Spring in Sao Paulo

I have gotten quite behind in my writing, and have been meaning to sit down for weeks to record some of what has been going on this spring – just a couple more weeks and it will be summer here!  The days have passed in a blur, and today marks ten months that we have been living in Brazil.  It’s hard to believe that in a couple of weeks, we’ll be heading back to the States to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with family and friends – even though it means we’ll be trading our recently-arrived hot days for dreary winter weather, we can’t wait and are counting the days!  Since my last entry, we have celebrated Halloween and Thanksgiving, and have been watching as Brazil decks its halls in preparation for Christmas.  There is definitely a lot of cognitive dissonance occurring, as we try to wrap our minds around these traditionally cold-weather holidays that are being celebrated in tropical heat!

I’ll rewind the clock a bit and start with birthday celebrations.  On October 20^th, my sweet “helper”, Tania, celebrated her 35^th birthday.  I had coordinated with Debora, Tania’s other employer, to take her out to lunch and make her birthday special.  When I told Tania of our plan and told her she could pick her favorite restaurant, her reply surprised me and made me sad at the same time.  She gave a nervous laugh, patted my leg and said, “Dona Silvana, I’ve never been to one!”  She’d never been to a restaurant!  Because of scheduling issues with Debora, I actually got to take her out to lunch two days in a row, so she was finally able to eat in a restaurant, not once, but two times in the same week – the only two times she’s ever sat down in a restaurant, with waiters, and ordered from a menu.  As a matter of fact, the first day, when we sat at the table and the waitress handed her a menu, Tania turned to me and asked for help – she knows perfectly well how to read, she just never had the opportunity to read a menu.  My kids have been ordering from menus in restaurants since before they could read – oh, the things we take for granted!  At the end of her second birthday lunch, Tania told Debora and me that it had been the most special birthday she had ever celebrated, and had been better than any gift she could have received.  Such a simple thing, that so many of us do on a far-too-frequent basis brought more joy to her (along with knowing that we cared enough to take the time to make her day special) helped make this birthday one she swears she will never forget. 

The next birthday on the calendar was Ian’s, as he turned eleven years old.  Again, where does the time go???  Because we are far from family, and we won’t dare try to pull off a Brazilian-style birthday party, we kept things simple.  We went out to dinner as a family, with Ian choosing an American style diner called “Baby Burger” for a big meal of burgers and fries – Ian made himself sick as he followed his dinner with a very large chocolate milkshake.  The next day we had a few of Ian’s friends and neighbors over for some delicious brigadeiro cake that Tania made for his big day.  It was a small celebration, but a good one nonetheless.  

The end of Ian’s birthday week brought the beginning of the Halloween festivities – I was surprised about how many times the boys were able to wear their costumes.  Alex dressed up as a frightening scarecrow and Ian was an XBOX king – a very clever costume that had some people confused, wondering if he was a part of a bigger tic-tac-toe ensemble or perhaps a large wrapped gift box.  Our first activity of the weekend was trick-or-treat through the forest at a nearby condominium.  It was quite a different experience than going door-to-door in Highland Village!  As opposed to walking dark streets on a cool autumn evening, the kids ran from station to station through the tropical forest – Matt and I were amused at the stark contrast of Halloween in Brazil – hot weather, the sun still shining, surrounded by palm trees and tropical plants.  After filling their bags with candy, the boys borrowed swim trunks and spent the rest of the evening splashing around in the pool – definitely a far cry from a Pennsylvania Halloween!  The next day we celebrated this very-American tradition by going to a party, complete with more trick-or-treating and a haunted house that was held at the U.S. Marine House.  Those marines know how to throw a party; the kids had a great time, and from the pictures I saw, the adult-only after-party was quite a success, too!  Last, but not least, was a huge celebration at the kids’ school – Alex still went as a scarecrow, but this time Ian dressed up as a big, bad biker to go along with his class theme.  Overall, despite the fact that we were in a country that doesn’t really recognize Halloween, we had plenty of opportunities to celebrate, not to mention eat lots of candy. 

The following weekend was one of the highlights of my time in Brazil.  Every year, the American Society of Sao Paulo throws a Christmas party (in November) for about 230 of the city’s orphans.  I was part of the planning committee and participated in the day’s events.  It was such an incredible day with so many emotions – it was very overwhelming to see so many children (who only represent a small percentage of so many in the city) who have so little.  They were treated to lunch from McDonalds (something they never get), entertainment, games, as well as a visit from Santa Claus where each child received a bag full of goodies.  Their cheerful dispositions and smiles warmed and melted everyone’s hearts – I would have taken many of them home with me if it were possible.  The Brazilian laws regarding adoption are ridiculous with so much bureaucracy and red-tape that the majority of these children will spend their childhoods living in group homes until they turn 18.  It was a privilege to be able to help many of the kids open their gifts and watch their faces light up as they studied the new outfit, shoes, backpack, toy, and sweet treat they each received.  One moment that was very eye-opening for me was the ten year old boy I helped who had no idea how to open a package – he had never opened a wrapped gift.  Again, I was made aware of the many things we take for granted.

