradicating the mosquitoes that were barely flying full from our blood. I need to batten down the hatches to this place. We walked over to have lunch with André, We had to take the umbrella since the day was so sunny. On the way back we found a table that would be perfect for a fan stand. Ezra and Viena painted while I walked into town and bought some groceries. I made a bug screen to keep out the unwanted. I found another use for duct tape. The grocery delivery service is great, especially when you buy a big pineapple or watermelon.

We’re hung out to dry
Like the laundry

THE LILAC TIME

I called in sick again today. I stayed on the top bunk for most of the day. I did go outside twice with Ezra and Viena to try and visit the local markets on the street, but they were closed because today is Sunday. I remember back in the day when markets used to be closed on Sunday in the United States. Now most markets in the US selling meats, milks, bread, and eggs are open on Sundays. Where did the day of rest go? No problem though, we had enough food left in our big deluxe refrigerator. I think this is the first brand new big size refrigerator that I have purchased and I am glad we have one here in Brasil. We started out without a refrigerator in hot Bali, but we were young and fresh back then and full of adventure. Now some cold chilled water sure is nice, and popsicles. The day dripped on slowly like a thawing icicle in late winter. André came by for a quick visit before heading back into the sunshine. No sunshine for me today, hopefully tomorrow. I read Ezra and Viena some books. Dwana tried to take care of all of her little and big ducklings. She made a garbanzo bean soup that I finally tried late in the night when my hunger had returned a bit. The trouble is I did not sleep at all last night. I usually am a pretty good sleeper, so I hope all is well. Last time we were in Brasil for the first time I would always have a fever that would last 3 days and then go away for a week and then return. Dwana discovered that I bought her “fabric softener” instead of laundry detergent, so we have been wearing really soft but dirty clothes. Certainly is nice having a washing machine. We did not have one of those in Bali, but we did not need one since we could just walk 100 meters and have all of our clothes washed, dried and folded for about $2-3 dollars. This must be the week of the tear and the day of the joke.

And Lou’s got the flu and he’s laid up, laid up, laid up,
Lou’s got the flu and he’s laid up,
Have to get well pretty soon

ROGER MILLER

Brasilian music was playing all day outside our lone window. The breeze was blowing the tapestry outside out window all day long. Today has been a very relaxing day, a recovering day. Last night I felt my fever break, but the backache remains, so I am enjoying this music and this breeze from my sick quarters on the top bunk. I am not sure why I was the only one who was had a fever, but I am glad I was the only one. With all of the music, I am thinking that there is some type of neighborhood celebration. Good music. The music is loud enough so that you do not hear the barking dogs. The sun is out, but today is our stay in the indoor shade day. Viena was able to talk to Granma without Ezra interrupting. Viena and Ezra are playing nicely with their cardboard box fort. I really enjoy the time when Viena and Ezra are playing nicely with each other, as they are doing right now. I love being in climates where an air-conditioner or heater is not needed and you only need a good breeze or a cloud or a rain shower or a bath shower. Well, the music just changed and now we are at a late-night dance club. Ezra seems to like the new music.

I am a giant
I am an Eagle oh
I am a lion
Down in the jungle
I am a marching band
I am the people oh
I am a helping hand
I am a hero

