http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Brazil , Alagoas , Macei en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:49:01 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:49:01 UTC So far we have probably spent a total of 8 solid days on overnight busses they are great but the standard really varies. Some buses give you free snacks some have feet rests and some play DVDs. One bus we went on even played an English DVD which Alan and I were really excited about at least there would be something to break up our 22 hour journey Imagine our utter disappointment when the soun http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-344797.html Instituto EcoEngenho Instituto EcoEngenho was founded by Jos Roberto Fonseca in 2001. The goal of the NGO is to use technology for sustainable development taking advantage of renewable resources and innovative solutions oriented toward the needs and capabilities of marginalized communities. The program we visited is called H2Sol whose goal is to use ldquomicroirrigation systems to produce http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-298130.html We arrived in Macei late this morning from So Paulo. Macei is a midsize city on the northeastern coast north of Salvador and south of Fortaleza. Apparently none of the U.S.published guidebooks consider it worth mentioning. Brazilians and Europeans however have long traveled here for its location amazing beaches to the north and south of the city the food and its notoverlyurban charac http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-297003.html We made the trip from Salvador by bus to Maceio. This was our first overnight journey. The buses are nice and really comfortable but the only problem is the air conditioning we continuously woke up freezing through the entire journey. One piece of advice if you are travelling on overnight buses in Brazil bring a sleeping bag or at least a pair long johnsWe got in early the next morning and th http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-295350.html After the week of abuse my body had suffered in Salavdor I decided that it was only fair to let it recover a bit and I dont think I could have picked a better place to do that than the seaside town of Macei. As soon as I stepped off the bus I was amzed by the colour of the sea. I have seen many beautiful beached since being in Brazil but nowhere has been able to rival the Alagoas coastline so http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-246297.html Masters Gold USASilver Great BritainBronze CanadaMixedGold USASilver GermanyBronze SpainWomenGold Great BritainSilver USABronze AustraliaMenGold AustraliaSilver PhilapeansBronze USAThe tournament was sooooo well scheduled. They did have 3 years to plan it so go them The next Beach Ultimate Worlds are in France in 4 years so they'll probably be wellrun too. Game on f http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-232364.html Spain 810Brazil 183Spain beat us It just might have been the best loss to ever have. We were getting so comfortable being 8 and 10 points ahead of teams leading the entire game. The mental side of being behind was never challenged up to this point. It was just what we needed in case Germany came out stronger against us in the finals. By this point we knew we had an automatic bye into http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-232360.html Germany 119Canada 102All that food paid off because we defeated Germany in our first game against them. We knew going in that they were our biggest competition After the game Everett who had been coming up with all of our cheers and did for the entirity of the tournament tought us a German drinking song he had learned when he was living there. We learned it in about 5 mintues IN GERMAN http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-232355.html Austria 131Scottland 133Switzerland 86Today we played Austria Scottland and Switzerland and our cheers were as follows We tried and tried to think of a Mozart song we could put words to but we failed so we did a Bach song and apologized for our short coming within the lyrics haha. To Scottland we started with a dramatization of Braveheart. I heard William Wallace played for the Sco http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-232339.html Ireland 86England 133Peace Team 186Our cheers were as follows Ireland they smoke the pot of gold if you know what I mean... God Save the Queen a beer Get on the PEACE TRAIN Xtehn and I came up with a fun game to play with 6 cans a pinnapple and a blindfold. We had Great Britain all circle up and choose someone to be the seeker. After this happened Kenbrah and I took that http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-232046.html Link to a photo and video montage on YouTube.com httpyoutube.comwatchv82rx3DCObqYFor starters let's just get one thing straight time is very different in Brazil. Once you get used to this and the fact that when you're travelling in a third world country you have no cell phones and no internet then you just might start to get in the mindset I was in for the trip. It started off a bit http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-231395.html Yeap Not all travel is about fun. Some are about sorrow and loss like this one. My father passed away and it wasn't easy not having the chance to say goodbye. In Tibet it takes 3 days from death to burrial and in the US usually 7 or more days. In Brazil however it all happens in less than 24 hours and I did not arrive in time to be there at the end. For those of you who live away from your f http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-172720.html I wrote this on Feb 5th and just found it in my notebook now No special occasion for writing tonight. Its just that its such a beautiful night and I felt like sharing it. I am sitting on the grass under a palm tree in the evening to the side of the path the runs the full length of the beach several kilometers. I came out to see the night because it is so clear and mild. I wanted to see t http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-140997.html This is going to be a quick entry as I'm writing it while I wait for the bus down to Salvador. I really haven't done much as I wanted a quiet few days before the madness of Carnival.Maceio seems to be mainly orientated around the beaches where there is a substantial promenade with lots of high rise luxury hotels. I was staying in a little hotel off the beach so no super luxury for me. I did w