More Visitors--HOORAY!!!

 

 

 

Grandma and Grandpa Higbee spent some time with us in April, and we LOVED having them. Here are a few of the high-(and low)-lights from their visit, as shown in pictures:

 

 

 

Grandma always brings great stuff! Here are the pool "floaties" that she brought (and which we still enjoy using here at our condominium pool.)

 

Marisa relaxing with a good book--poolside.

 

 

Grandpa following Marissa's lead.

 

 

A day at our local zoo--a Higbee family favorite!

A pair of monkeys?

We took a road trip to Ubatuba, a city on the coast of Sao Paulo, near the state of Rio. One day, we drove up to Paraty, just over the border into the state of Rio. It was a cool old town with very large, bumpy cobblestone roads, and some fun shops. Here is Senor Bub, trying on the wares, and protecting himself from the hot sun--even if just for a minute. I think the look suits him.

Cool street in Paraty. The picture doesn't really give you a feel for the unevenness of the cobblestones, but let's just say--you don't see a lot of high heels here.

We took a boat tour of the area around Paraty. The kids had fun riding in style up on top.

Grandma and I enjoying the sea breeze.

 

 

 

Father and son:

 

 

 

 Captain of the ship

Jaden was the first to jump in

Daddy and Keira

 

 

Even Grandma joined in!

Getting out of the water, so as not to attract the sharks. At this point, I had a ripped up knee and bloody toe. They don't call it "razor-sharp" coral for nothing.

 

 

Me with my throbbing toe elevated. Thankfully, grandma came prepared with wet wipes that I applied to stop the bleeding.

 

 

Tessa going solo

Grandpa joined the fun on our second stop--turtle cove.

 

 

 

"Come in, the water's fine!"

 

We were in a cove that was full of sea turtles. We saw a few sticking their heads up, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture any on film. However, I did catch this guy floating along:

Third stop. I don't remember the real name of the beach, but I affectionately dubbed it "Chicken Beach", after the native fowl roaming around, pecking at the flotsam.

Digging in the sand is a favorite pastime--just watch out for chicken droppings!

 

 

Time to get back on the boat.

 

 

The next day, we took a ferry over to Ilha Bela, an island on which we had stopped on our cruise in December. This was not the luxury ferry described by Grandma and Grandpa which they enjoy on  their yearly trip to Canada. Rather, it was a long barge, cram-packed with as many trucks and cars as could possibly be slammed together, with benches along the side for walk-on guests (us), and the pleasant aroma of exhaust and diesel fumes. Thankfully, it was a short ride.

Our jeep tour guide was awaiting our arrival on the island. This excursion seemed like a good idea when we booked it on-line. Here is Keira holding onto her seatbelt for dear life. (It didn't actually function as a safety restraint, but that's ok, because she enjoyed catching air on our bumpy ride over the  steep jungle terrain.) 

Jaden and Tessa enjoying the ride. We were still in town in this picture. When we got onto the mountain pass, it was too bumpy (and possibly dangerous) to take pictures.

This was Grandma before she got scalped by a low hanging branch. The blood just added to the adventure. This was actually taken on our trip to the beach. On our return trip, the driver accepted another passenger (and his money) into the jeep; the jeep that WE reserved and paid for. (You've got to make a little extra cash when you can.) This newcomer had been trekking across the island for a week with a hiker's backpack (you know the kind; one of those enormous jobbies with the bed roll, and miscellaneous camp gear dangling from the bottom, banging into your legs when you sit crammed into a jeep with it), and sporting a giant machete on his waist. Grandma had to squish in with Grizzly Adams and his pack, and barely had room to breathe, let alone dodge errant branches. Poor Grandma. We wanted to give her a memorable experience; this may have been taking it too far.

Waterfall stop on the way to the beach

 

 

A beautiful beach on the open  ocean side of the island. The only way you can get here is by boat, or by the jeep trail that we took. Although the jeep ride was fun --for the first two hours-- I might recommend going by boat. Actually, I might recommend staying in Ubatuba. This island is beautiful, and full of natural springs and waterfalls. Unfortunately, those beautiful natural resources also make it the perfect breeding ground for the Borrachudo; a tiny, flying, biting insect that left us all covered in bleeding welts, and itching like mad for days--even after we slathered on repellent. It was Marissa's birthday, and she didn't think this was a particularly great way to spend it.