R KELLY

I went on an early morning run. The run was not that early because Viena had just woke up. I thought I could sneak out of the door, but she caught me. I ran up the trail to the big rock and back. Not too far this time, but the trail seemed steeper. There were motorcycle tracks and the mud red was very fresh in places. A giant butterfly scared me as he darted around with his colorful wings and eye dot, one of the biggest I have seen. The butterflies are all so beautiful here. Dwana even had a stealthy moth land on her shoulder and try to hide in her shirt colors. I sat on the big rock and watched a swarm of small insects being blown by the wind and being eaten by other swooping bigger insects or moths or butterflies. The jungle is full of bird noises, especially heard on this quiet Sunday morning. I heard two distinct calls. One call was from a Marching Band Bird give a 6-tweeted-whistle, “Tweeeeeet! Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! Tweet! Tweet!” And another owl sounding bird singing “Oooooouuuuuuu!” which then you would hear a slightly different version – “Uuuuuuuuoooooooo!” The clouds started darkening and I did not want to take shelter in the cave again, so I hurried home and sure enough, the rains started falling just as I arrived home. We spent the day reading to Ezra and Viena. The day was cloudy and windy, a very nice temperature. Today must have been “Teach your girlfriend/wife to ride a motorcycle” day. Yesterday was “take your newborn on the bus” day. We played near the ancient palace of the bees back near the start of the wild jungle. When we listened, we heard frogs, crickets, birds, and other far off jungle noises. The rains were misty and non-threatening. No thunder. No lightning. We watched as the wind from the east blew the tall super tall wispy trees back and forth. The sun made a momentary showing for long enough to create a slight transparent rainbow that only the eyes of children could see. We slowly walked back with a newly found remote control controller that controls Ezra and Viena. Now why couldn’t we have found one of these at the beginning of our trip?

And it looks we’ve made it once again
And it looks we’ve made it once again
Yes it looks like we’ve made it to the end

THE MONKEES

We saw Monkey’s today, or a monkey. A small monkey in a tree about as big as your hand. The monkey was in the trees on the trail to the big rock that I explored yesterday. We can see this rock from our patio, and it is difficult to believe that we could walk all the way from our place to this big rock. But here we are. We did it. We started walking a little late near 10 o’clock and we made it back down by 1pm. Dwana said she felt “something watching” her and Viena, and she was right. A monkey was up above here watching her in the trees. The trail was steep, but had great views of the Be-Ira Mar, of the city, and the Morro da Cruz. We found a rock that would be a great place to watch the New Year’s Fireworks. When we came home, I went on a run into the city. I ran through Saco Grande and then caught the bus the Waldorf school. I jumped off the bus and ran to UFSC and then ran to Angeloni’s and then ran along the Be-Ira Mar into El Centro. The heat of the late afternoon sun was shining down directly in my face as I ran down the Beira Mar. My bus pass stopped working and I only had 20 Reais in my pocket. I arrived home shortly before dark. I saw trash piled up all throughout the city. The garbage collectors finally picked up the trash in the neighborhood around midnight.

Just once in a lifetime
A man knows a moment
One wonderful moment
When fate takes his hand
And this is my moment
My once in a lifetime
When I can explore
A new and exciting land
BOBBY DARIN

I went to Shopping Floripa on a run to replace the keys to our door. I discovered that the locksmith guy who was re-making our door keys was the same lock smith who let André into his place last week. The locksmith said I needed to bring the physical door lock into their shop so they could trail and error the lock with keys – Always something. I went grocery shopping at Bistek and scheduled a delivery. Bistek’s prices were rumored to be lower, but the prices are just the same, with a more promotions on fruits and vegetables. Viena and Ezra were so excited to see the delivery guy carry up and deliver a watermelon and a pineapple ($4 watermelon). Not bad. I made some watermelon juice and salty pineapple mango watermelon juice. Yummy. Delicious. Viena loves the mango and the papaya. I went on an exploratory run into the local mountains. I was instantly rewarded with finding a trail that led into the jungle. I met a guy with a machete and the cow was walking (Elyo). He tried telling me a bunch of stories in Portuguese about all the trails and the things that have happened on these trails, but I understood very little and what I did understand I did not want to hear. He then directed me to his place. Usually I do not follow guys in the wild carrying machetes that tell stories about what happens on these trail that I do not understand, but I made an exception and I was rewarded with more great views of the city and an small understanding of the trail system.

