Haley

Photos!

"Tia! Take me! Take me!"

Gi-gi and Gu-gu - the twins

Soheila with chubba-bubba Brian

Franciyny - who has no fear of going down the slipper dip sideways & nearly falling off!

Little-man Brian - vocal as usual!

Dienifer (sounds like Jennifer) - the tiny tot who needs extra love and affection

Gillyami & Fabrizio

Best of friends

Kids from maternal

Me (on my fist day and birthday) with baby Brian

Mattheus (and Brian and Gigi in the background)

Chubba-bubba Brian with his beautiful, pinchable cheeks

1 of the Bercario girls - pretty baby Amanda

My most treasured tiny tot Jean - just LOOK at those eyes! ...And his tiny smile... he`s simply GORGEOUS!!

Little-man Brian who walks around like the king of Bercario - till Mattheus looks sideways at him and he cries!

Preparing for lunch - the bibs are good value - only sometimes I wish they`d cover hands and feet and face too!

Some of the older kids....

Briana and kids from the maternal and kindy classes

More about the kids

Well - today was day 3 and I survived - just! I thought I was going to be mobbed by a bunch of hypo kids this afternoon but somehow I got out of it! I have never seen so many hyperactive kids running around - the effects of lego, my gosh! Throwing and kicking the stuff, sneaking up and snatching pieces from each other, pushing their creations over, hiding it, screaming screaming screaming, jumping up on the tables and just going crazy!...

Then there were 3 girls and one boy who thought it was great fun to pull my hair - and I mean really hang off my pony tail. This was the time when I turned to Joe and asked what we can (are allowed) to do for discipline. He said they don`t really have a strategy - lesson number 1! But he did take one hair-puller off me thankfully. The poor Tia who is their teacher looked so weary after today. Tears were breaking out everywhere by the kids who were fighting over the barbie bag, or who could sit under the table, or which piece of lego was theirs. I was quickly developing a desire to throw the stuff too - out the window.

But as soon as we opened the doors to go outside in the yard to play it was all solved and the energy reserves called upon as we settled into games of tag, helicopters, horsey rides and hokey-pokey. My only regret is singing too many "heads, shoulders, knees and toes" songs today because I still have that song spinning around in my head - despite the Ray Charles currently playing in the house.

We had another Portuguese lesson tonight which I really enjoy. It`s just a shame we don`t have more opportunity to practise it because our job is to speak English at school all day. Tanya and I were probably learning more by default of having to speak it to people we met while travelling before. I do love the tutoring though. We have a friend of the manager come to our house and set up his portable white-board in the dining room.

Despite the hyperactivity, the kids are still pretty adorable. Of course some are naughtier than others, but I love seeing the different personalities between those who are timid and keep themselves at a distance from the comotion and sit with the Tias or play on their own in the corner, and those who are ring-leaders in their little groups, or have so much energy they are constantly running rings around everyone else. Generally they kids are all so trusting. From day one, they have warmed to us and have no hesitation in climbing all over us, giving hugs or reaching for your hand to lead you to an area to play.

There is one set of identical twins who are between the two classes at the moment - Gustavo (Gugu for short) and Giuliami (Gigi) and Gigi has only one arm, the other is stunted but it is just amazing watching him play like all the other kids. He builds blocks just as quickly, using his chin to support and picks up little buckets, and even climbs the ladders on the play equipment with no hesitation. He and his brother are very polite and loving too so I am quite attached already! And the babies - my goddnes, there is a new one Kawao who is only 6 months old but is larger than the 11 month olds - he looks like someone has blown him up, his legs are HUGE!! I just think of his poor mother giving birth! He is so cute though, at nap time today he was so tired but not quite asleep so was holding his rattle still playing with his eyes closed looking completely spaced out! Then there is Brian Junior who is another chubba-bubba and so expressive, with the most pinchable cheeks! And my (not-supposed to have favourites but if I did, I`d pick him :) Jean - a tiny 4 month old baby with the brightest, largest brown eyes who squints and squirms with tiny gummy baby grins (but who`s been causing havoc at nap time lately).

Anyway - have to go just now. Will post photos on Friday when I have my day off - can`t wait!!!

Porto Alegre - kids kids kids!!!

Well - I am exhausted!!! Kids are so tiring! Absolutely gorgeous too though. Today was our second day and I am now realising I should expect to feel this way at the end of every day. Apart from the heat, it`s just constant play or feeds with the kids and it really tires you out....