The same week of the party, I started driving one of those orphans to his weekly therapy appointments.  The seven year old boy is usually accompanied by an educator from the orphanage and they normally travel by bus.  Riding in a car is something these kids rarely get the chance to do.  I was amused by his wonder at the things that were so new to him – the talking GPS, the air coming from the vents under the seat in front of him, the little button on the door that lowers and raises the window.  I look forward to my weekly visit with him – when I pick him up in the morning, I am always greeted by smiling children who are eager for a bit of extra attention, showering me with hugs and kisses.  Unfortunately, the majority of these kids don’t even learn to read or write very well – the overcrowded public schools do not have the means to give the children the attention they need, and there is no parental involvement to aid in their education.  The orphanages have educators who offer some support, but there are just too many kids and not enough adults to fill the need.  So, during my time with the orphan in my care for a few hours a week, I try to teach him just a little bit about letters, sounds, and words.  He loves for me to read to him while we sit in the waiting room of the therapist’s office, and I love to have him snuggle up next to me and listen to the stories.  Finally, I feel like I have found some purpose to my time here.

Along with variable weather, November brought with it a few holidays, granting us the beautiful gift of a four-day weekend.  We decided to take advantage of the extra days without school and work to travel to the city of Curitiba, in the state of Parana.  Our friends, Fabio and Fabiane, moved there a few months ago and we saw it as a perfect opportunity to visit them (and their adorable baby, Victor) and see a new city.  As is the theme with traveling by car in Brazil, there is always traffic with which to contend.  What should have been a five-hour drive took almost 8 hours – on one curvy, mountainous stretch of road, it took us 2 hours to go 20 KM.  By the time we arrived, we were exhausted from the long trip and went straight to our friends’ apartment and spent a couple of hours visiting and playing with Victor.  Even though it was dark as we drove to our hotel later that evening, it was obvious to us that there was a very different feel to this city.  What a difference from being in Sao Paulo! 

There is a strong European influence in Curitiba, and it is modern, cleaner, safer, and better organized than Sao Paulo.  Despite the fact that there are about 3 million people within the metropolitan area of Curitiba, compared to where we live, it felt like a nice small town.  Though not a coastal town and with no beach nearby, the many museums and beautiful parks draw tourists to this city.  Fabio and Fabiane spent a day showing us around the city – with them we visited a museum, a park, the historic part of town, and the beautiful botanical gardens.  We ended our long day with a dinner of all-you-can-eat pizza – the boys were so tired that they fell asleep at the table – Alex even started to sleep-walk as we were leaving the restaurant and wandered over to a table where 6 people were enjoying their dinner.  We cracked up laughing as we watched him approach this group of strangers and propped his elbows on their table, settling his head in his hands as he gazed at them sleepily.  It gave them quite a good laugh, too!  The next day it rained, but that didn’t keep us from enjoying the double-decker tour bus that we took to visit different attractions in the city.  It was a great trip, visiting good friends, and seeing a beautiful city - it was so refreshing to be away from the hectic and crowded city of Sao Paulo, that a few times on our trip I even forgot for a few minutes that we were still in Brazil!

A bittersweet time for us was that of Thanksgiving.  It was tough to know that our families were all drifting toward one another to celebrate the holiday together and that we could not be there to join them.  Being a strictly American holiday, there is no mention of Thanksgiving in Brazil – it’s just another Thursday on the calendar.  Several of our friends had traveled for a long weekend away, since their kids’ American school actually gave them a day and a half off from classes.  That same school hosted a Thanksgiving dinner the Saturday before the actual holiday, and we participated, enjoying a turkey dinner with many of the trimmings.  Thanksgiving Thursday arrived, the kids went to school and Matt had to work a full day – I even had a dentist appointment that morning – life, as usual.  However, I was determined to make this a special day despite the circumstances.  Our friends, Ann and John, didn’t have plans so they joined us for dinner that evening.  With Ann’s help, I prepared a huge traditional dinner, from the turkey to the pumpkin pie and we all ate like pigs.  It may not have been the way we traditionally celebrate, but as we remembered our many blessings, it was a beautiful evening spent with friends.

As summer quickly approaches in the southern hemisphere, so does the Christmas holiday.  Christmas decorations have been sprouting up all over the city since the last week in October.  The condominium complex is lit up in a bright display of lights that rivals any decorations we would see in the States.  I don’t know why I am so surprised by this – I guess that it’s hard for it to feel like Christmas without the cold, blustery weather we are accustomed to having this time of year.  Almost all of my shopping has been done on-line, taking advantage of the many companies that offer free shipping – my mom has been kind enough to sort through and store all of my purchases.  In just over a week, the kids will be out of school for six weeks – it is hard to believe that they have already completed 2 semesters here in Brazil.  They have started taking Kung Fu classes a couple of times a week, which has been a nice addition to their schedules and has been keeping us even busier than before.  We are all looking forward to a break in the routine and a chance to slow down – we can’t wait to get back to the States.  I am so excited to meet my new niece, Amelia, and all of the other babies who have been born in the last few months; I can’t wait to eat our moms’ cooking and to enjoy time spent with family and friends.  As “Phase Two” of our time in Brazil comes to an end, I feel like I’m in a completely different place than I was at the beginning – I count my blessings every day.  Life is good.     