http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-129089.html That night when we got home Marcelo asked me what I wanted to do the next day. He said we could either go to a party or we could go to a futbol soccer game that he had mentioned to me a few days previous with his friend Jesus. He warned me that Jesus took the game rather seriously and was the kinda guy who would get ready for the game by consuming sufficient beer to get wild paint his face http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-121049.html Going to the gym with Marcelos mom was something else. The minute Mama walked through the door she started yelling out names. Oi Marta Tudo Bem Oi to this lady Oi to that gent Oi to absolutley everybody. She grabbed me by the arm and showed me off to everyone. My sons girlfriend the Canadian. Marcelos mom is 51 years old. If you met her you wouldnt believe it. She has clear bro http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-119388.html Lesson to all Canadians Brazilians dont give a st about Canadian mula. No we dont exchange Canadian dollars. Not Canadian sorry. Not here sorry. Another lesson travellers cheques in Canadian funds especially are equally useless in this city. And the most important lesson this country suffers from a serious case of disorganization. You go into a bank and all you see is mayhem. http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-117988.html The plane I caught to Maceio belonged to a small airline called OceanAir. In order to board the plane the other passengers and I had to get on a bus that took us to the other end of the airport. When the bus arrived in fornt of the plane all the passengers made a mad dash from the bus to the stairs which they ascended sheilded from the Sao Pulo rain by handsome young Brazilian men holding umb http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-117372.html So here I am in Brasil. I arrived the day before yesterday after more than 24 hours of flying. I took off and landed so many times in that period of time that I lost count. I learned a few things about flying that I will keep in mind for future voyages bring power bars things like nuts and other satiating foods containing protiein because air line food is for dogs. Since I didnt want to http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-116475.html This here is my first entry. I've been meaning to get something like this set up before embarking on my 3 month journey to Brasil for quite some time now it's just that I keep finding other things to do with my time. I'm a last minute kinda person I can't help it it's my nature. I leave in less than 2 weeks now and feel more and more grateful to be getting out of Vancouver BC each day. The http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-112551.html ... http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-105929.html So I am now sitting in Peru...again. We just left Maceio yesterday and Im really sad about it. I absolutely loved every minute we had there. Our hotel was called Hotel Beautiful Beach if that tells you anything. We were ON the beach and it was gorgeous. I played sand volleyball every single day and my skin is so dark that I looked Brazilian by the end of the time there. We got to be there for the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-92580.html Its been quite a while since Ive been on a computer with this much time so Im going to write a few short entries for each city to catch up whats been going on for the past few weeks.After the craziest of Salvador I was looking forward to get to quiet Macei. Unfortunately the bus company had other plans. Getting at the bus station around 2000 to buy a ticket for the 2230 bus usually no http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-83635.html MaceioI hope you enjoyed the pictures on my previous blog. On this entry Irsquod like to write some of my reflections from the place I left 20 years ago when I moved to the US.I left a small city I now find a capital of a million inhabitants. Itrsquos natural beauty still very much alive. Even now winter time the calm ocean is still splendid. Not as blue or green as in summer time but it http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-72614.html Hello allThanks for the feed back many of you sent on the pictures I took of Morros Hills. It inspired me to send a few more words about it and pictures.Morros is a place of incredible natural beauty. The coconut trees reach to the sky their leaves dancing with the soft blow of the gentle breeze. The blue ocean caresses the white sand or smash against the tough rocks in a contrasting pattern. http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-72604.html Hello all.I just arrived from my trip to Brazil. As usual it's a wonderful but also melancholic time for me.Going to Maceio is about visiting my family. For you who have never been there know that there are lots of nature related sights to explore. Beautiful prestine beaches with blue or green ocean reafs coconut trees delicious sea food a lagoon witch meets the Atlantic ocean... and very http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-72196.html Oi hi from below the equator. Im in my hometown Maceio. Despite being winter time it has been around 85F. Hot and humid mostly sunny and the sky displays just a few passing shower clowds.Not much to share yet as time has been spent around the family. I promise some tourist like insights and pictures soon.I hope you are all well and to hear from you soon.BeijosPatricia http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-67927.html although my experiences with men in brasil have been less than desireable i must say that changed during carnival. no i didnt get laid or meet my future husband that has already happened. but i am not telling you that story. something even better happened. i met Dave and Creamy uh i mean Martin. Before carnival i had gone through so many things. other than my unstable and disastrous li http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-4550.html Welcome to my travel blog. I would like to thank everyone that has agreed to participate in this blog. My trip as it stands now will be from the 21st of January until the 14th of May. The first month will be spent at surf school Carnival and my familyrsquos beach house. The last three months will be spent in Maceio which is the capital of the state of Alagoas. Maceio is located on th http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Brazil/Alagoas/Macei-/blog-2543.html