We tried to salvage what we could out of the day. Some did better than others.

Marissa and I finally found some pleasure in combing the beach and finding sand dollars--a favorite!

 

 

 

 

On our final full day in Ubatuba, Grandma and Grandpa stayed at the hotel to peruse the shops and relax before their long journey home the following day. We decided to hit the beach close to where we were staying, and had a great time! Tom bought body boards, and we all took turns catching the waves: 

At the end of the day, we finally got enough of a breeze for Jaden to use Grandma's other fun gift for a while--a kite!

 

 

Sometime the best-laid plans go a little south, but, overall, I think we all had a great time, and it was definitely wonderful to see Grandma and Grandpa, and spend some time with them! We miss them already!!

You Might be in Brazil if...

Last night, armed with a flashlight and a ladder, I watched in awe as a bagworm moth worked on building it's cocoon on the top of the wall surrounding my house. I did not know that this was a bagworm moth until I looked it up. (yay for Google!) For the last few nights, I had spotted this long, almost pinecone looking thing hanging from the wall. The strange thing was that it was hanging from a different place each night. Finally, last night, it was moving, as if blown by the wind. But, there was no wind. So, I went out for a closer inspection. It was this 5-6 inch long/ 2 inch in diameter clump of little sticks held together with what resembled cobweb. And it was wriggling. When I climbed the ladder to get a better look, I saw a huge caterpillar popping it's head in and out of an opening in the top of the clump.

Can you see the little black and yellow caterpillar head?

When I googled it, I discovered that these exist in North America also; I have just never seen or heard of them before. It turns out that a lot of the strange bugs we have here (and there are a multitude of them) are also native to North America. I guess I just don't pay attention to them there. Of course, I live in a desert with weather extremes, so we probably don't have as many creepy-crawlies in my town. (Thank goodness!) But, somehow, I have been fascinated by all of these strange new creatures. This got me thinking that there are a lot of things here that are unusual and/or new to me. But, this doesn't mean that these, or similar things, don't exist in my "home-sweet-home". I realized that here, because of the newness of the whole situation, I tend to focus on the odd or unusual things, sometimes even making them out to be absurd. And so, in Jeff Foxworthy style, I will attempt to list a few "You might be in Brazil if..." absurdities that I have noted.

1. If your 6 year old is allowed to go on a wild, jarring jeep ride  (where you could have lost an eye, if not for your sunglasses, and your mother-in-law was partially scalped by low hanging branches) over rough, jungly, mountain terrain, without signing a consent form (or wearing a seatbelt).......you might be in Brazil.

                 (Stay tuned for more on this wild adventure!)

2. If your bank issues you a debit card that is only accepted in a handful of locations........you might be in Brazil.

3.If Halls cough drops are sold on the candy aisle, and are the #1 treat of 4 out of 5 children.......you might be in Brazil.

4. If it is common to stay in a hotel with anywhere from 13-25 rooms, but only 4 parking spaces.......you might be in Brazil. (Most of the guests come by bike?)

5. If the only thing consistent about the quality of food products is their inconsistency........you might be in Brazil.

6. If you eat EVERYTHING with a fork AND knife, you NEVER drink directly out of a soda can, and your napkins (which you do not place on your lap) are made out of a non-absorbent plastic coated material........you might be in Brazil.

7.  If you mow your entire lawn with a weed whacker.......you might be in Brazil.

8. If your streets are "patrolled" by speed bumps and radars instead of traffic cops.......you might be in Brazil.

9.If you eat ham and cheese for breakfast.....you might be in Brazil.

10. If the onramp to the freeway is paved in cobblestones.......you might be in Brazil.

11. If the changeable message signs over the highway are used to warn you of the signs of dengue fever, instead of traffic conditions........you might be in Brazil.

12. If your local zoo has almost as many exciting attractions outside of the cages, as inside the cages......you might be in Brazil.

13. If you hear loud gurgling sounds in the drain under your feet every time you flush the toilet.......you might be in Brazil.

14. If the doorbell to your house, while still technically on your property, is located at the very farthest spot away from your front door that it can possibly be..........you might be in Brazil.

