Today, I tried an amazing fruit called açai.  It is a fruit from the amazon forest  that is (supposedly) extremely good for you.  In the south of Brazil (where I am) they serve it a liquid frozen form called Açai na tigela, (just açai in a bowl)  with a variety of different things.  You can eat it with granola, chocolate, fruits, cornflakes, candy, and it is all delicious.   The taste of the açai is like a mild grape, but with other fruits, açai exaggerates the other fruits flavor.  Makes them all taste even sweeter, and amazingly fresh.  It is the best snack I have had in Brazil yet (and could even be considered a meal).  Cannot wait to have more, and more, and more…

Açai with Mangos and Strawberries! mmmmm....

Date:1/19/2011

Today we went to the Clube.  This is a sports club, kind of like a gym or sports resort, on an island in the middle of a river near Varginha.  It is beautiful place.  We began the day at the clube by taking a 2 mile hike on a nature trail by a beautiful river.  I asked our professor if anybody ran on the trail so I could get some trail running but she said no, because it was too hilly.  I thought to myself that it could not be as bad as the trails in Lubbock, but I soon realized why she said this.  All along the trail there were stairs made of mud, Makeshift bridges that were falling apart, and walking paths completely overgrown with plants.  I could see why this trail was made for hiking only.  We then spent a few hours swimming laps and relaxing at the pool until our Brazilian friends Ricardo, Lucas, and Gabrielle came to meet us and played volleyball for the rest of the day.  I got to practice a lot of Portuguese with them and learned many new words.  Just being able to listen to them speak is great, and helps a lot.  I am beginning to be able to differentiate words from one another, and be able to really understand people when they talk.  Another great day in Brazil!  I will try to put up a post every day from now on with 5 new words and 1 new phrase that I learn.  Até Amanhã!  (Until Tomorrow!)

 

New Words:

Sua vez (Your Turn)

Parecer (Looks Like)

Mangeira (Mango Tree)

Escorregador (Slippery)

Aranha (spider)

Eu fui _____ hoje. (I went to _____ today)

Hey Everybody,

Too many stories to tell for 4 days, and only have time for a quick update.  I have made it to Brazil and am now in the beautiful town of Varginha, Brazil.  It has been very fast-paced here so I have had no time to put anything up here yet.  Have had a good time walking around the city, learning Portuguese, and making new friends.  Good times so far, more to come soon!

Varginha, The Rosewell of Brazil!

 

Today, I begin my countdown of me leaving for Brasil.  I accomplished my last step in finalizing my travel by getting my Student Visa.  This was accomplished with difficulty as I forgot on my way over you, need a USPS money order to pay them… that’s what I get for double checking the documents twice and forgetting the little things.  Oh bem a vida continua… (don’t know if a literal translation works, but oh well life goes on…)  Two hours at the consulate may seem long enough to pull your hair out, but after my interview with the consulate officer I got to meet a few interesting people.  I met a mother traveling for a wedding, a business man in the live entertainment industry (you can ponder what that means), and a professional volleyball player for São Paulo (She also has played for the US Olympic team 4 times and is a silver medalist!).  Overall an interesting experience at the consulate today, and cannot wait to finish packing and preparing!