    

Cusco Valley and Machu Picchu

This entry may end up sounding more like a history lesson than something that would be in a family journal, but many years from now, I want to be able to recall the awe-inspiring sights and the details that we learned during our recent trip to Peru.  As I told the boys while we climbed the many steps at the ruins of the Inca city of Machu-Picchu, I hope they never forget that they walked on that sacred land, that they touched those weathered stones, and that they witnessed one of the most beautiful and incredible places they will see in their lives.  I hope that this story of our unforgettable vacation will help them remember one of the greatest adventures we experienced together as a family.

We left Sao Paulo on a Friday evening, spending 7 hours (overnight) in the Lima airport.  I had packed a sleeping bag and “Snuggies”, hoping to get a little bit of sleep on the chairs in brightly lit waiting areas, which for the boys was already an adventure.  By the time we arrived in Cusco, we were excited to be surrounded by the majestic mountains, but were exhausted and feeling the effects of the altitude.  We were picked up at the airport and taken to our hotel, where we were given coca tea (made from the same leaf used to make cocaine) to combat altitude sickness.  Matt quickly became a fan of the coca leaves, carrying them with him on all of our tours and drinking the tea any time he had a chance.  I joked that if we had stayed any longer, he would have become addicted! 

 

Because it was too early to check in to our hotel room, our tour coordinator suggested we walk around and get acquainted with the town and have a bit of breakfast.  He took us to a huge market, where locals go to eat and buy their meats, produce, and other goods.  I’ve posted pictures of this impressive market, and have received many comments from friends saying they have been inspired to become vegetarians – no part of the cows, pigs, and other animals sold are spared – they eat EVERYTHING!  The kids were in awe of the brains, sheep heads, bull testicles, whole pigs, chicken feet, and organ meats - just to name a few of the unusual “foods” we saw.  As per habit, Ian had to use the bathroom, so our guide took us to the public restroom that also proved to be an interesting experience.  To begin with, it was one big room with stalls used by men and women, alike, complete with a couple of shower stalls.  What really surprised us the most, however, was that they actually charged to use the facilities, depending on what you had “to do” – 20 cents to pee, and 50 cents to poop!  Many places in our tours charged to use the public restrooms, but this was the only place that differentiated the cost based on the need – different indeed!  Having already received an education about local living, we found a restaurant that was still serving breakfast, where we rested and filled up on carbohydrates, also helpful with avoiding altitude sickness. 

Once we were able to get into our hotel rooms, we showered and got ready for our first tour – the Cusco City Tour.  Before planning our trip to Peru, I had never heard of the city of Cusco - in my mind, it was just the closest city that would give us access to the more well-known Machu Picchu.  Boy, was I wrong!  The city, with a population of almost 500,000, is situated in a valley high in the Andes Mountains at 11,100 feet elevation.  The historical significance of the Incas that were conquered by the Spaniards (in the name of Christian Catholicism) in this city, which used to be the capital of the Inca Empire, is central to the modern development of the Cusco Valley and surrounding regions.  Our first stop was the main cathedral in the center of the city, where we received a history lesson about how the Spanish conquerors invaded the Inca territories in the 1530s and brutally massacred the armies of Indians that far out-numbered their own troops.  In one battle, at the Peruvian city of Cajamarca, the Spaniards – led by Francisco Pizzaro - invaded with fewer than 200 men, using horses and sophisticated weapons, and managed to capture the Inca leader, Atahuallpa, and defeat his army of 80,000 Indians, which was on foot and virtually unarmed.  The cathedral itself is a work of art, and is one of the largest and most decorated in South America.  It is full of gold and silver ornamentation, as well as many paintings depicting varying versions of biblical stories (both from the perspectives of the conquered Incas as well as those of the Europeans), including a controversial depiction of “The Last Supper”, in which the face of Pizzaro was painted as Judas.  I found it disconcerting that the cross that had been carried by the priest who ordered the brutal murders of the Incas (they were considered to be “enemy dogs that rejected the things of God”) hung proudly in the center of one of the chapels of the cathedral.