Yesterday was my birthday too - yes, I`m now a quarter of a century. Tanya was a great friend, giving me some presents lovingly wrapped in magasine paper in the morning, and then surprised me with vanilla slices and imaginery candles at lunch time! Then last night we all went out to this awesome pizza/buffet restaurant for dinner where you can eat all you want - salald and fruit from the buffet and then the waiters bring fresh hot pizzas out one by one the whole time you`re there and it`s never-ending so you just say yes or no to each one. My goodness - I`ve never eaten so much pizza in my life! So many varieties and hot out of the oven, and the desert ones - YUM! Chocolate and coconut, choc with strawberry, plain choc, fruit and caramel, banana and merangue - YUM!!! We all ate sooo much it was lucky we had a short walk home. It`s also incredibly cheap - $4.50 AUS for the whole thing, exc drinks.

Anyway - more about the place here. Our little house which I first thought was great - was absolutely covered in dust and dirt so I spent nearly all of Sunday cleaning, sweeping, scrubbing, mopping, bleaching the bathroom, etc. I`ve never done that much housework at home! But this was necessary! Now I feel so much better and got a few big kisses from the other girls here who had lost hope!

On Sunday we also spent some time at the local craft markets which are unreal, and that night Tanya and I went to the Catholic church up the road to check out the service (and understood about 4 words) but it was interesting anyway.

Our first day back at school.... wow. The school is a very small primary aged school, but the volunteers we work with mix only with the creche which is called Becario (0-2 1/2 years) and the Maternal class which has kids aged about 3-6. I started off with the babies who are absolutely beautiful. There are a few very timid ones, and one little man called Brian who has a huge belly but walks around like a miniature 50 year old and looks like he owns the place - points and winks at you with a tiny smirk on his face, comes up for cuddles and kisses on cue and is just so cute! They are all beautiful in their own ways and are lovely to be around, except when you`re really tired and they just don`t want to sleep and once they start crying they usually wake up the rest of the crew!

The bigger class require so much more energy. We interact by talking English constantly out loud to them with whatever they are doing, so that they pick up as much as possible. Basically, due to their poor socio-economic status, these kids would never have an opportunity to learn English otherwise. The older kids are naturally rowdier and get very excited at times so it can be a challenge to keep them under control and interactive. There are so many different personalities, and a few little angels who have skin diseases which make them scratch with open wounds so it can be a challenge too not to worry too much and to treat them like all the others. They are the poorest kids, with a mum sick with AIDS, but you`d never know it from their smile.

The most sickening thing I discovered this afternoon is that there is this Portuguese kids` entertainer called Shusha (who used to be a pornstar and is now a reformed kids` entertainer!) who copies ALL the wiggles songs AND moves and even backdrops and dances! Including the Octopus!! How bad is that?! And she`s made a fortune off it. I`m not sure that she would have obtained a licence for that though. But no thinking of work while I`m over here!! I have enough to concentrate on each day! During nap-time we usually all fall asleep too if we have the chance, lying on the floor next to little bodies or prams or wherever is a space. Feeding is a challenge at times too. The lunch consists of rice, beans and usually some other vegetable and despite the simplicity it`s pretty good.

Since a picture tells a thousand words I`ll post some later of the kids as our Portuguese teacher is arriving any minute. Then we`re heading off to a capoiera class in the park. Oops - there`s the door knock now.

Tchao-tchao!

Oh - and you`re all slack for not posting comments on this website :p Those photos took me hours to put up!

And for those who haven`t heard, I now have dreads about 2 inches long grown into my braids (sorry mum!) Am wondering whether it`s good to keep them with the kids and lice but hey, can always shave it :)

Florianopolis to Porto Alegre

Wow! We are finally here at the centre where we will be volunteering for the next 4-5 weeks, so we have gone from backpacking and staying in different hostels each few nights to settling into a nice house with a huge backyard, free internet access, 5 house mates and a work schedule that starts from tomorrow! ....

First of all - Florianopolis - our last stop before we got here. That was, of course, after the 17 hour bus trip from Paraty the day before. I am used to the buses here though and am constantly pleased with the comfort level. I think my body was pleased with the idea of being made to sit still and sleep for a while.

Once again, upon arriving at Florianopolis rhodoviaria, which is in the middle of a busy city centre, Tanya and I were fortunate to meet someone who escorted us along 2 buses to the door of his brother`s pousada. We were a little suspicious, wondering what if we end up at some dodgy end of town and don`t want to stay there? But instead, as we hopped off the bus on the edge of the main beach area, he pointed to the nicest looking cafe/restaurant on the edge of the beach called "2 brothers restaurant" and said that was he and his brother`s, and then took us to the pousada which was 5 steps from the sand. We have been so lucky with contacts we`ve run into every step of the way!

