It was also Valentine's Day in Brazil.
We were downstairs in the lobby by 6:40 a.m. ready with out lunches, bathing suits and towels. We first went to the university to meet with the rest of CESUPA. There we met Lucas' girlfriend, Vivian, and a lot of really fun people. We then drove together to a port to catch a boat to the island. The boat ride was amazing and they gave us a CESUPA shirt, which was such a nice gesture from their part.
Almost an hour later we arrived tot he island. It was really hot but very green. The island reminded me of the show "Lost" even though i've never seen it.
We went hiking for about an hour. It was definitely an adventure because we had to cross bridges made out of really fragile and unsteady bamboo sticks.
Our guide was a man who lived there. He was very nice and he showed us his house and other houses of people in the island.
After a long hike our guide discovered a tree of cacao and he cracked two open. It was amazingly delicious. The cacao was very sweet. However, we weren't allowed to eat it we just had to suck on it and throw it out. 
We then kept walking and found a tree of acai. However, we were not allowed to taste them. Patrick, one of our classmates, actually climbed a tree like the natives do it was very funny.
We then headed back to the main village and saw some men building a boat.
When we came back, CESUPA was having a meeting with the natives about how they want to help them grow a business so they can support themselves and not depend on them to bring them food and supplies. However, they said the people kept thinking it was a political issue and they were having a hard time gaining their trust.
As they talked, we all just hung around and talked to some of the CESUPA members and we befriended all the kids. They were so funny and they were teaching us some words in portuguese. They were all so cute. I let them borrow my camera and they they took some really good pictures. I really hope one day they can go to the city and become wonderful photographers, lawyers, doctors, politicians and maybe even journalists.
We headed back to the city at around 3 p.m.
At 6 p.m. we all went to this amazing restaurant. Our dinner was delicious and we got free heart-shaped cookies because it was Valentine's Day.
At around 9 p.m. our brazilian friends Gabih, Vanessa and Christian came to surprise us to our hotel room. They are so funny. We called Patrick over and decided to go have fun!
Tracy, Patrick, Gabih, Christian and I decided to go to Favela's. It was so fun.
We drank brazilian beer and danced lambadas, carimbo and even some samba.
What a great Valentine's Day in Brazil!
Sunday Lucas, Isabella, Isabella's boyfriend and Vivian took us to Festival de Junho, which is a festival held all throughout June but Sunday was the opening day and it is the best day to go because of the live music and all the people. We walked around the whole park and shopped for souvenirs. It was incredibly hot and packed. But it was so much fun. Patrick decided to eat a meat kabob, which are popular because some say the vendors use cat meat. It was pretty disturbing but of course Patrick had to try it. A few hours later we met up with a few members from CESUPA at the park.
After the festival, we left to the shopping mall to eat. I ate a delicious plate of fettucini. The food at the mall is the best. They hand make everything. They have maybe like two or three fast food restaurants but the others are all buffets and real restaurants. I love the food here and it is very cheap as well.
After lunch we all went to a CESUPA party that was being held at this amazing place that extended out to the river. It was so big and packed with people. It's like a bar/event venue but this day anyone can come but CESUPA was there as well. They had live bands that were amazing. We all hung around in the pier and drank and just had a good time.
It started to rain for a while but then it stopped. And when it rains here, it pours. It looks absolutely amazing.
We then began to dance and it got really hot. Dancing was so much fun because we were learning carimbo, a brazilian dance. We also drank caipirinhas, which are Brazil's signature drinks. They taste very much like margaritas but without the salted rim. We met some brazilian guys who were teaching us how to dance and surprisingly one was from New York. He was the first person we met in Brazil that was not Brazilian.
This was such a fun day and night here in Belem.
The boat trips to islands of Pará are always wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteI like Cacau in the house of my grandfather had a cacau tree when I was a child :d very good!!
Was pretty much what you wrote about the children of the island: "I really hope one day they can go to the city and become wonderful photographers, lawyers, doctors, politicians and maybe even journalists."
Saturday night was, really fun in Favela Bar. On Sunday the party was complete, and very entertaining in Square of Republic and in Mormaço.The night was very crazy!