And finally (I still can't get over this):

15. If there are signs in every bathroom reminding you to put toilet paper in the garbage can, instead of the toilet (!)...and then there is a sign on the toilet paper can that says, "Not recyclable" (in case you were considering it).........you might be in Brazil!

And by the way, I find myself trying my hardest to assimilate to the all of the customs that I mock. It has really irritated me when Tom has told me what I should and shouldn't do at certain functions or gatherings here; things that are customary for the natives. I have tried to argue that I am not native, and therefore it is acceptable for me to act differently in these situations. And yet, to my horror, I found myself telling my in-laws last week things like, "Don't push the grocery cart through the lane--nobody pushes the cart all the way through the lanes here!" (were the mall cops going to come and get us?) or, "You HAVE to get a straw or a cup to drink that soda--don't drink it out of the can." (somebody might see!)

Isn't it funny how we can pride ourselves in our differences, and yet we all just have the need to really fit in? And isn't it interesting how we don't recognize our own absurdities/uniqueness like we see them glaring in other people? I am going to try to remember that as I pop my head in and out of the cocoon I have created for myself. I am going to try to embrace my own uniqueness and appreciate the uniqueness of others. (But, of course, I still want to fit in, okay?) 



A Quick Trip up North

Tom was invited to give a presentation on autism in Sao Luis, Maranhao, Brazil. It is a coastal city on the top of the country--very near the equator (HOT!!!). The whole family was able to go, and we had a great time! We flew up there last Thursday, April 18, arriving (luckily) in the afternoon. I say "luckily", because the odds were against us. Actually, my crappy driving was against us...

We had a Young Men/ Young Women activity for our church at our house on Wednesday night. (I am the Young Women President ((?!)) and Tom is the Young Men President). I drove everyone home after the activity. Because of the crazy streets (the streets are COMPLETELY to blame here!), I had to make a U-turn along the way. Our car does not "turn on a dime". Anyway, the curb jumped out and grabbed the front passenger tire. I didn't think I had hit it very hard, and I swore the girls to secrecy. I drove all the way across town to drop off the next group, and as I pulled off of their street, I heard a funny noise and felt the tell-tale "clump, clump, clump" of a flat tire. My heart sank. This was the second time I have done this SAME thing--on the SAME tire--DURING a Young Women activity!! Tom was very forgiving the first time. I wasn't too eager to try his patience this time.

I pulled over and I sheepishly called Tom. I admit, I thought about concealing the fact that I had hit the curb (OK, I concealed it for the first half of the conversation--I didn't hit it THAT hard!!!) We have only one car, so there was nothing that Tom could do. I had the phone number of one of my Young Women, whose dad is a mechanic, and who lives close to where I was stranded. I called and tried to explain the situation in Portuguese. What the heck is the word for "tire", or "flat", or "stranded"?! These are not words in my vocabulary (but, judging from my track record, they probably should be.) Luckily, I still had two of my girls in the car with me. I threw the phone at one of them to explain. After what seemed like FOREVER (probably 20 minutes), the dad showed up. He put the spare on, and we were on our way. By now, it was late, and I still had to pack, wondering with each garment I put in the suitcase, "can you drive on the freeway with a spare tire?" Well, we did. We had to leave at 7am, and there was no way we could take the tire in to get fixed before we left. I prayed the whole way that the spare would hold out, just to the airport. It did. Phew!

We made it for our first flight with plenty of time. We had a quick layover in Belo Horizonte. When we disembarked, Tom checked the flight board, only to find two listings of the same flight/same time departing from two different gates in completely different locations in the airport. So, he asked a gate agent for help, and she directed us to a gate downstairs in another area of the airport. We went down close to our gate and took turns using the restroom. While doing so,we heard an announcement overhead for the final boarding of our flight---back upstairs, where we had come from! So, we hustled through the crowded airport, back up the stairs, and were rushed onto the plane just before the doors were closed. Second phew!

