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Published: January 20th 2014
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Foz do Iguacu Camp
Outdoor laundry - how excited were we to have a clothes line? Wednesday 25
th December (Odyssey Day 47)
Christmas! Well Christmas day has arrived in Brazil. As much as we all would have loved to have a bit of a sleep in, the sun was up and therefore our tents were a little too hot to stay in!
The campsite provided a breakfast that most of us decided to skip, as we had planned for eggs on toast for brekkie at 1000 in the cook hall. Something everyone had agreed would be a nice treat. There were quite a few people who didn’t feel like it was really Christmas since it is summer. Most of the group being from the UK, they were missing their cold weather and roast turkey dinner.
Cook group six had volunteered to do Christmas meals and so we left it to Danielle, Ellie, Bartley and Toby. They did a wonderful job with breakfast, with Maddie doing the bubbly and juice for a breakfast toast.
For the hottest part of the day everyone relaxed a bit. Laying in the hammocks, reading
Foz do Iguacu Camp
Cook Group Six preparing breakfast - Toby, Bartley, Danielle and Ellie books, playing cards, skyping family in various parts of the world, and listening to everyone’s rather eclectic collections of Christmas songs. The cook group took their time making dinner – no point rushing in this heat. And for my relaxing Christmas activity? I managed to get all my laundry done in the outdoor sink…
Around 1900 we slowly started gathering in the cook hall again, where there were nibbles and then dinner in the evening around 7pm. Plenty of barbequed meat (Thanks Simon!) and a variety of delicious salads. And of course, left over breakfast drinks!
Before anyone could sit for dinner though, the hats had to come out. Rules were you had to actually make a Christmas hat. Some people had planned their hats weeks in advance, and some were caught after breakfast this morning making them at the last minute behind the tents!
And of course our very own Santa showed up to give out the secret Santa presents. The price limit was US$5, to be bought anywhere we have travelled through. Some were quite thoughtful gifts
Foz do Iguacu Camp
Taking a break in the hammocks and others were gag gifts. Everyone did receive a present though and we all felt more like it was Christmas afterwards.
I received a pink t-shirt – and I wasn’t one bit surprised by the gift. No matter where I get involved with secret Santa’s, I always end up with an item of pink clothing. Who knows, it may come in very useful on the trip if I ever run out of clean clothes… (Like maybe in the Amazon).
After dinner, Danielle read us a Christmas poem she had altered from ‘The night before Christmas’, aimed specifically at us. Quite amusing it was and I think everyone enjoyed it.
Of course, not too many managed to stay up very late, as they had been drinking from an early hour and of course we were all up late last night as well.
And so that was Christmas 2013 in Brazil. We didn’t have our families with us, but we have been travelling together long enough to count as temporary family for each other.
Foz do Iguacu Camp
Ellie, Danielle & Bartley with their Christmas hats. Thursday 26
th December (Odyssey Day 48)
Today was a lazy day resting around the pool. I had a nice lazy brekkie and then relaxed. I chose to have a nothing day which was nice in the heat and humidity of Brazil.
Of course, today it decided to rain. It was rather sudden and I made a quick, mad dash around the tents to close all the tent flaps and windows that everyone had left open. Being the only one left in camp, I couldn’t actually manage to get in all the chairs or clear the washing lines, but as long as the tents and bedrolls are dry no one can complain!
We have been rather fortunate with the weather. It is the rainy season, but we haven't actually had all that much rain.
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Lorraine Woodard
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nice shirt
Hi AJ. I love the colour of your Christmas shirt. I think it would look great on you. Xoxo