After our lesson and tour of the cathedral, it was time to learn more about the important landmarks in Cusco, where many of the buildings stand upon original Inca foundations.  We visited a small museum where we learned a bit more about the intelligent Inca civilization and were able to see evidence of skull surgeries they performed, as well as some mummies that have been discovered.  We then boarded a bus and headed to the ruins of Saqsaywaman (a.k.a. ‘Sexy Woman’), considered to have been a fortress and ceremonial grounds for the Incas.  Here we were able to see the incredible handiwork and architectural skills the Incas possessed.  The massive stone structures in the ruins were beautifully hand-cut and pieced together, without the use of any mortar.  All of the stones (the largest of which weighs over 120 tons) used were cut at a quarry 8 kilometers away, and carried by men on foot, to the grounds here.  While we explored the ruins, a herd of alpaca ran past us in search of food – one of them even spat at us as it passed!  This is also where Ian really started to feel the effects of the altitude, losing all color, and nearly passing-out – he and Matt stayed at the bottom of the hill, while Alex and I climbed around the fortress and took in the beautiful scenery around us.

Our next stop was the site of Tambomachay, which sits at 12,000 feet elevation, and was dedicated to the worship of water.  It is known as the “Inca Baths” and the canals found here demonstrate the Inca’s architectural talent, as well as their knowledge of hydraulics.  The boys, by now miserable and exhausted, stayed on the bus while Matt and I paced ourselves and climbed to the top of the hill – at this altitude, it was pretty easy to become winded and feel your heart pound in your chest.  We then visited the cave and labyrinth of Q’enqo, where we were taught the process the Incas used to mummify their dead.  The Incas believed in life after death, and took great care to preserve the bodies of the more important members of their communities – they were always placed in a seated, fetal position and were strategically placed in areas that received the right amount of sun and wind in order to aid the process of mummification.  The mummies were considered to be sacred and were revered; the Incas held special festivals and ceremonies where all of the mummies were brought together and gifts and offerings were given to them.  With our tour complete, we made one final stop at a store selling goods made of pure alpaca wool – here we were taught to spot the difference between the real thing and the synthetic alpaca that street and market vendors try to convince you to buy.  During our stop, we were given more coca tea to sip while we shopped; Matt and the boys even picked out a sweater and hats to take home with us.  Our first day in Cusco was complete – exhausted, we all turned in early that night!

The second day of our visit would take us on a tour of the Sacred Valley of the Incas – this was a key area of settlement for the Incas.  The fertile soil here and temperate climate provided optimal grounds for growing crops and is still used for agricultural purposes today; the valley is bordered by the Urubamba River.  We had just boarded the bus and were leaving the city of Cusco when Alex’s second front tooth fell out – he had lost the first front tooth just after we arrived at the airport in Sao Paulo two days earlier.  I tucked his tooth into my wallet for safe-keeping until we were in a place the tooth fairy could visit.  First on our tour was a stop at a craft market in the middle of nowhere – a definite tourist trap – where the boys picked out a couple of (overpriced) souvenirs.  Then we moved on to the ruins at the fortress of Pisaq.  Here, high in the Andes, more of the beautiful Inca architecture stands amidst majestic mountain scenery.  The picturesque fort is surrounded by intricate terraces (each with irrigation systems) that were expertly designed to grow the many species of corn, potatoes, and other grains for which the Incas are known.  It really is impossible to describe with words, or to show with pictures, how awesome it is to see the evidence of the existence of the Inca people and the feats they were able to accomplish; not only was their work beautiful, but it was very technical – they were skilled farmers, architects, and engineers. 

 

Once off of the mountain-top village, we descended to the market in the modern village of Pisaq.  We had been told that we would have time to shop and browse the many colorful stalls at this large produce and handicrafts market.  However, I think our guide, Cesar, was tired of having to round up our large group and wait for late stragglers; instead of shopping, we followed him to the “bakery” in the village.  The bakery consisted of an outdoor clay oven, where a man with a very long-handled wooden paddle was quickly baking everything from bread to guinea pigs.  Yes, that’s right, those adorable little fluffy creatures we keep as pets in the U.S. are considered to be a delicacy in Peru.  There was a little “guinea pig house” in the corner of the small square where the bakery is situated, and the cute animals were crawling around as you’d see in a pet store, not knowing their fate.  After eating some fresh-baked cheese empanadas and a delicious corn-on-the-cob (no, we didn’t try the guinea pig) we took a few before-and-after pictures of the critters, and were herded back onto the buses for a one-hour drive through the mountains to the town of Urubamba, where we had lunch.  Here, we tried some of the more common foods in Peru, including ceviche (raw fish soaked in lime juice and other seasonings), alpaca meat (which was delicious and tasted a lot like beef), and quinoa (a very common grain found in soups and salads).  

After lunch, it was time for more mountain roads and scenery as we made our way to the fort and village of Ollantaytambo.  This town has been built on top of original Inca foundations and is the best surviving example of Inca town planning; it is also has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America.  Ollantaytambo, which sits at the western end of the Sacred Valley, was an important religious, political, and agricultural center for the Incas.  We stayed with our group as we listened to the history of the place, and had little time to explore on our own before moving on to our last stop on the tour.  The Cusco Valley sits near the equator, which means the sun sets at about 6:00PM all year; by the time we reached Chinchero, the last village we visited, it was dark.  We were given a quick tour of a 17^th century church that is still functioning today, and returned to Cusco.  Exhausted and enlightened after a full day of learning and exploring, we had a light dinner and collapsed in our beds.