We arrived in Sao Luis, found our driver, and made it to the hotel, only to discover that they could find no reservation for us. The travel agent who was arranging some excursions for us, arrived at the hotel to give us our itinerary, just as Tom was trying to find us a room. He (Tom) was a little preoccupied with our lack of lodgings, understandably, to fully pay attention to the travel agent's directions. We had told him to arrange a trip to a famous national park, Lencois Maranhenses, with huge sand dunes that fill with rain water every year during the rainy season to create these beautiful, crystal clear lakes. But, he had arranged a trip to a different part of the sand dunes with only one large lake that was fed by a river, "So, it is like Coca-Cola, but it is clear." He assured us that this would be a better experience, because the small, more popular lakes were not very full this time of year, due to the fact that the rainy season is just starting up North.  We had to take his word for it. This is what we were supposed to see:

This is what we saw:

 

Okay, so this was just one of the small lakes along the way, here is where we actually got out and swam:

 

 

Not quite what I had in mind, but it was clear; Coca-Cola clear. I took comfort in the fact that the smaller lakes were not full this time of year... until one of the couples on our excursion told us that they had been to the smaller lakes the day before, and they were "spectacular". But, I'm over it now...




It actually was a really fun day. We got to ride on the back of a Toyota truck fitted with seats in the bed:

It felt like we were on safari, with the wind rushing through our hair, bumping around on the soft sand dunes at high speeds. On this special ride, I discovered an interesting fact: while Tom is taller than me, I have a longer torso--(I hit my head a few times when we caught air; he didn't.) We all laughed and laughed--the trip was worth it just for the ride (sometimes it's not about the destination, but rather, the journey, right?)

 

Keira was excited to finally be tall enough to ride on the "Indiana Jones Ride"!

 

 

 

The dunes were pretty cool, too:

 

 

Sand as far as you could see.

Steep dunes with soft sand--great workout!

 

Jaden conquered the hill!

Flying leap!

Striking a pose

 

 



Tom definitely caught the most air

 

Mom's still got it!

 

 





 
Bathing Beauty

                                                                            Sand Surfing

Cherry Bomb/Drowning
 

The boy loves digging holes

 

                                                                    Beautiful girl

 

 

After a long and exhausting day, we returned to our resort hotel for some pizza and a good night's sleep:

I forgot the camera at dinner, but you can see the outdoor pizza restaurant behind Marissa and Jaden.

 

Another shot of the restaurant the next morning. It was surrounded by a thick jungly area on one side, and a river on the other side. While we were dining, it was dark, and loud with the sounds of night creatures, just beyond the dim lighting. It felt like eating at the Blue Bayou, but I don't think the creatures were animatronic.

 The next morning, we went on a boat tour up the river with three stops:

 

 

 

First Stop: Monkeys!

These were pretty aggressive little critters. We bought a basket of bananas to feed them. Tom warned me to guard the basket while he took pictures. I clutched it in both hands for about 5 seconds before these clever creatures outsmarted me! (They work in pairs!!) One of them jumped on my shoulder, distracting me, while the other hopped up on my hip and snatched the basket right out of my hands! We scrambled to pick up the sandy pieces. Everyone got a turn to feed them. One little guy just hung out on my shoulder until the bananas were gone. It was a dream come true! Like I posted on Facebook: I always wanted a monkey. My MEAN parents wouldn't get me one, but my sweetheart got me one for 5 minutes!

Next stop: Lighthouse

Chillaxin'   "Mom, wake me when we get there"

When we pulled up to the dock, a whole gaggle of little children came running out to the boat, each one talking just as fast as he/she could, trying to sell personal tour guide services. We had the convenient excuse of not understanding Portuguese.

It was a cute little town, with artisan shops. They weave fibers that they collect along the river. I got a  handmade bag--I love bags!!

View from the top

Lots of stairs!

 

Cooling off after our lighthouse tour with a Guarana "Jesus". This is a special brand of guarana soda only sold in the state of Maranhao. It is pink, with a slight cinnamon aftertaste. We grew to like it.

 

 

Final stop: Ocean beach!

 

The waves were big and strong. I got rolled one time and dragged along the ocean floor. I am still picking sand out of my ear!

We all decided it would be safer for me to remain out of the water. Which was fine, since the beach was covered in shells. I LOVE shell hunting! I even found my favorite--a sand dollar!