It didn`t all go to plan though because after being told we should come back in an hour once the room was cleaned, we stopped for lunch at the cafe on the beach right next door, and two hours later were still waiting, till finally someone said the prior occupants still hadn`t moved out so there was "no room at the inn". Not to worry though because who should come waltzing along and nearly stumble into our table but a big group of Scottish guys who looked very familiar! (the group from Ilha Grande). So that was quite funny. We ended up staying in a really cool backpackers not far away which also had a great view over the beach and was run by a young Aussie surfer and his Brasilian girlfriend. Our room was like a little bunker built into the side of the mountain, and all the windows were like comby van windows built into the concrete around them. Very cool. Free surfboard hire, snorkel gear, bikes - and the BEST dinner that night of tortillas, beans and rice, veges and heaps of salad - yum yum yum! A large number of Aussie tourists were staying there too, so we shared a bit of vegemite and were lucky to made a few more contacts for London and other places.

That night we ended up partying under a tiny tent stand on the sand where we were piled in the pouring rain with the Glasgow boys singing the Scottish anthem, and Tie Me Kangaroo Down, and whatever else came to mind! Also a tambourine and some bongos were thrown in there when the host wasn`t making capirinhas. Those guys are a lot of fun! They told us some hilarious jokes which we usually needed explaining twice, not because we`re dumb but because they`d speed up the punch line in a thick accent and burst into laughter and we were still looking preplexed wondering what on earth they`d said!

I went surfing the next day and the waves weren`t great, breaking a bit close to shore, but lots of fun just the same. Bolts - I think I`ve caught the bug! On our last night there it poured again, but since we had a 6am start, heading to bed at 1am while the others were heading out wasn`t all such a bad idea.

After another 7 hour bus ride we arrived here in Porto Alegre, and from the look of some of the make-shift housing on the way into the city centre, we were getting a little worried about exactly what conditions we would be living and working in. When the taxi driver didn`t see the number on the house and figured it wasn`t there so dropped us off at the end of the street, it didn`t really help! But this road that we now call home is actually more like Melrose Place than anything off the City of God. And the people are great. There are currently 5 girls and 1 guy living here as volunteers - though two are in a separate apartment, and all but 1 are leaving in the next 2 weeks! So then there will be some more people starting and Tanya and I will supposedly be the knowledge bank - we will need to make some fast deposits!

The house here is great though, I am very much looking forward to doing some washing today and getting a broom to some of the floors, but we have a charming bedroom with high ceilings, a few pieces of furniture and a small balcony facing the street. Downstairs is a lounge room with a comfy lounge, a dining table, the computer, kitchen and a laundry outside. It`s pretty cool.

Last night we went to a chaurrasco (BBQ) hosted by the capoeira teacher of one of the girls here - Brianna, and his girlfriend and were immediately welcomed into their home as they said "our house is your house". Despite being given a starting time of 8pm, we thought we`d arrive at a reasonable time of 9:15, only to feel terribly embarrassed as the only guests there and things didn`t look close to starting. The other guests were family members, with a 3 year old and 4 month old baby, but they didn`t arrive till about 11. Things really get started late here! Much to my pleasure, 4 of the 6 of us here are vegeterian, but you should have seen the faces of the hosts when we said no to the HUGE hunks of meat being placed on the BBQ!! A few phone calls later we had tomatoes and cheese and lettuce delivered and with toasted garlic bread rolls it was delicious. Later in the evening, we were taught how to play the capoiera instruments which require quite a lot of concentration, as a few of the others played capoiera in the small space left on the patio. The black labrador was particularly excited and decided to join in which was quite amusing. But it was a really lovely evening and we felt so warmly welcomed by these two and their family, though we had just arrived.

Today will be a day to get some things in order and then we start at the creche at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I can`t wait for my first hold of one of the babies. Apparently there is little structure, since the first class of 0 to 2 1/2 year olds are more care-oriented and the older group of 2-4 year olds is revolved around play. I am sure there will be many new things for us to learn. I am SO excited!!!

Photos!

Sunset at Angras dos Reis

(click below for more...)

Tanya at Angras

The view from our room on Ilha Grande

Lopes Mendes beach, Ilha Grande

On the walk back from Lopes

Musos Jamaica & Jamiero

Tanya & Jamaica listening to some Ben Harper on the ferry back to Angras

Ilha Grande

Me & my hair - Paraty

View from our room at Florianopolis

The Glasgow boys

On the beach at Florianopolis

Rio pics - Corcovoda and Sugar Loaf

At the "beautiful gardens" near Corcovoda

(click below for more pics)

Dean & Ana - the best Aussie couple from Vic

Tanya & I sipping on lunch

The view from Corcovoda

The Statue of Christ the Redeemer

The view from Corcovoda at sunset

Christian bloca in the central district, Rio

Favela tour - Orsino

Superb wiring in the favelas

Sugar Loaf

Rio pics

On the way to the "football"...

(click below for more pics of Maracana stadium)

Tanya & I

Tanya's friend's friend from Aus - Vivek and I

Friends on the bus from Salvador to Rio

Handgliding!

Pelo

(click below for more pics)

Barra Beach...