Just like little children
Like the little children
Know how they have fun
Just like little children
Like the little children
Know how they have fun

DIANA ROSS

There is too much to think about. I am on the bus for another run into Trinadade Terminal – the middle-bus-stop where all the Saco Grande and Lagoa buses now transition. The bus takes a turn and passes the Bistek supermarket. Everything is so green here. Lots of rocks, big rocks mixed in with all the jungle scape mountain side. My hope is to discover all the little back roads into and out of the jungle. We have been waiting for our geladera refrigerator to be delivered for almost a week now. Who needs a refrigerator anyway? We have lived in so many situations and this will be another. I am not sure what the expectations are. I have spent the last two days constructing a set of beds, brasil style. I could have made my own bed from scratch in less time I think. Finished. Done. Deu. We have been experimenting with clothes drying methods. Today the sun was shining for a bit in the afternoon. Ezra and Viena have been so happy to see me building the bunk beds, but both started crying almost moments after I finished. André brought us over some lunch from his work. My dream last night was walking into an auditorium with the Brasil flag colors showing all over the walls saying – “This is Brasil! You live in Brasil! Go Live in Brasil!” The sky after the rain near the por-do-sol is heavenly here in Floripa. The white clouds with the blue-blue sky darkening, while with gray washed green scape of the jungle. Everywhere was striking out from the Earth to the endless of holding all.

It does not matter
What country you are in,
Just stay here on base
With your own kind,
But he knew a patriot
Needs a strong free hand,
Now he’s off to torch
That red-infested land,
Can’t stop the armadillo man.

MICRODISNEY

These are the crazy days, the days of transition where everything is all over the place and Viena and Ezra are inside in a new place trying to make home, trying to play with familiar toys. But here we are in a new apartment. No kids live here and that is a bummer. I was hoping that some other family with children might be living in the apartments. Oh well, so it is to be. I spent the day building the Brasilian beds, a chore in itself. We walked a couple of time to the local markets. Ezra was booted out of one for not listening and using his loud voice. What a way to start in the neighborhood. Not sure how life would transition if we did not have Ezra the loud boy. He cried over chocolate milk. Chocolate milk has been a staple of his or maybe he was just hungry. The market is so close by and that is where I will be buying out water and other small things. We locked ourselves out of André’s place. The lock appears broken, so all day our food was over there and we are over here with not much food. We walked to Shopping Floripa and went to the Market Faire. I bought some Kettle Korn and a train and a barking dog – well worth the 25 Reais. Now I just need some batteries. We stopped and ate at the food court. Viena came up and said THANK YOU DAD FOR THE FOOD, like I have been starving her. This is probably the first fast food she has had in a month. We walked around and sat on Santa’s lap. Ezra and Viena tried to tell Santa in Portuguese what they wanted. I was even able to squeeze what I wanted from Santa. Of course, I forgot my camera. Not too many people in Saco Grande carrying around big camera’s. A guy came late in the evening and repaired the door a little. I tried to stay up and finish the bed after we returned from Shopping Floripa.

Gotta move, gotta get out
Gotta leave this place, gotta find some place
Some other place, some brand new place

BARBRA STREISAND

Our last day in Beco. We packed up and were planning to catch the bus, but a dog was following us and then the dog’s owner came and picked up the dog with their car and then they returned and picked us up and took us all they way to our new place in Saco Grande. What a blessing! Very Nice! Just after I had mentioned to Viena about people sometimes liking dogs more than people like people. Our new place was a mess, but we were quickly moved in and I jumped to work on putting the bed together. There was a mix up and they forgot to deliver the refrigerator and some parts for the bunk was hard to put together as well and needed accessory parts from the store. I ran off and tried to buy a few things at Shopping Floripa. Started late. I had to run all the way back because no buses. This was going to be our first night in Saco Grande and the place was going crazy. Neighbors were setting off fireworks. The local soccer team Figerense had won their game and received a promotion into the Series A league. Everyone was happy. the delivery guys showed up at 10:00pm without our refrigerator. Oh well. Another story.

Together at peace
Together in a dream
A reflection of light
Is all we can see

Together in water
Together unreal
A reflection of peace
Is all we can feel
THE THERMALS

On Thanksgiving, we should have zoomed off to Praia Galheta early, but we did not. The days of travel are wearing us down and I know we are leaving in a couple of days. Dwana was not feeling well. I took Ezra and Viena to the Lagoa and hung out near the water. A nice quick walk. Ezra has been the only one really brave enough to play in the waters of the Lagoa. Spent some time calling friends and family back in the State. Our thanksgiving dinner was some salty chicken I had BBQ the night before. I finally met up with LEO – the new house owner. I told him I was thankful for him having the land. He gave Viena, Ezra and I a tour of the house and the 3rd floor view. Wow!

