It has been over two months since I last published anything, and it’s crazy to think that in under four months I will be returning to The States. So I reckon it’s about time to write something. I recently spent 30 days in a bus, traveling throughout the Northeast of Brazil with 43 other exchange students. It was awesome. We started in São Paulo, went north all the way up to Brasilia, and then made our way down the east coast of Brazil, until we reached São Paulo again. Essentially we would stay in one location for three days, then spend a day traveling. I now have around 1,700 pictures of the trip on my computer. They will be on the internet soon. We exchange students went to some of the best beaches in Brazil, visited small towns with lots of culture, saw famous landmarks like the Christ the Redeemer Statue, and got to know one another very well.
I’m fairly certain that my pictures will do a better job describing the trip than my words, but I will write anyway. I regret not keeping a journal of the trip because I know that I will leave out some things worth talking about. But nonetheless, here is what sticks out to me, in no particular order. In Rio de Janeiro, our final city, we ascended to the top of a mountain and saw the Christ the Redeemer Statue. The view was incredible. That same day, we went on top of a different mountain island by means of an air pulley system and had another amazing view. On the island, we found a tribe of small primates. I don’t know what they’re actually called, so we just referred to them as monkeys. There was a sign that said not to feed the monkeys, so of course we spent the better part of a half hour feeding the monkeys crackers from continental breakfast. They were adorable, and they would come up on our laps if we gave them food. It is incredible how something only 8 inches tall can resemble a human with its eating mannerisms.
In our first city, Lençois, we hiked a few kilometers through the woods and went to a river and swam there for a few hours. There was a natural waterslide, a natural jumping-into-the-river point, as well as rocks in the river that encouraged jumping to and fro. I suppose we could have pretended the water was lava, but we didn’t. Nevertheless, it was still a good time.
One day we took a boat to a near island in the ocean. It was a very pleasant trip. At the island, we took pictures and swam in the water. After I had applied my second layer of sunscreen, the trip chaperones looked at me and told me that I looked like I was already red, and told me that I must put a shirt on, lest I burn up and get a fever that night. So I reluctantly obeyed, and got teased by the people who had more melatonin in their skin than me (a.k.a. everyone). The important things, however, are that I did not get sunburned and that my shirt didn’t get ruined in the salt water.
While in Porto Seguro, we went to a beach festival event. Another excellent beach sat in front of a stage of dance instructors and a floor for everyone to dance on. We danced Brazilian funk style, and got sprayed with water. Three people in our group won t shirts. One American boy named Taylor caught one that was thrown in the crowd. A German girl named Johanna was given a shirt by the instructor. And Jack, an American, won the shirt by smooching the (male) instructor on the lips. Worth it. Another funny thing happened. At the end of the show, everyone went up on the stage, and Johanna got party-boyed by about four middle-aged, intoxicated Brazilian men - the same way high school boys just choose someone at random and dance around them. A few exchange students saw what was going on, so we joined in as well. Good stuff.
The best part of the trip, though, was meeting 42 new exchange students (I already knew Casper), and spending nearly every minute of thirty days together. I made some great friends. It was funny to notice how people remind me of friends from home, and to hear them say some of the same things about me that my friends at home used to say. Towards the end of high school, I was referred to by some as “Old Man Johnson.” On the trip, there were a few occasions when an American or two told me that I had old man-ish qualities. And because English was spoken by nearly everyone on the trip, it was nice to hear and be able to use slang again. Some things are just hilarious because they haven’t been heard in five months. Another thing that reminded me of home was being able to sing at the top of my lungs. I noticed that in my first five months in Brazil, I only sang out loud when I was home alone. But on the trip were Danish and American boys who played the guitar and sang, so it was nice to have some musical company. By the end of the trip, I felt like I had known some of these kids for a very long time. Saying goodbye was not a fun thing to do.
The 2011 school year has started, so I’m back to class. Going to school reminds me of my first month in Brazil. It’s kind of like being the new kid on the block again, except this time around I can speak and understand the language. In addition, I am now an “oldie.” Alejandra, a Mexican who arrived in February 2010, left Londrina last Saturday. She was the last former “oldie” to leave. Now, we just received a batch of Australians. I’m looking forward to making the most of the next four months. I’ll see you all in no time. Time is flying. Thanks for reading.