Paraty

Ola again... last stop on email for a while as we are soon heading off by bus via Sao Paolo to Florianopolis - another beach sort-of town to relax for a few more days before we are surrounded by diapers and bottles in Porto Alegre!...

This place has been a nice quiet retreat for just a few days. Tanya and I came here with a girl we met on the last island - Sinead, from Ireland, who has been to Rio 3 times now as she just loves it. Paraty is another quiet town of cobblestone streets, with about 4 churches built at different times for different sections / classes of the community. There is not very much to see though.

Yesterday we went to another beach called Trinidade which is a 40 minute bus ride through some rainforest/jungle to get there. Quite strange with these public buses driving through steep dirt roads just sqeezing around corners on what look to be more like walking-tracks than public roads. The waves were a lot better at this beach for surfing but instead I just sat on the beach and read a great book. As we got up to leave we ran into Greg - the "Mexican" (from Vic) who stayed with us in Angras and who keeps popping up around the place as he's heading in the same general direction. Last night we ate at another one of the "pay by kilo" places here where you fill your plate from the buffet and pay by weight. It is usually quite a good selection of food, only I think our choice of eating "early" at 9pm meant we didn't get the best quality as food was still being prepared and delivered.

Then it was a quiet walk around the night markets where I continue to see so many earrings that I can just picture on Erina! Tanya keeps stopping and wondering why I'm pouring over the earrings stand when I don't even have my ears pierced! Luckily - or else I'd have to buy another pack!

We ended up at another place with a group from the hostel where the patron/bar-owner convinced me to dance some forre ("fohor") which is kinda like salsa and though I wasn't feeling the best, sometimes it's just easier to say okay, one song - which always turns into 3 or 4! But it was lots of fun anyway, learning some more moves with the other Aussies looking on and hassling because we're dancing local style! Those guys hardly moved until the owner must have thought he'd please us by putting on some European dance music, then the cariocas all sat down and the clumsy westerners jumped up to jump around to that music which really doesn't compare. I think it gets quite boring now! It is so much fun just to watch the Brasilians dance though - there were these three girls who were sisters dancing away together like they were in a dance class or competition and they were there with their father which was lovely so it was cool to watch them show off their salsa skills all over the place.

The other highlight was the beautiful golden retriever who is allowed to walk straight through the dance floor and gain pats from those who are missing their pets at home! Plus a tiny black kitten who found its bed on my lap for an hour or so, before thinking my hair would be a fun ball of wool to play mouse with, and then I had to give her up.

The best image I have etched in my mind from Paraty though is a simple one, and one that brings a smile to my face each time I remember... walking along the dustry street of our hostel and hearing childish screams of joy and laughter as I saw two little boys of about 6 years old playing in a cardboard box, tipping it over and climbing inside and falling out the side on the side of the road. Then as I came closer I heard one whipser to the other and they jumped down and closed the lid, then as I approached the opposite side of the road "Waghhhhhh!!!" they popped open the lid and burst out the top in an attempt to make me jump - so I played along and screamed and jumped and waved my hands in the air just to add to the fun. But the simplicity of that fun remains in my mind - they looked more enthralled than the kids you see in the internet cafes playing counterstrike or grand prix racing in the afternoons. Just like at christmas time... give a child a toy in a box and the box will likely lend just as much entertainment as the toy inside. If only we didn't lose that innocence and remained that easy to please!

Time to toddle off and pack... happy belated valentine's day to you all.

Rio, Angras dos Reis, Ilha Grande

Well, what can I say - Rio is the city of the best carnaval in the world as they say, but also packed with many tourists and is more a place for tourists to watch what's going on rather than Salvador when you participate more. Really, it was not what we expected. But then Salvador was more than we expected, kind of like receiving a super-sized meal instead of a happy meal! (click below to read more...)

We stayed at one of the most highly recommended youth hostels called "che legarto" at Copacabana which was not as good as the reviews, mostly because some of the staff weren't so friendly. Still, there is loads to do in Rio, but because it's so much bigger than Salvador, you have to know where to go to find what's going on rather than just walking out the door. So a few times we walked around, from Copacabana to Ipanema and back, missing the street blocas each way. Then loads of people end up at Lapa which is where quite a few clubs and street parties are, but in the hip-hop club we went to, you could just as easily picture yourself in New York as Rio. I think it's cause Bahia (Salvador) has the African roots which permeate the culture, whereas Rio is more a mix of cultures and I suppose more western in lots of ways too.