Spent a wonderful day in the Car with our new friends Bia and Noah. They took us to a hidden childrens play area and wilderness reserve park in the middle of the city. Yes, I forgot my camera.

We went to SESC, which is a great place for the children to play and thankfully, it is right near our new place. I ran there from our new place and met up with all the others. The beach at Cacupé is nice, but does not seem like anyone enjoys the water. We also went to the Ecological Park with Bia and Noah. We have not traveled in a car in a while.

And it feels like snow in summertime
SOPHIE BARKER

We walked/biked to Praia Joaquina. Late at night after Ezra was asleep, I defrosted the freezer. Viena had fun playing with all the accumulated ice. She thought she was back in Alaska.

In this long, long leap of faith
I close my eyes
And I walk right to the edge, throw my hand up to the sky
Oh, I’m not afraid
I’m not afraid to live this life through my dreaming eyes
BIG&RICH

“Look Mom! The women are fixing things!” as Vanessa and Rosiley were trying to repair the refrigerator door that had rusted off. “Age of the woman!”, Dwana responded. The rains are falling this morning, so we just stayed inside to watch the repair process. The rains fell in the morning and the early afternoon. Viena and Ezra were loving playing in the warm rains and the ensuing mud puddles that were made in the streets. They played for what seemed like hours. I have been catching up on my sleep that I lost when I drove to New Foundland. For some reason, I am feeling especially tired. The place in Saco Grande is secured and all our flights are fixed. So today I read to Viena and had Viena read to me. We need to read more, and while the rain is falling outside is a good time to read. Around 5pm, the sun came out and we escaped down to the Lagoa. Ezra jumped of the dock like he had observed the bigger boys doing yesterday. The group of boys from yesterday were here again today. They had increased their tricks by swimming out to one of the uninhabited anchored boats near the shore and climbing up and jumping from the crows nest … actually doing a back-flip off the crow’s nest. Impressive. We had a big laugh as the older boys were trying to teach on of the younger boys how to dive, but the younger boy just kept doing belly flops. Ouch! time and time again! The sun came out and did not take long to heat up. We watched as the fishing boats crew of 3 prepared their boat to go out fishing. They wear such different fishing gear than compared to Alaskan fishing gear. Lots of interesting people hang out at this end of the lagoa. Man helps woman with newborn cross the busy street. We met Nick on the way back. Going to his house to see the new place.

Salt water never grew roses
Seems roses can’t grow in the sea
A river can fashion a valley
From a thousand sweet drinking streams
THE MOODY BLUES

A group of boys were playing down at the lagoa – the stand by me age. First, they played a game of jumping of the dock. Then they played a game of long-jump off the dock to see who could jump the furthest – with a twist. The would jump from a distance of boards from the edge, not the edge. I thought of what if the Olympics would use water in their events like the long jump and the triple jump and the high jump and even the pole vault. The day was overcast and cool. We walked down to the lagoa, since both Ezra seemed to be bouncing off the wall in this place. They can be so loud sometimes and other times so quiet. So, took them on a walk – no bicycle. We just walked slow and took pictures of all the little birds in trees and high wires. not too many cars going to the beach because of the weather – which makes watching that group of boys even more interesting. They showed no coldness after they water play antics. They played on bikes trying to bunny hop coconuts. There was a coconut stand nearby which left many empty discarded coconuts on the ground, so they played the game to see who could throw an empty coconut the farthest. Imagination meets angst. Ezra and Viena had their own games of wrestle and tickle in the sand near the lagoa. the water sign says “impropio for banho” but that did not stop the boys. They even wanted to ride one of the bikes of the pier, but that was a bit much for the boat operators. We sat eating popsicles and enjoying the sights. A couple of backpackers were enjoying the scene as well. A group of 2 couples with lawn chairs came to sit, one of the guys had a knee brace. Young guy. Viena is excited about going on a boat ride tomorrow. I hope the weather is a little warmer. Ezra fell asleep shortly after we returned to the house. He walked all the way home from the lagoa.