Next stop:  Machu Picchu!  I’ve taken the liberty of borrowing bits of information from the on-line version of the New World Encyclopedia to help explain the history and significance of this mystical and magical place…

“Machu Picchu (The Lost City of the Incas) is one of the most well-known sites of the Inca Empire. The ruin, located high in the Andes Mountains, is one of the most important archaeological centers in South America, and as a consequence, the most visited tourist attraction in Peru. The site can be reached by taking a train to nearby Aguas Calientes, then a bus to the ruins, or by the longer, more traditional four day hike from Cuzco along the Inca Trail - part of the ancient Inca road system, which included nearly 14,000 miles of road and stretched from Ecuador to Chile; an engineering marvel in itself.

The Inca were experts at a type of stone construction called "ashlar," in which stones are dry fit together so perfectly that not even a knife blade could fit between them. Despite their lack of a written language or the use of the wheel, the Inca were remarkably advanced in their understanding of drainage, construction, and hydrology. Buildings and terraces were constructed over foundations made from layers of gravel and rock, and drainage systems were designed to keep water from damaging the buildings or their foundations. The city's water supply came from a natural spring (an essential aspect of the site selection), but the Inca engineers built a spring collection system to enhance the yield of the spring. Despite a lack of iron or steel tools, the Inca created a monument that is as technically impressive as it is breathtaking, and has stood the test of time.

Writers comment it was for “God, gold, and glory” that the conquest of the New World took place. The Inca Civilization was wealthy and well-organized, with generally humane treatment of its people, including the vanquished.  It took the Spanish just eight years to all but destroy the richest culture in the Americas, replacing it with a much less just system - the new Spanish rulers brutally repressed the people and their traditions. Many aspects of Inca culture were systematically destroyed, including their sophisticated farming system. The Spanish used the Inca Mita (mandatory public service) system to literally work the people to death. One member of each family was forced to work in the gold and silver mines - when one family member died, which would usually happen within a year or two, the family would be required to send a replacement. As elsewhere in the Americas, many died from the diseases brought by the Spanish.

Machu Picchu was abandoned at the time of the Spanish invasion of Peru, although whether the Spaniards discovered it at that time is debatable. The Spanish saw little or no reason to preserve anything they encountered in Inca civilization. They plundered its wealth and left the civilization in ruin. The civilization's sophisticated road and communication system and governance were no mean accomplishments. Diverse tribes, many occupying isolated territories in the most obscure of mountain hideaways, were simply remarkable. The great and relatively humane civilization of the Incas' main legacy is inspirational, residing in the human ability to imagine that such a fabulously rich, well-ordered, and generally humane society once existed, high up in the Andean hills. Regardless of its actual purpose, Machu Picchu remains an incredible combination of natural beauty and human creativity.”

We were so excited to finally see the main attraction of Machu Picchu, though we thought a lot about John and Deanna, wishing they were with us to share in the experience.  Because we were traveling with the kids, and due to time constraints, we did not attempt the 4-day hike on the Inca Trail, and opted for a ride on the Vista-Dome train, instead.  Matt insists that he will return someday to do the hike – I hope he gets the chance to do it.  The train allowed panoramic views of the mountains and valleys, as well as remote homes and farms - the sun was shining and the sights were breathtaking and spectacular.  At a stop to pick up more passengers, locals approached our train selling their wares – they were persistent and managed to make a few sales.  Further along the way, we stopped at a railroad crossing and were approached by a young mother with two small children and an old lady selling flowers.  As the children looked up at our windows and waved at us, my heart melted and we threw some money down to them; others on the train tossed snacks and money, as well.  The poverty in Peru is one thing that stood out for us, and in the region we visited, tourism is what keeps the economy moving.  After almost four hours on the train, we finally arrived to the town of Aguas Calientes, where our guide for the day, Mario, was waiting and ready to go.

Mario had been expecting us earlier than our actual arrival time, and he was hoping we would be able to see the sights of Machu Picchu before it started to rain.  We were hungry for lunch, so we ate quickly while Mario went about the business of getting our tickets into the national park.  From Aguas Calientes, we took a 30-minute bus ride on a zigzag dirt road up the mountain to the gates of the ancient Inca city – the bus driver expertly managed the hairpin turns and backed up when necessary for other passing buses, but it still made us nervous.  Entering the park that holds the treasure of Machu Picchu is a serious business – we had to present our actual passports in order to be admitted; at the end of our tour, we even got a special stamp in our passports.  Once inside, we walked along a stone path until we reached the gateway that led us into the “Lost City of the Incas”.  After seeing so many pictures and anticipating our visit for months, it felt surreal to actually be there and witness the magnitude of this amazing place, which is on the list of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”.  We paused to take in the scene around us, as well as to snap a few pictures before Mario moved us along and started our lesson about the area and the people who built it. 