Anyway, it was still good. And I am glad we did see Carnaval in Rio as it has to be done, but if I were to return, I'd go back to Salvador. Well first thing's first - the actual parade! We headed off last Sunday night with a big group from the hostel and unfortunately, our mini-van broke down on the way which made for an interesting ride crammed on top of laps and sitting sideways in one of the other vans with about 15 people, it was especially interesting with the drivers in Rio who all think they're in the grand prix. They don't have any red-light cameras so they just slow a bit and then go straight through. No blinkers either, it seems! We arrived just after the first escolada or dance school had started but we didn't really miss anything cause let me tell you - it is a real endurance test to stay for the whole parade! Started at 9pm and finished at 7:30am. Tanya and I did push through though - made sure we got our money's worth and stayed through the cold and even a few drops of rain. There were 8 schools all up - each takes between 50 and 80 minutes to dance from one end of the stadium to the other - with about 12 floats each and a few thousand dancers. An amazing show of colour, costume and rhythm. We even learnt some of the theme songs (each school has one which is repeated without breaks for the entire 50-80 minutes). It is really amazing and inspiring to see how the crowd gets into the show though. There are always people on their feet and some who don't stop dancing the whole night. I particularly enjoyed the last school which wasn't one of the best but the great thing is it accomodated for people with disabilities in wheelchairs and - perhaps partly because it signalled the end of the night - everyone who were left in the crowd were on their feet dancing and singing and waving and cheering! And seeing the sky change from pitch black to sunrise over the stadium was nice too.

In the afternoon that day we went up Corcovoda with a really awesome couple - Ana and Dean who are from Melbourne and were staying at our hostel and saw the statue of Christ the Redeemer. 30m tall and 29m armspan from fingertip to fingertip. I will post photos soon. It really is magnificent both from a distance and up close. Incredible to believe that someone came up with the idea to build such a huge statue of stone on the very highest mountain and actually went through with it. It towers over the city and looks beautiful at night with neon lights making it glow even from so far away. To get up there you take a cable car through the rain forest which is really quite nice too, and seeing the sunset over Rio was beautiful also. Such a naturally beautiful site to behold. The sunsets and stars - their beauty never ceases to amaze me.

Tuesday (terca-feira) last week was a pretty cool (ligao) surprise as Tanya and I headed off on our Lonely-Planet / self guided walking tour somewhere around Centro. Lots of places were closed being the day after carnaval still but as we were giving up on our little tour we heard some music and bands playing down the road and pretty soon I recognised the song - "King of Majesty" that is a hillsong song and one I know from church! So cool to run into a huge Christian parade that was promoting christianity by putting songs to samba music and dancing through the street. Loads of people drumming and dancing and singing. So that was very unexpected but great to stumble upon and so that evening Tanya and I headed off to their church to check it out as there was meant to be an American speaker there. When we got inside we were still crossing our fingers for a while when the first part was in Portuguese and we were feeling quite lost, though it's fun to sing along in English when they are singing Portuguese to the songs I know -and the others sound just as beautiful in Portuguese even though we could only understand a few words. A number of people said they recognised us from the parade that day which was lovely too - being amongst a few thousand people. The American speaker finally did come on so we were quite relieved. He spoke about the "inner man" which was signifying the conscience and strength within but still made me giggle a few times as I was thinking of "mini me"! The church is affiliated with Hillsong in Australia and America and is evangelical - man I have never heard an electric guitar played so loud in a church! Sam - you would have loved it! Like anywhere else, the Brasilians really get into it too - shouting and cheering in place of the "amens" you'd find in African-American churches. Everything they do they seem to do with so much enthusiasm, and it's something that shines through all divisions of wealth or poverty.

That night on the way home we hopped off the bus at the "allegedly" wrong spot (which turned out to be the right spot - oops, sorry Tanya!!) and we ended up doing a bit of a walk around Ipanema and Copacabana to walk back to our hostel. I suffered my first criminal attack that night as I was enjoying expending some energie on the gym equipment that lines the beach and when I turned to go I was devastated to find that someone had stolen my thongs! Yes T - the brown havianas you gave me :( I was very peeved off, especially having to walk in bare feet jumping pee puddles on the roads! Strange too when havianas sell for the equivalent of about $10 AUD here - the cheapest anywhere. But hey - obviously they needed them more than me. Luckily there were markets nearby where I was able to score a brand new pair of Brasilian thongs for $5.

It was also a surprise to turn around and find Tanya entranced by a wizard! Yes friends - a carioca in a fully decked out silk wizard's outfit, complete with the hat that holds the rabbits - only no rabbits. It was quite a sight to behold - the sort of thing you should expect from Carnaval I suppose?! Maybe he turned my thongs into sand - but then he was way too sweet.

