What a Coincidence

Picture after capoeira class with Romeo.

The last week has been a pretty good week. I feel like I've finally settled in here... It took me gosh darn long enough. Now I've figured out the bus system (which is still frustrating at times), I've figured out how to find out what's happening, and I know how to move around in this world a little better. Knowledge is the key to feeling safe and capable. I've found my rhythm here, but next week my world will be turned upside down yet again: DanceBatukeira starts next Wednesday, and by that time, 30 people will be living here on the farm with me. I will have to adapt to a whole new situation, but at least I won't be alone. 

Last weekend I wasn't alone either, however: a capoeirista named Zangado from New York was staying here before going to a different capoeira event happening in the nearby city. It was nice to have some company at times, especially company that spoke English. On Saturday night, I decided not to go to the Roda and went to bed early. I left a note on his door saying that I was planning to go to Itacaré, a nearby town, by bus the next day to explore, and if he wanted to come with me to come to the kitchen at 7:00 and I would fix us both breakfast. Bright and early the next morning he appeared in the kitchen, and we ate breakfast together and caught the bus to Itacaré. Itacaré is an interesting town: there are many  touristy shops and restaurants juxtaposed with lower-class Brazilian houses and establishments. We walked down to the coast and along the waterline until the road ended and then walked back. Multiple times we were asked by people if we wanted to take a boat ride, and finally we decided, why not? The guide offered to take us to a waterfall where we could swim, and we decided to go. I was very glad that Zangado had come with me; I would have never taken a boat trip alone. As it was it was just the two of us and the guide. He took us in his motorboat away from the coast and into the estuary where the De Contas River flows into the ocean. Estuaries are incredibly interesting areas, and this one had large mangrove groves with two different species of mangrove. Our guide explained to us the differences between the species and showed us their seeds. We continued into an area overgrown with trees with a shallow river winding through. Between the trees, in the mud, were hundreds of crabs that darted into their holes when we passed too close. We had to take a short hike into the waterfall and were able to swim in a beautiful pool up above the main cascade. 

After a lunch back in town, we took the bus back and were home in the afternoon. I greatly appreciated at that moment the ability to be on my own schedule, being able to return when I wanted to. 

The bus ride to Itacaré takes 40 minutes; the bus ride to Ilhéus takes over an hour and a half. I had to extend my visa for my stay in Brazil, because I will be here for about 20 days longer than my 90 day limit. The process in and of itself was decently simple: pay a fee and fill out a small information form. However, there were several complicating factors: the federal police office is only open from 8:00-11:00 each day, and you have to pay the fee somewhere other than the office. On Tuesday I went to the office, got the invoice for the fee, and walked into the city to pay the fee. The closest place I could pay was a lottery store, but there was a long line, and by the time I was able to pay, it was already 11:00. The next day, I took the 1.5 hour bus ride back into town, spent a total of 15 minutes in the office, and took the 1.5 hour bus ride back. Now, I am legal to stay in Brazil until April 14th (not that I will stay that long, but I could). 

Coincidence is a funny thing that can be absolutely flabbergasting. A very strange coincidence happened to me this week. It began with a friend request on the couchsurfing app from a guy named Cris from Mexico. I, being wary of random people requesting to get to know me, declined. Cris messaged me a few days later, saying that he had stayed with Junia in Vila Velha (the same woman I had stayed with). She had told him that I had traveled to Serra Grande, and he told me was staying on a farm near Serra Grande and asked if I wanted to meet up. Why not, I thought, and suggested we meet at the bakery in town. At the agreed upon time I met him there, and we had a conversation over some sweet buns. He is from Mexico, has been traveling South America for 11 months, and now is staying on a farm up the road from where I am staying for a month. I couldn't believe it! He had stayed with the same couchsurfing host and now is living up the road from me. 

We had a good conversation, with both of us switching between Spanish and Portuguese. I was trying to speak Spanish but quickly realized that after only speaking Portuguese for 3 months now my Spanish is in shambles. (Speaking Spanish now feels like trying to walk over cobblestones in stiletto heels to me; it's so much work after speaking Portuguese, which feels more relaxed.) 

I had to go to capoeira class that night, and Cris decided to come with me. He had done capoeira once but joined right into the class and is coming to the next class! All in all, he's a neat guy and I have the feeling I'll be seeing a lot more of him in the next few weeks. 

Living in a very rural place comes with its own frustrations, along with the idyllic beauty. One is the lack of Wi-Fi, which is mostly bot a problem. However, all the colleges I've applied for insist of sending me emails for MORE scholarship applications, among other things, which are difficult to do here, as I have to go to the bakery to get Wi-Fi. I wish sending in college applications was the end of the story until you've made a decision about which college to go to. 

Another topic of interest these days is the number of animals that have decided to share my cabin with me. There is a rat that has been very active in my cabin the last few nights, and I can hear him running around and chewing on the mattresses (collecting nesting material). There are also bats that fly into the cabin and roost during the night, sometimes I hear their wings flapping. Last night, a 2 inch tarantula appeared in my cabin. I decided to take care of it once I had gone and brushed my teeth, but when I got back, it had disappeared. I really wonder where it went... I am very glad to have a mosquito net, which nowadays protects me from much more than just mosquitos. The psychological protection it provides is the most important of all: I feel safe with the net tucked in under my mattress. Even though the various animals wouldn't harm me in the first place, there is still something very unsettling about going to sleep to the scratching noises of a rat and the knowledge that there is a tarantula somewhere in my room.