We spent the next several hours walking, climbing, listening to stories about the Incas, and marveling at the incredible architecture and terraces they designed.  We visited the Temple of the Sun, which has two windows strategically placed to allow the sun in exactly at the winter and summer solstices, when they held special ceremonies and festivals.  We saw the “southern cross” stone, which is situated perfectly to show direction, as Mario proved by placing his compass on it – the “N-E-S-W” lined up precisely with the four corners of the stone.  Another very large stone was discovered to have been used as a “clock” that used the shadows of the sun to help them tell time.  We learned about the three animals that were sacred to the Incas – the condor, puma, and snake – which represented the sky, earth, and underworld to them – and saw the stone carving of the condor that guarded a large tomb where it is believed they kept a mummified leader.  The Temple of the Condor is a perfect example of Inca stonemasonry - a natural rock formation began to take shape millions of years ago and the Inca skillfully shaped the rock into the outspread wings of a condor in flight.  We climbed past the terraces and reached the top of Machu Picchu and took in the breathtaking views from high on the mountain – Matt even mentioned how small he felt standing there.  Again, there aren’t words to describe the sensational feeling one has when witnessing such a spectacular exhibit of natural and man-made beauty; I hope to never forget the awe I felt at that moment.

By this time, our legs were feeling like rubber, our hearts were pounding, and we were getting tired – especially the boys.  However, when Mario asked if we would like to continue and visit the “Inca Bridge”, we decided to keep going – after all, it would be our only chance to see it.  We reached a guard gate where we had to sign-in before proceeding – they keep a log of all visitors who go to the bridge, as it is dangerous terrain – if you don’t return to sign-out, they’ll know you are missing.  Matt, who is afraid of heights, walked with Ian (who was very nervous) while I walked ahead with Alex, holding tightly to his hand.  The path on which we walked was situated along a mountain ledge (about 3 feet wide), with a drop-off of several hundred feet on one side – it was good not to look down!  After about 15 minutes of carefully making our way along the trail, we reached a point where the “bridge” was visible – yikes!  I borrowed this information from Wikipedia to explain in a bit more detail:  “This Inca Bridge is a part of a mountain trail that heads west from Machu Picchu. The trail is a stone path, part of which is cut into a cliff face.  A twenty-foot gap was left in this section of the carved cliff edge, over a 1,900 feet drop that could be bridged with two tree trunks, otherwise leaving the trail impassable to outsiders.”  We can only imagine the number of people who perished attempting to traverse the narrow wooden plank above the canyon – it was a scary sight to behold.  We sat on a stone ledge for a family picture, then turned and headed back to safer ground.  With our tour of Machu Picchu complete, we took a bus back down the mountain and had a quick dinner before boarding our train back to Cusco.  The train took us as far as Ollantaytambo, where we had a van waiting to take us the rest of the way.  While Matt and the boys napped, I stared out the window – though it was dark, the night was clear and the full moon lit up the sky, reflecting off of the snow-peaked mountains in the distance.  It was a peaceful moment, one in which I tried to absorb all I had learned, seen, and felt that day – I believe I am still processing it all, which is why I’ve written so much about our experience this majestic place.

Before returning to Sao Paulo, we had a few hours to explore more of Cusco.  We woke to a sunny morning and walked to the main plaza, then visited the Inca Museum, where we were able to see many of the artifacts that have been discovered throughout the valley and in Machu Picchu; some of items date back to the pre-Incas, even before the time of Christ.  We then walked through the busy downtown area of Cusco to a craft market, where we purchased a couple of gifts for John and Deanna – we couldn’t take them to Peru with us, but we can take a bit of Peru to them.  Before heading to the airport, we had time for a relaxing lunch – we agree with the belief that Peru has delicious food – and it was time to go.  I hope this story has helped to explain a bit of what we experienced on this most amazing journey – in the years to come, as I read about our time in Brazil, I hope these words will help us remember the wonderful things we were able to see and do while living in South America.  The day-to-day living in Sao Paulo isn’t always easy, but it is the chance to visit treasures like Machu Picchu that make this adventure one worth taking.          

Settling In...Again

Everyone has heard the expression, “Sometimes, life has a way of throwing you a curve-ball” – and it applies to most of us at one time or another.  How you react to that curve-ball is what can make the difference in the game of life.  Do you stand and watch it pass you by, or do you take a swing?  If you let it go, without even trying to get a hit, you run a much higher risk of striking out.  If you take a swing, you may miss and earn a “strike”, but you also have the chance of actually hitting the ball.  Will you get a base hit, or possibly a home run?  You won’t know until you take that swing.  When Matt was offered the job in Brazil, it was a major curve-ball thrown our way.  Of course, we swung the bat, and the outcome is yet to be determined – one thing for sure, we are still rounding the bases.

