Brazil email 2008, vol. 2

Written March 24, 2008

I have just returned from vacationing in Florianópolis (affectionately known as Floripa), in the state of Santa Catarina, with 4 other Fulbright girls. We decided pretty last minute to take an overnight bus on Thursday. Floripa is wonderfully awesome. It's a city on a big island, most of which is covered in thick jungle. The city itself is nothing special, and when I arrived I wondered what all the fuss was about this place. But then I took a bus ride from one side of the island to the other, saw some fantastic views, fantastic beaches, and I began to understand.

We stayed in a comfortable bed and breakfast with plenty of hammocks. It was hostel style dormitory rooms, but I got a room to myself, heh heh. On Friday and Saturday we sat around all day on the beach, eating grilled cheese skewers (sticks of cheese that are cooked over a bowl of coals the vendor carries (awesome)) and açai (frozen berry smoothie served with bananas and granola). The water was perfect, the waves energetic, the sun perhaps too strong. I got pretty badly sunburned, but this tends to happen at the beginning of every sunny season for me. We read a lot, climbed on big rocks, read, contemplated life. Before I came to Brazil I was feeling pretty anxious and negative, and when I got here the feeling didn't go away. I just kept telling myself that once I was standing on the beach, it would all make sense again. And it did.

At night we wandered around the town. We weren't in the actual city of Florianopolis, but rather Lagoa da Conceiçāo, which is a small, artsy, chill town with plenty of clubs and restaurants. I bought a bunch of jewelry and, as long as I was at it, I decided to pierce my ears. Here, this is done in pharmacies. I procured a place and the pharmacist took me into the back room. It was painted white and decorated only with a poster of how to properly administer shots in the butt. That was an interesting distraction. We'll see how long my pierced ears last this time before I grow tired of earrings and let the holes grow in.

It was really nice to be hanging out with the other Fulbrighters. The first time I met them was in the bus station and it felt good to be traveling with friends. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Soon I will be traveling to the coast again to visit my professor, by myself. Then I plan on taking a bus from Sāo Paulo all the way up to Southern Bahia, with a stop in Minas Gerais to visit a friend. I'm looking forward to the travel greatly, though.

It was also good to meet the other Fulbrighters because I realized they are all as disorganized as I am. And they assured me that the first month is just to get yourself oriented. It's only been a week so far, and I've done nothing, but I feel fine about it. In the mean time, I'm still staying with my Paulistano parents, which is just like staying with my real parents, but more humid. And my Brazilian mom is a professional cook.

Anyway, much love to all. I have to go scratch my many mosquito bites.

~Helen