On Wendesday we went on a tour of the favelas which lasted 3 hours and we drove and walked through spots of Orsino - the largest favela in South America - 60,000 people, and later a smaller one. Much to our suprise, they aren't nearly as dingy as you would expect. It really just felt like another suburb of Rio. And despite the risk of extreme violence if you contravene the drug-lord's rules, the place is apparently safer than the other streets of Rio since the drug lord prioritises general safety so that the middle class feel able to enter and buy then leave without fear or threat of violence. The kids all look happy too - wherever you go. "Favela" is not the meaning for slum but rather signifies a house built on what was originally governmental land, but because of land laws similar to ours, squatters who go unnoticed become the rightful owners after 5 years here. And the politicians have other things to worry about so they very rarely do anything about it. The electrical wiring is quite amazing as everyone tries to avoid paying for water or electricity, so they tap into their neighbour's meter, who then taps into another's and each steals from the next one. I'm sure there are a number of electrical hazards there, and building regulations just don't exist! Despite the sewerage problems though, the tiny houses built on top of eachother are very neat and tidy and the tiny pathways are very clean. Each place is very small - one shop owner ran a beautician and barber shop from his "studio apartment" as we might say - which was about 4m square and was costing 200 USD a month rent! He had a basin in the corner, a bed that packed up, a few shelves and not much else.

But as we were informed, the real poverty is not in the favelas but the misery is seen on the streets - it is simply amazing the divide between the rich and poor. One whole family who I mentioned seeing before lying in cardboard boxes on the street were there each day and one time Tanya and I were walking by just in time to see one girl who looked to be the mother and very heavily pregnant stumbling to throw up in the gutter. I am sure morning sickness or any sickness would be terrible in any conditions, but especially like this. It was so sad and it makes you feel sick to be spending money on yourself while travelling the world, when people live like this every day. I just wish I could speak more Portuguese to be able to sit and chat, but then I wonder what stops me doing that with the homeless I see at home in Sydney? Is it the fear of getting too close when you live in the same city? And when you do give food to those on the streets, they are very grateful. You might expect that they would expect it, since they beg all the time, but when I saw one young lady the next day after buying her some food, she wasn't asking for more but was really thankful and smiling. But giving something worth $2 - though it might make a difference to them, matters nothing to us. We need to give till it hurts to really do something meaningful.

In the favelas it was interesting to see that Brasil's most famous plastic surgeon's mansion overlooks the favela that has expanded over the mountain to the edge of the higher class region. We also visited a small day care centre there which is largely funded by the tour company we went with and is run by the ex-CEO of Fiat who also lives next door. Rather than move due to the favellas expanding towards his borders he decided to be constructive and fund before and after-school care for the kids which has resulted in much higher literacy rates and also gives them some pocket money for the handicrafts they make.

In the afternoon I went to Sugar-loaf, that is, the tall mountain which you climb by a two-stage cable car which ascends 400metres at a rate of 25km/hour. I went with a guy from the hostel called Charlie who is from Goulburn and we had a few interesting chats about our work lifestyles - law verses sheep farming. He runs a 30,000 acre farm when he's at home. The view from Sugar loaf was fantastic! I thought it was more spectacular that Christo the Redeemer actually. We saw some small monkeys that come really close in the trees and scamper along the handrails beside you on top of the mountain too.

That evening Leo the wizard acompanied us to Ipanema and where we met a guy called "DJ Scooby" and a very sweet young florist who chased me down the road with flowers even though I refused to stop and because I couldn't converse fluently in Portuguese and no, I wasn't interested in a kiss as I was just walking by! Quite funny. Only in Brasil!!

Our last morning in Rio was spectacular. We couldn't resist and splurge as handgliding is so cheap here so we took the jump from one of the mountains near Corcodova and man was I glad I did! The most beautiful experience - gliding in the early morning fresh air with the most amazing view overlooking the beaches and mountains and seeing all over Rio, before landing on the beach. My favourite part was gliding over the water - oh so beautiful. Our instructor was called Ricardo and he really suprised me when in the middle of our glide, his mobile phone rings and he doesn't hesitate to answer it! There we are, so many thousand feet up and he has one hand free holding his mobile taking bookings! I asked to phone home and speak to my mum but he didn't have easy call and was too busy doing business! Lovely guy but boy that made me laugh! Tanya said he was actually sms-ing as they came in for landing! If you do go to Rio - make sure you go handgliding! It's not to be missed.

In the afternoon we caught a bus 3 hours south to Angras dos Reis which is a small portal town to Ilha Grande. We stayed in a lovely place called Senho Pousada, along with Greg - another Aussie we met on the bus and who I am very jealous of as he's been living and working in London, travelling all over and oh - just received his Canadian working visa for next year! Very easygoing so it was nice to break up the female company and chill out all together. Plus he's a good man - brought breakfast in bed to Tanya and I as we had slept through breaky hours when he woke us up. Well trained! :)

The next day we caught a ferry to Ilha Grande which in an hour and a half ride and wow - worth the trip to get there! This place is called paradise by many locals. We had booked accomodation luckily via the internet as it was overflowing with tourists chilling out after carnaval and quite a few sleeping in hammocks outside our rooms. We were staying in this beautiful place "Aquorio pousada" which sits on the point over the water at the end of the front beach. That first night was interesting as there was 11 Scottish guys who were staying there and had basically taken over the place - even had a Scottish flag flying out the front! They were a ball though. A little difficult to understand but entertaining nonetheless! We thought they were joking when they said they had drunk the bar dry the night before, until we saw the boat delivering another barload of drinks that afternoon. My goodness! All nice guys though. Quite funny too - they were about late 20s to early 30s and I had to ask when we all met, how is it with 11 guys travelling all together? You know - you can imagine the issues if they were all women! But they all said oh no, we're all chilled out, we have a group leader and it's all good. Then the next morning, we noticed half the group had split (amicably) though they had booked buses together for later in the afternoon but half had decided to do something different! Group behaviour is very interesting!