It is hard to believe that we have now been living in Sao Paulo for eight months – time flies! 

As I wrote before, ”Phase One” of our time here was spent getting to know our city, learning the language, meeting new people, and adjusting to life as ex-pats.  When we went back to the States for our visit in July, we had not realized how good it would feel to be “back home”.  Everything seemed so much easier than it is in Brazil; it almost felt as though we had never left.  I had to keep reminding myself that our time there was only temporary, and that we would have to return to our lives in Brazil.  After our difficult journey back to Sao Paulo, we initially felt happy to finally be here; that feeling quickly wore off, as the reality of being back in a foreign land and a massive city began to sink-in once again.  The traffic was daunting, the start of school was frustrating, the disparity between rich and poor was difficult to swallow, and we were all grumpy and glum for a while.

 

However, I was determined to get “Phase Two” headed in the right direction.  Matt, of course, fell right back into his routine of working long and stressful days.  It took a few weeks for us to get into the groove of homework (especially for Alex – we seemed to have daily battles), and I tried to get back into a regular schedule of exercise, Portuguese lessons, and a bit of socializing.  I had already set a goal for myself, to get the boys involved in more activities, and to find some volunteer opportunities to help me stay busy.  Ian and Alex quickly became busy, involved in after-school sports on Tuesdays and Thursdays, as well as an art class on Wednesday afternoons.  We also joined the American Society and signed them up for Little League soccer on weekends.  So, I was able to check-off the first item of order – the boys had plenty to do!  What has been surprising to me is that they are both enjoying the art class more than the sports – they really struggle to compete with the Brazilian kids, whose skills surpass their own – they seem to be more frustrated than happy.  But, we feel it is important that they continue to try to improve and learn to be a bit more aggressive – and, also, to not quit just because it is a little harder than they had anticipated.  It’s a tough lesson to teach and learn, but a necessary one – and, I hope that one day it will help them deal with other challenges they will face in life.

With the kids’ routines and schedules settled, it was my turn to find my place in this city.  I began reaching out to various organizations to offer my time as a volunteer.  Imagine my frustration when my offers to help (more like begging them to let me help) went unanswered.  Unfortunately, the organizations which need the most help, aren’t organized or structured enough to have people to respond to emails and phone calls.  I finally reached out to a very well-known, private (and very expensive) hospital to offer my services – of course, since they have abundant resources, they actually replied.  At about the same time, I received a response from an orphanage, with which I am now involved in various functions.  The hospital situation has proved to be more challenging and frustrating, as they expect their volunteers to be more like employees.  I have attended three informational sessions and interviews, only to find out that volunteers, like employees, are only allotted a certain number of vacation days per year; given that I travel to the U.S. twice a year, I would go over my “allowed” days off and could be “fired” from my volunteer position!  It’s crazy!  So, I am back to square one with trying to find a spot in some type of health-care setting, which is where I feel the need to help.  In the meantime, I’ll do what I can for the kids in the orphanage – hopefully, without becoming too attached.

Going back to the subject of traffic, and the glaring contradiction between rich and poor…about 3 weeks after returning to Sao Paulo, Alex was invited to a birthday party.  Matt and I had been feeling frustrated about the way some of the children from wealthy Brazilian families who live in our complex were treating the boys.  We would often comment on how poorly they are being raised, by babas (nannies) who have no authority to correct or discipline them – they show little respect for anyone or anything.  These kids are given whatever they want, giving them a sense of entitlement, while their parents leave the caregiving to under-paid “help”.  Many of the service workers in Brazil barely get by on their menial salaries, living in favelas, and existing on little more than beans and rice.  It is difficult to describe the poverty and wealth that exists here – the rich in Brazil are ultra-rich, and the poor are ultra-poor.   

The week of the birthday party, I had a couple of friends whose daughters had been invited to the wedding of two rabbits; yes, you read correctly – two live rabbits.  Amazed, and a bit disgusted by such superfluousness, I asked for details about the celebration.  If I hadn’t seen the pictures to prove it, I would not have believed it.  The “wedding” was held in a very large home near our condominium, complete with an officiant, caterers, flowers and candelabras, as well as a wedding cake – not to mention carrots for all of the children in attendance – unbelievable!  There were servers with food and drinks for parents, too.  This kind of display of wealth is one of the things that had me shaking my head and wondering about the lessons children learn in these situations – in my world, this is just not normal!  