Blues, soul, rock, country
Red, green, blue, yellow
Morning, laughing, talking, walking
Bread, rice, water, fruit

It’s a simple feeling
Hold, feel, save me
Baby, brother, sister, parent
JULIANA HATFIELD

Today we walked to the beach of Joaquina. Ezra rode his bike. The day was cloudy and the usually on Saturday even early the beach is crowded, but the clouds kept most people away. Ezra is becoming a professional on the bike, and traveling to the beach or anywhere is so much better when Ezra is not the slowest. Now, he leads the pack and I just need to help him up the hil and slow him down the hills since he does not have any brakes. Yes, one of those type of bikes. The water was clear and refreshing. I played in the water, body surfing and body boarding. Ezra came in to join me for a little bit. A perfect temperature of water to play in without a wetsuit. The sun was hiding behind the clouds for most of the time. We stayed at home the rest of the day. I was going to go and give Rafael some of our freshly cooked pineapple-apple-banana-lemon-orange cake, but night came upon us too quickly. Rafael is one of our old neighbors that remembered us. A cow came and visited us last night. The conversation went like this … “Moooooooo! … Bark! Bark! BArk! BArK! …. Moooooooo! ….Bark! Bark! BArk! BArK!…. Moooooooo! ….Bark! Bark! BArk! BArK!” You get the picture. I think in the end, amazingly, the cow had the last word. Moo!

the sky is lavender with ivory clouds that threaten
drops of finger-paints
puddle jumping children clad
in yellow raincoats splash the deeper
purple of veneer
THE VERVE PIPE

I arrived home to take Ezra and Viena on a walk down to the Lagoa. The sunset was just moving below the clouds to shine on the water. The water of the lagoa is not appropriate to swim in, but people still swim and the shore has a little bit of sand and grass allows people to walk, run or bike ride along. At night I went to watch Figuirense Futbol team at the Neighbor-Market guy’s house. He has a house on a steep hill that you would not find in Alaska because of the steepness. He has a great view of the Lagoa and the sand-dunes. I sat mostly in silence and listened to the Portuguese being spoken. My understanding has not really improved. I could understand the soccer goal, Although I was mixed up on the teams because the other team was wearing the traditional Zebra Jerseys of Figuira.

This is the house we used to live in
This is the place I used to know
This is the house we used to live in
Where I felt I could always go
THE SMITHEREENS

I woke up and took the bus into Saco Grande to meet André for lunch. Everything worked out great. I was able to see our new place next to André. One big-little room – our home for the next 3 months. Our little place here on Earth. André and I looked over some appliances and beds to be delivered. Even with furnishing the place the place it will be less expensive than a summer vacation rental here in Floripa. I had to take 6 buses in all to go back and forth .. but finally efficient. Not as cool as the Madrid Metro.

i guess it’s not the way
you always planned it
looks like you’re heading for a
crash landing
that’s just the way it looks
from where i’m standing
from where i’m standing

Schuyler Fisk

The day Ezra face-planted in the dunes and Viena lost her tooth. The morning was so calming and peaceful before Ezra decided to bomb-down the hill sozinho on the red sled! This is how it happened. Viena and I were sitting on a small sandy bluff on the dunes and I was telling her all about nature. She was looking around and we both were listening to the nothingness of the dunes. We were watching a small little yellow breasted bird in a bush. A small falcon fles by with his latest catch snatched from the Sands of Joaquina Dunes. A cool morning breeze was blowing just enough to refresh, but not too hard to blow sand in your eyes. the sun was warm and not threatening. Dwana had tucked herself in another part of the dunes and was in her own little nature world. This left Ezra, alone with his imagination. So, Ezrawalked up to the top of the dunes with the red sled and proceed to initiate launch – or in this case, descent. The morning-dew wet sand accelerated his descent, until he wiped out at the bottom at least a 50 meter ride. 911 to the rescue. I was up and bounding down the sand thinking the worst. When I arrived, his mouth was all bloodied. I said, “It’s OK, It’s going to be OK!”, but Ezra replied, “No, I’m not OK, I’m all broken!” Then I carried him up the sandy hill to Dwana’s arms. Luckily, nothing broken. Viena came home and wiggled her tooth out of her mouth. So, ironically, Viena lost her tooth on the day Ezra should of could of lost some teeth.

