http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/jlbarbe2/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from jlbarbe2 en-us Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:48:32 +0000 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 02:48:32 +0000 Legend has it that Macaco Da Noite Monkey of the Night will run up and bite the feet of people walking in the woods at night. Ok so it is not a legend it happens but it did not happen to us. Ok so I am alive.quick run downwe stayed with a family in a sustainable community within the Tapajos FLONA section of the Amazon Rainforest. They were awesome.We saw how the Natu http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Santarem/blog-421913.html I can't sleep again. And the internet is working a little better than it has been. So...We met an artisan here that makes goods for tourists. He trades with the indigenous peoples of the area for animal skeletons hides woods etc. and then he makes stuff out of it. Knife handles and stuff for blow dart guns keychains necklaces etc. He took us to the zoo and fed us lunch at his place. We bough http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Santarem/blog-419395.html While I was in Belem and we were getting ready to leave on the boat I was thinking that I might like to work on the docks here. It looks like good hard work and its a pleasant place. I would get to go up and down the river on a boat and see different places. Housing and food is covered by working on a boat. I would get stronger more agile and probably gain some serious climbing and knot tying sk http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Santarem/blog-419364.html The title That is something that Kelly the little girl on the bus from Maraba to Belem said to us at one point. I don't know what it means but it makes me happy.quick tour of nastiness I have stepped in on the trip while not paying attention1 Sick Dog hopefully Poo2 Filthy Flood Sludge Ok this one needs some explanation... the gutters here have nastiness flowing through them 24 http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Santarem/blog-418591.html I am in Santarem after 3 days on a boat. We got here two days ago and the ground still feels like its moving when I walk. This place is incredible and way flooded. They have 15 meters more river than they are supposed to we went in a canoe today and entire trees were underwater... we paddled the canoe to a restaurant we were not supposed to be able to paddle to. And from the water stains on some http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Santarem/blog-417970.html So today we went to a butterfly and bird garden and to an old fort. Pretty sweet action. We also cooked for about 20 people black bean burgers and Macoroni and Cheese again because it was easy and cheap. Belem is a beautiful city and in the future I would like to maybe come back here and spend some more time. We were checking boat prices and found out that the only two boats to Santarem this wee http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Bel-m/blog-416377.html The title means voyage without assaultWell whether or not the shifty eyed creepy people had anything to do with it listening to this bad feeling was absolutely the right decision. On the bus today we spoke to a woman who has been robbed 4 times on the buses between Maraba and Belem. She said that out of every 5 buses traveling the roads at night only 1 will make it safely and that these robb http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Bel-m/blog-415995.html Alright well about the title. I did not feel comfortable with the way things had been going and we talked it over and decided to switch our bus tickets for tomorrow morning at 10am and we switched hotels. It is probably just paranoia but considering our location it is better to be safe and not take the risk. Besides I just had a bad feeling about things and I have a tendency especially when tr http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Maraba/blog-415994.html OK... so internet isn't so good here this will be shortwanted to let everyone know we stayed the night in Maraba and will be taking a bus at 3pm to Belem. The Bus will take 8 hours so I should be there around 11pm some time 10pm florida 9pm texas and will try to update things then if I have internet. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/Maraba/blog-415379.html So the title is a phrase we have started using alot between me kathryn and our homie Josh. He started it really. Kath as he calls her was going to pet his giant dog Rocky Rambo and he just blurted it out. We bought some tickets at the train station to Maraba because we were told it is cheaper to get to Belem. And since they couldn't provide a map nor information and since it is difficult to get to http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Par-/blog-414970.html So without the constant barrage of the senses of the historic district the culture shock has subsided substantially. Today I was really able to just sit back and appreciate the beauty of this place and really kind of fall in love with it. A friend we made had a car and drove us around town a little and to the train station to check on ticket prices to Belem. yeah we changed plans and will probab http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-414642.html I have found that the hardest part of studying a culture first hand is the language barrier. You can witness something first hand and make judgements and analysis but his is useless in large part without an understanding of the background. And aquiring backgrounds is difficult if you do not speak the language.This trip is extremely overwhelming absolutely incredible and very frustrating. I have http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-413948.html So the title is in reference to the fact that alot of people here say this to us. I am told it is because we are from the United States and they are very proud of their children for learning english well enough to show us around and invite us over. So life in the country has proven much nicer than in the historical center. Mostly because we are not in a hotel and we get fresh air. It is nice to ha http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-413929.html ... gonna eat me alot of passion fruit.Study abroad is finished I still have a paper to turn in by July 12th but the classes are done and we are out of that noisy ass hotel We are going to be staying with a friend for about a week in his orchard. It is soooo much nicer than the hotel AND I dont have classes 8 hours a day AND I am not sick anymore We are recovering and chillin with our friend j http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-412953.html I slept like 12 hours last night and I am still exhausted but I just thought I would add some photos from the 4 day excursion we took into the back country of maranhao. I will add more later and talk a little about things then.Friday June 19 2009Drove in a bus today from sao luis to bareirinhas today. 4 hours on some bumpy roads. About 1.5 hours into the ride I had a talk with my antibiotics and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/blog-411685.html I have been trying to upload videos to my blog for the last couple of days but it is not working. I did not go to school again today because I still do not feel very good. No more fever or body aches but I still have a bad cough and last night I lost my voice because my throat was so raw. overall nothing really new going on because I have been sick and resting. the internet here is not very goo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-409186.html translation of the title I feel badSo I have been sick for the last couple of days. I have had a fever and a very bad cough as well as a headache and body aches. We went to see a capoeria show put on by all of the local capoeira schools. It was a benefit for the local areas here suffering from severe flooding. The entry fee was 2lbs of non perishable food per person. It was freakin awesome. I go http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-408577.html translation of the title is The book is on the table. apparently this is what people here say when they want to pretend like they speak English. They will just say this phrase over and over again to try to impress their friends that don't speak English. We have been having a good time harassing our Portuguese teacher by saying it in Portugueseit seems that during those rare occasions when I have http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-408571.html Translation of the title is The life here is fast. I am learning alot of portuguese and sometimes forget I can speak english instead of very poor portuguese. I have not been keeping up with this blog very well because things happen so fast here and there is so much going on. At times it is so overwhelming and it doesn't even feel real. I understand what culture shock is... I do not experience http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Maranh%E3o/S%E3o-Luis/blog-406218.html Nothing exciting yet. After being in an airport for 11 hours and on a plane for 89 hours we arrived and went through customs in Sao Paulo. We were going to just wait around and ride the metro until our check in time for our next flight but decided instead to check in right away. To our surprise TAM provided us with a free hotel as well as two free meals while we waited. So we are getting a littl http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Sao-Paulo/S-o-Paulo/blog-403733.html