Saturday was a very chilled out day - there are number of beautiful treks all over the island but it was drizzling most of the day so I spent it either sitting by the water's edge with my ipod, or lying in the hammock reading. Soooo nice and it was the perfect place to be able to kick back and not feel guilty. We also made friends with Jamaica - an old rasta with huge long dreads who plays the bongos and loves Bob Marley (and spliffs) and Jameiro - who plays bass and was promoting his new CD from his band "Nova Mendes". I introduced them to some John Butler Trio from my ipod on the ferry on the way back to Angras do Reis today, while their friend Mega who is a cartoonist drew an awesome charcoal drawing of Tanya and I.

Yesterday was beautiful weather though and so I headed off with another friend from the hostel to Lopes Mendes - one of the most beautiful beaches on the island which claims the most beautiful beaches in all Brasil. Very fine white sand and perfect blue sky with crystal aqua water. Incredible. You take a boat about an hour and then trek for 15 minutes through the rainforest to get there, which only builds the anticipation and makes it all the more spectacular when you first arrive. Unfortunately the waves were quite small but Henrique from the hostel took me surfing anyway which was fun and now I just want to go again. Luckily we are now at another beach-side down called Paraty which is a further few hours south.

So now that I've updated you all, I'm going to get back out there and see what's happening. Oh and Dad and Adrian - you would have LOVED it on Ilha Grande, they have mobile cake carts lining the beaches and restaurants filled full of beautiful looking cakes which you buy on the run. I could have stopped and tried something different at each one, except it's a bit hot for so much sugar and I have managed to collect a cold so am trying to eat healthier.

Tshou for now. I am quickly learning more Portuguese and loving it. Tanya has laughed a few times that we meet people (okay, so they're usually male but it's just how it happens here - I only get filthy looks from the girls who are sussing out my hair and look as though they're wondering where I get the hide to copy theirs!) and I end up hassling them with questions about vocab and syntax! All good fun - toudo bem!

Salvador to Rio - 4 Jan

Now we are back in Rio, we are both missing Salvador already! We had so much fun in Salvador, once we came to know the city more and met more people, it was starting to feel like a home away from home...

The last few days in Salvador, what did we do?... We ended up spending 7 nights there, extending our stay and we would have loved to stay for carnaval if we hadn't yet booked accomodation in Rio.

The hostel Nega Maluca was the best hostel I've ever come across and that place was awesome to hang around during the day in between activities. Because of the lead-up to carnaval, quite a few new people were arriving and some moving around to new apartments in Barra (the local beach) which is closer to many of the blocas for carnaval.

We had another dance class one day with a local friend we had been introduced to by some German friends, but it was not nearly as good as the last one. Some parts were quite commical and we were trying to figure out if he was serious or not! Fun nonetheless. And when he dipped me at the end, trying to teach some salsa, he nearly dropped me, and then kept trying it again telling me "No, I am strong, lean back" and I was thinking yeah right, you're 5 foot, I dunno about that!

Oh yeah - another day Tanya and I caught a bus to the major shopping centre just out of town, called Iguatemi, opposite the city's main bus station (rhodoviaria). It was really nice actually to be out of the hustle and bustle of the old city and hang around in a major shopping mall which really felt like I was in Burwood or Parramatta. Very similar to our shopping centres at home, but this was huge. We had lunch at the Brasileiro equivalent of McDonalds - "Bob's Burgers" and that included this really super yummy ovaltine flavoured shake which is similar to an oreo-bash. You can also order a beer with your happy meal if you wish! Oh - and they had Delta Goodrem playing through the speakers too. We had some fun looking through the equivalent of K-mart and yes, I couldn't resist the cheap clothes and bought yet another top for my collection!

Tanya was great in getting directions to Iguatemi, but we realised once we walked out that we had no idea how to get back to our hostel, or even what the area or bus stop was called! But we managed superbly, using a bit of female intuition combined with some very friendly strangers, and made it home safely.