I’ll tell you why the days go by
Like caterpillars do
And clouds are cotton blossoms in a field of blue
JUNE CHRISTY

Ezra was telling me on our walk out of the neighborhood, “Dad, when do you think I will get a bike – I already know how to ride a bike.” No more than 10 minutes later, Dwana was holding an old bike that a man had saved from the trash. Still works. A little rusty. A little busted up. A little old. But, still works. He rode the bike down the rest of the way until the Lagoa – just like Mylon did 14 years ago. At the Lagoa, we purchased some fruits and vegetables. What a day for me! I am not sure how the rest fared. I left Ezra at our place crying, as I pegay un carona with Rosiley and Vanessa into Centro – Shopping Iguatami. For the next 6 hours, I would test out my ability to shop. First, I tried to find a cah machine near UFSC. Florianopolis has 2 universities right near each other. UFSC and UDESC. The day was warm and cloudy. After asking a few people for directions, I found what I needed, plus a half liter of fresh agua de coco and strawberries and then I was on my way.Again, the shopping is overwhelming and painfully slow because I am expecting prices lower than the US – but that is not the case. I set up a grocery delivery and was off to the next place – Centro. The layout of Centro was still familiar in my mind from 14 years ago. The big tree area looked more occupied by disinterested people than I remember. I was out the entire day until night when I caught the bus back. I hunted down all the little items that we have been trying to find: cashews, a hat (masculina), swimsuits. Rua Felipe Schmidt. I even found a place to repair my sandals. The groceries were delivered late, and they were missing one crate. Our refrigerator door broke and fell off. A few mosquitos ate our ankles for dinner.

Down by the bay
Where the watermelons grow
Back to my home
I dare not go
For if I do
My mother will say
“Did you ever see a fly Wearing a tie?”
Down by the bay.
RAFFI

Viena and I went on a walk late at night to buy some Galinha Sandwiches from Basilio Launchetes. The sandwiches appear bigger than they were 14 years ago. Still so yummy. The night sky was clear and a planet could be seen setting in the West. What a good day. Ezra was passed out and we all sat and enjoyed Cheese Galinha at home.

You can stand under my Umbrella
(Ella ella eh eh eh)
Under my umbrella
(ella ella eh eh eh)

Rihanna

The guys – construction workers for the State of Parana – arrived back after their week back at home with their families. I am so blessed to be able to live this time traveling the world and living each day with Viena and Ezra when they are young. Where do we go today? Not the snake-infested dune trail. Let’s walk the road to Praia Joaquina. A clear day. A sunscreen day. A day for umbrellas. They should call this street “beco do cachorros”. We are always greeted by dogs when walking the streets and now there is a black cat that likes to creep around our place and pretend he is a panther. The beach was full of people early around 9:30am. We lasted until noon. Too long. I knew we still had the dunes to walk back through in the mid day, but today we were prepared. I had our beach umbrella that I followed along with Ezra protecting him from the rays from above. The waves of Joaquina were big enough to play in. appeared like a small surf competition was going on. Probably every weekend. I have forgotten the feeling of what it feels like to be a weekend warrior. Our boogie board was good enough for Ezra and Viena to have fun with but starts to weaken when I take it out for the bigger waves. the water was so refreshing and cold, but easy to acclimate to. We all played in the water as we watched the sands of Praia Joaquina fill up with umbrellas – ellas, ellas, ellas. Lots of eles and ellas out there enjoying the beach. today. Ezra walked and talked all the way home. “Mom, I did not even need carried!” Lots of cars, zooming up and down the street to Joaquina. Glad we did not need to worry about vehicles today. Looking forward to a carefree car-free summer in Floripa. Viena and Ezra are playing the ball game I invented in the hallway. The fun you can have with a ball. Saw a humming bird talking to a red flower. The neighbor dog is a chow. Super nice looking like Chewbaca. I guess the moon is full and the meteor shower is supposed to be out. I broke my flip-flops yesterday. Need to find a shoe-smith – zapateria.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.