As for the birthday party, it was for a boy in Alex’s class who was turning 8 years old, and was being held just a few miles from Matt’s office at a facility dedicated to kids’ parties.  Given that it was a Friday evening, we arranged for a friend to take Alex and her son, and Matt would pick them up after the party.  It took Matt two hours to drive the 5KM (3 miles) to pick them up – TWO HOURS!  When he finally made it home (three hours after leaving his office), he told me about what he had seen in the few minutes it took to collect the boys.  To begin with, there were about six parking attendants waiting outside; inside, he found a lounge complete with food and a full bar for the adults.  The rest of the facility was dedicated to children’s entertainment – a virtual indoor amusement park and playground, including a soccer court and video game room (not to mention several adult monitors who took care of the kids).  Matt’s estimate was that it probably cost the family about $8000 – for an 8-year old child’s birthday party!  Meanwhile, a service worker (working 40-50 hours a week) here brings home little more than that in an entire year.   

       

About a month after our return to Sao Paulo, and after several business trips for Matt, I begged him to take a day off and get me out of the city for a long weekend.  As I said to him, though I knew his trips out of town were for work and not pleasure, he was still getting away from the city, while I felt I was “stuck” here, day in and day out.  The boys had a long weekend coming up in September, and I wanted to get away, if only for a few days.  Matt explained to his boss that he would be needing a day off, because he had to “get his wife out of Sao Paulo” – his boss kindly agreed, saying he completely understood – thank you, Rodolfo!  I had originally wanted to go to Rio de Janeiro to finally get to see the beauty of the city that everyone insists is worth the visit; unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards – that weekend was the start of “Rock-in-Rio”, a huge concert that draws millions of people over the two-week festivities.  So, we decided to visit the historic city of Paraty, instead - I’ll write more about that trip in a later entry – I will just say that it felt great to be in such a beautiful place and get away.

The one highlight of “Phase Two” for us was a much-anticipated visit from Matt’s parents.  John and Deanna had been planning their trip to Brazil for many months, including a family vacation to Machu-Picchu, Peru.  The boys were counting down the days, as were Matt and I – and the big day finally arrived.  John and Deanna landed on a beautiful, sunny, hot morning on October 1^st.  We were so excited and happy to have them here, and to show them our home and city – we were also glad to receive some things from the U.S. – new video games for the boys, DVDs we had ordered, and a few little comfort items (Bisquick and various decaf teas, which are very hard to find here).  We had a full agenda planned for the week leading up to our trip to Peru.  After a traditional Brazilian breakfast, they unpacked, changed clothes, and relaxed for a bit, taking in the views from our apartment.  Once they got their second wind, we took them to the town of Embu.  We enjoyed showing them all of the unique shops, had a simple, but tasty lunch – John enjoyed his first caipirinha – and walked around for a couple of hours.  Exhausted from their trip, they turned in early that evening, but were up early on Sunday for some more exploring.  We decided to take them to Jardins, so they could see a more upscale part of town, and experience a typical feira (traveling market) – here, they loved the colorful fruit and vegetable stands and had a chance to taste a traditional “pastel” and sugarcane juice.  That afternoon was soggy and grey, and the boys had a little league soccer game - John, Deanna, and I stayed dry on the covered bleachers, while Matt and the boys had fun playing in the rain.  That evening, we took them to dinner at a churrascaria (Brazilian barbecue), where we all had our fill of delicious grilled meats (and John enjoyed a couple more caipirinhas).  Their first two days in Brazil had been full of activity, and we were all enjoying our time together.

Unfortunately, Monday morning brought the sad news that Deanna’s mother had died.  Isabelle, Matt’s grandmother, had been sick with Alzheimer’s for over 20 years, and had had many close-calls during the last five years.  Her mind had been gone a long time, but her body never seemed to want to give up on its hold on life.  It’s hard to accept the reality of what little control we have over anything, especially when it comes to the timing of death.  Isabelle had taken a turn for the worse just before their departure, and though Deanna had already told her mother goodbye, she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she didn’t return to be with her family and pay her final respects.  Though we all knew it was the right thing for them to return to the States, we couldn’t help but feel very sad and disappointed that their trip had been cut so short.  The boys were devastated, and Matt was quite depressed about the way things ended so quickly.  Having found a flight that same day, John and Deanna left Monday evening - with heavy hearts, we bid them farewell, and they promised to return for a longer visit in the future.  It seemed as though their visit hadn’t even been real – Matt actually awoke the next day wondering if it had all been a dream.

These are the things that make living so far away from family and friends more difficult.  Right now, Matt’s family is gathered together to celebrate Isabelle’s life, and we are sorry that we can’t be with them.  On a more positive note, there is a new life to be celebrated – my brother and his beautiful wife had a healthy baby girl last week.  My new niece, Amelia Rose Saleme, came into the world on September 28, 2011 at 19 inches, 6 pounds, and with a head-full of hair.  I’ve been looking at her pictures that have been posted on Facebook, feeling my arms ache to hold her – she is such a beautiful, precious baby, and I can’t wait to meet her over Christmas.  Right now, we are focused on our upcoming trip to Machu Picchu this weekend – though it won’t be as we had planned, with John and Deanna, we are excited about another great adventure – an adventure we probably would not have had the chance to experience if we hadn’t taken that swing when the curve-ball came our way.