 



 

 

We had taken a 5 hour bus ride from Sao Luis to arrive at the resort in Barrerinhas for our excursions. Now it was time to return back to Sao Luis. I thought I had seen poverty since moving here to Brazil, but our river ride and bus ride showed me a poverty I have never imagined. We saw huts made out of nothing more than sticks and grass or palm fronds:

 



 

These pictures aren't very clear, but the houses were literally framed out of sticks. Some had mud bricks holding the sticks together. Few had windows or doors. They were all thatched with dried palm fronds, sticks, or grasses. There were laundry lines strung up outside, and little children (sometimes naked) running around with the chickens and goats. On the river, there were fishing nets and small boats nearby... And, I complain about not having a garbage disposal!!!

 

 

Back in Sao Luis for the real reason we came here--for Tom to work. I am very proud of the work he does! He has been asked to come back and has received other invitations around the country. One of the women who helped drive us around during our stay, thanked the kids and I for our sacrifice of sharing our husband/father with them. She called him a "genius" and said, "The world needs a thousand more Dr. Higbees!" I agreed with her. And, I think it really helped the kids to understand how important their dad's work is to people. Tom gave presentations all day long at his conference on Autism. Meanwhile, the kids and I got a personal tour of the city. It was really neat. I enjoy learning about the history of places. Sao Luis was conquered by the French, only because the Portuguese couldn't get there first; their ship sank on the way. But, after 2 years, the Portuguese came back and reclaimed it from the French. Most of the original houses and buildings in the historic center are covered in Portuguese and Spanish tile. I was told that this was not only for decoration, but also served the function of reflecting the hot sun to keep the interiors cooler.

 

Cool tiles and cobblestone streets

The king's palace--a museum now, and I think the governor's mansion? It has original furniture inside, but it was closed the day we went. Bummer!

 



Just a neat building that houses the Marines. It was covered in tile, but the picture doesn't show it.

Beautiful church. I felt a little irreverent snapping photos during mass.

The outside of the church. Oops, not a very good photo. The stones for the walkway and steps were made out of a special Portuguese stone, called, "singing stones", because of the sound they make when struck with a hammer.

Original fountain in the center of town, where, in the old days, people from all over the city would come for their water. Apparently, it was pumped in from the ocean through those portholes, after going through some sort of purifying process.

Old theater with great acoustics, according to our guides.

 



The oldest church in Sao Luis--Igreja do Desterro--built in 1618 (400 years old!)

 

Another cool church

During our tour, we spotted a group of people practicing Capoeira--a form of Brazilian Martial Arts. They all sang me a song and showed off their moves. This guy posed for a picture.

 

 

Our tour guides, Karina and ? (unfortunately, I couldn't understand her husband's name). They were very professional, knowledgeable, and kind.

 

They even bought us some fruit at a fruit stand along the way:

 

 

 

 

 

 



This was my favorite. (Marissa's too) Can't remember the name. Looks like an artichoke on the outside. Soft and sweet on the inside.

 



 



Overall, we had a wonderful trip--but no rest! We were looking forward to returning home and sleeping in. However, our flight was cancelled the morning of our return, and they were going to put us on a flight for the following day! After a few phone calls by Tom (my hero),  the airline  discovered a later flight. It would put us back in Campinas around midnight. Campinas is a 1.5-2 hour drive from our house. So much for a good night's rest! But, we were ready to go home. We had one layover. When we disembarked, we checked the flight board, only to find no gate listing, just a departure time. So, we parked by the screen, in what we thought was a central location, and watched and listened for announcements. All of a sudden, the screen changed to "final boarding", still with NO gate listed! So, we asked an agent, and were directed down the same stairs we had gone on our flight to Sao Luis! It had a strange hint of deja-vu, but this time, our departure gate was truly where they said it would be. We were the last ones to board the bus to our plane. Third phew! (But not out of the woods yet--remember that spare tire?!) I prayed all the way home on that last leg that we wouldn't arrive in the middle of the night to a flat tire-- 2 hours away from home, and I got more and more nervous the closer we came. But, the tire looked good. The car started... Forth and final PHEW!!!

We made it home, tired and sandy in the wee hours of Monday morning. But, the good thing about homeschooling is, you can sleep in as late as the teacher wants--and this teacher slept until 10:00!