BILBO

Morning arrived early. Thunder and lightning during the night. One of the many things that disturbed last nights slumber. We lazed around in the morning having casual conversation with André about the state of Brasil. André’s SOB State of Brasil speech. By the time we were motivated to walk out of the house it was 10:00 O’clock. The skies were still cloudy and threatening with a vento Sul. We walked to the Lagoa and along the shore. They were having paddle boat races. Such a beautiful place. Living around playful water makes such a difference. We arrived at Lagoa da Conceicao just as the farmers market was closing. Ezra and Viena played on the playground for a little bit. The playground is just as the playground would be after 14 years of wear and tear. No new playground here. The wind continued to blow. So, we walked back home over the dunes. I showed André and Divani the Campo de Futból shortcut that leads to the big dune of the West. Walking across the vast dunes was so awesome. Even with the strong wind blowing sand in our face, everyone was having a great time. The traverse across the vegetation was full of dodging lagoons and pokey plants. No signs of snakes. I wish we could take our usual shortcut, but even the secondary shortcut was showing signs of snakes. So we walked almost to Joaquina Grand Dune before finding the safe road to lead home. A brief storm sped our place a bit. I am sure Andre and Divani will sleep well tonight. Hopefully, I will too. Saw my first Brasil soccer goal today as Viena and I watched the local teams play.

A silent bird
A raging tide a mountainside
An open door
Looming from the surf

A whispered word
A steady wind as we began
And then no more
PHISH

The day was a holiday. Businesses were supposed to be closed, but most of the tourist-oriented businesses of Retiro da Lagoa were open. Capitalism is definitely more apparent here in South America than in South-East Asia, Sri Lanka, or Europe. In those parts of the world – a holiday is a holiday. André and Divani arrived in the early afternoon after experiencing the “summer holiday” bus schedule traffic jam to Lagoa. They found it was easier to walk from the West of Lagoa than it was to wait on the bus to move slowly along in the traffic. We prepared for the chusaqueria later and then went walking to Praia Joaquina. A little bit of sun near the end of the day – just perfect. No need to worry about sunscreen. Ezra and Viena and I chased an empty 2-liter plastic bottle down the wind blown beach. I am so glad the temperature of the air and the water are both agreeable and prevents both Ezra and Viena from saying “I’m ready to go!” They have been really content with all sandy excursions of late. They are improving. We walked back home through the dunes of Joaquina. Such a cool experience with the lighting of the dunes and the wind blowing the sand and not really hot and not really cold and knowing the distance is not really far and very simple. We arrived home and André started his 5 hour BBQ Churasqueria – cooking class. Poor Viena was so hungry, but fell asleep before the full course was served. Ezra was long gone to bed before Viena. With the children asleep, we were all able to enjoy a late-night discussion in both Portuguese and English as the meat slowly roasted, cooked, burned until past midnight.

Oh, I love to dance 
Under an alien sun 
Along the dunes with you, I kiss you in the sand 
We give so that we live 
Beside the sleepy snakes 
They dream of you and me when will they ever end 
For a million years they dream 
For a million years they dream 
ALPHAVILLE

The dreams of Brasil are real – not as forceful and powerful as Bali or Rome, but they are real. Snakes on a plane. Snakes in the dunes. Unbelievable. All the signs were there, but we chose to ignore them. But today, in the evening, we saw three snakes. Slithering. A wake up call. We had such a wonderful evening sunset in the dunes – in our favorite spot. Where we live in the neighborhood, there is a shortcut trail that cuts through the pokeys brush to arrive at the sandy dunes. The shortcut makes a 30 – 45 minute walk into 15 minutes. We have walked these trails over 100 times. Just the other day we were joking about all the creatures that could live in this undergrowth or the type of lizard tails that were making the tail tracks in the sand. 1000’s of tail tracks in the sand. Now we know – SNAKES! LOTS of SNAKES!. Dwana had run through the sandy dunes with Viena and Ezra following – laughing and giggling every step of the way, the warm sun warm sand warm breeze were all just that as the sun moved closer to the mountain horizon. I pulled Ezra and Viena down the sand dunes in the vermelho sled from Spain. The playful evening was everything it should have been and it was for us … the travelers … the ones extracted from the life we knew. And yet somehow, someway now it is even easier to connect and feel from where we have lived, from who we have lived with, from ties we have created in this ever evolving life. And so I say GOODBYE to the trail of Snakes!