That night there was a free band playing in one of the squares nearby and so a group from the hostel went to watch. We made some more friends who took us to the reggae club we were a few nights before, and that was awesome again - loads of people, young and old, shakin it to the music which was about 8 older men playing drums and singing - very cool and quite diverse in music also. A stop at another local place was awesome, I think i was the only carioca-looking person there for a while, but it was great.

On our last day we went with one of the friends we met who is a capoeira teacher and gave us a brief but very impressive show - to Barra - the local beach as it was the festival of the sea in Salvador, where people offer gifts to the sea, and although we avoided the main beach where that was happening, there was a huge band playing at Barra by the beach and loads and loads of people lying on the beach, playing football (soccer) on the sand, swimming and hanging around. It is two weeks of vacation for most people over this time of carnaval and on this day, especially with the music nearby, it really felt like everyone was enjoying themselves, looking really happy. I wondered if they really were loving this day as a special day or if it is much like Australia Day at home where most people are just excited about the time off work.

After waiting in a restaurant for our lunch for over an hour - I think the cooks must have been growing the rice out the back before preparing it - we walked out and left, went for a swim and sat on one of the row boats that was left moored out from the beach and then walked again back to Pelo which is a good hour and a half or so walk. This was our last day in Salvador and I did so much walking and dancing that night - we met up with another friend who is a dance teacher - about 6 foot tall with another foot high of hair! And man did we dance!

Because of the festival and celebrating equality, the local reggae club which we had never been to because they don't let cariocas in - was open to all with another cool band playing. This guy Sidney is amazing, he dances and gathers a following of about 10-20 people in the place who follow his moves and it's like something out of a movie, he gets the whole place going! When he called me over I thought oh no! I can't do that! But it's actually a lot easier than it looks and after quickly learning most of the moves, a group of us left and found the local drumming group walking through the streets and joined that parade and led the dancing. It was heaps of fun - though dancing in thongs on uneven cobble streets is a bit difficult when you're doing spins and things. But SO MUCH FUN!!

At about 3am we thought we had better head off for some sleep before our taxi arrived at 6:30! Inbal - the who owns and runs the hostel with his partner Natalia - was so nice in waking up and meeting the taxi and saying goodbye to us. He said he considers if someone is staying at his house, the least he can do is get up to say goodbye. That sort of thing makes all the difference. So if you go to Pelo/Salvador and want a GREAT place to stay, I can't rate Nega Maluca highly enough. A definite recommendation.

Our 27 hour bus ride to Rio was so much more comfortable for me than our 15 hour one on the way up, since I didn't have a 2 year old squirming all over me. I slept for ages actually. We also had 3 very kind friend we met sitting opposite us - 2 kids about 12 and 14 who were brother and sister and travelling with their mum and another friend of theirs who was about 18 and were helping us learn more Portuguese. The older one Leonardo was particularly keen to learn English too - asking Tanya from the phrase book if she would like a massage!!

Oh - SO funny - we also met these Canadian travellers from Quebec last night and one guy kept talking about offering a "massage" since that is his vocation (and Tanya had a sore shoulder) but it kept coming out as "message" like in the Pink Panther. Every time he would say it we would end up in stitches! I guess it's kind of a had-to-be-there moment though hey?

So after arriving in Rio just in time for carnaval, last night was highly disappointing. No street parties or parades to be seen here in Copacabana which was very suprising after all the action in Salvador, but we were happy with a quiet night anyway. Also unfortunate is the fact that it has been raining quite heavily here since before we arrived and it's predicted to last for most of carnaval. It makes the weather quite a bit cooler and less enticing to walk around outside, but we'll make the most of it just the same. We also heard on a new update that there's been flooding in Australia - just not sure exactly where yet.

It was also really sobering last night to see more of the poverty gap here as we walked back to our hostel - it was drizzling with rain still and a bit cool and families with kids were lying in cardboard boxes on the side of the road. So many young kids beg for money from tourists and even walk onto the road to beg from taxis. The difficulty is that apparently it often goes to all the wrong places, so it's best to offer food instead. But walking past last night it was quite upsetting and I just wished I had a blanket I could wrap round them. Tanya and I spoke about it today and are hoping to buy some food to hand out or to do something practical like that. There is just such a big gap between the rich and poor here, and so very many people living in poverty with no government support whatsoever, the problem seems too big to combat on a national level.

There are many more Aussies here than we have run into elsewhere. Very suprisingly, we ran into a group today staying at our hostel who are good friends with one of Tanya's good friends Suja. I also ran into Breanna from work today standing outside the world-famous Maracana stadium after we went with a huge group to see two local Brasilian teams play in their State comp - it was a draw 2-2 between the teams Flamengo and Fluminense. We were up behind the goal stand with loads of locals waving massive team flags, playing the drums and chanting non-stop so it was very cool.

Ahhh.... more Jack Johnson playing here at the hostel - so nice to hear.

So that's the update for now... hugs and kisses to you all back home...xoxoxo