Peace of mind is so hard to find
How I wonder
As we try to reach the sunrise
Sittin’ on the other side of the sky
How I wonder
As we try to reach the sunrise
Ah the sunrise
Ah the sunrise

THE CULT

We did it! We finally caught the sunrise at Praia Galheta. This time a clear morning. I awoke with a dream of my brothers and cousins – kinda like racing through a maze of a video game with tunnels and a large mechanical transport device that was very intimidating and unfamiliar to me. That was 5AM in the morning. The stars were out, but quickly faded in the 30 minutes it took us to leave. Still an early start. Once begun – half done. The dogs were awake this morning . We walked – I carried Ezra. This time we had 2 boogie boards and 1 umbrella. We used them all. Great boogie boarding. Ezra and Viena really had fun in the waters of Galheta. Perfect temperature. Refreshing, but not numbing, and clear and clean – the color of aquamarine. No clouds or rain this morning. The sun did not need much time to heat up. We played tag and swam in the water. A couple of fishermen. I love this beach. Such natural beauty with the rocks and the green terraced mountain backdrop. The sun was out without obstacle. I used everything I had to protect myself from the rays. And guess what, it worked. Caught a cab back for 8 reais.

 

I'm a little frog and my daddy loves me 
I'm a little frog and my mommy loves me 
And when they tuck me in to say good night 
They say "ribbit ribbit ribbit" 
Good night
Laurie Berkner

This morning Viena made sure everyone was awake. She wanted her kiwi sliced and diced. I should have already been out for a run on the dunes. Maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow we can go to the toy store. A walk along the lagoa. This morning’s excitement grew as Viena was swinging in the hammock and then started screaming. We all thought the worst – spider, scorpion, tarantula, snake … and then she exclaimed “Frog!” much to our relief. And sure enough, there was a sticky foot tree frog sapo, sporting the sandy color of the hammock in the hammock. The frog was mind enough to stick around and entertain us. And yes, he did finally escape to jump another day. I made a quick trip into El Centro to meet André. I should have started earlier, but the sapo story story was too much to leave. today is a hot Floripa day lie I remember. The sun is straight overhead, midday, like I remember. And the shadows are welcomed when walking the streets, like I remember. A breeze exists and unsuccessfully tries to whisk away the heat. I am traveling by a new bus system. I am late to meet André because of the bus and because I stopped to buy a speedo for Ezra. No monkeys here. “Too many pokey here for Monkey’s”, Viena said. I am hoping to find a place for the remainder of our stay. Shopping here is not as much fun as it once was. Prices appear double and the dollar worth is cut in half. A pair of board shorts for 260 Reias – over $100 USD!. How? Who can afford this? Somewhere we will find where the locals shop. Like today – 4 bananas 10 cents each – a good price. I went into town – El Centro. I caught one bus to another bus to another bus to aother bus to another bus to another bus waited on another bus, gave up and walked home. I went for a walk into the dunes. The buses I caught were into see André and check out potential places for us to stay. Let’s hope. I tried to do some shopping, but I ran out of time and energy. The day was hot. I was able to purchase a couple of boogie boards for tomorrow. I purchased a bus pass that will save us 20 cents a trip – tourista pass. I was able to do some shopping at Mercado Publico. I came back home after walking home from Lagoa and we all went for a walk into the dunes to watch the sunset over the mountains of Floripa and the dunes. So many aspects of the dunes. I need to take more photographs – a book of just dune photography. If we could just bypass all the pockeys, but both Ezra and Viena are having fun walking past all the pokeys. Viena more than Ezra. The sand is so fine. And the morning and evening sun is the only intensity we are able to handle, but now we have an umbrella.