I'm a bit behind in my posts, having started this entry more than two months ago...better late than never!
May has been a
roller coaster of activities and emotions, of celebrations and festivities, and
now, with the onset of “summer break”, the farewells have begun. As summer approaches north of the Equator,
and Sao Paulo prepares to welcome winter – which has been blissfully hot and
sunny – many friends are starting to pack up for good to move on to new
adventures, or, in some cases, back to their familiar homes and towns. We are also preparing to head back for a
five-week reprieve from big city living – at least the boys and I, poor Matt
will be left alone for 3 weeks before joining us for our last 2 weeks in the
States. Needless to say, we are very
excited, anxious, and ready to get back to family and friends, not to mention
smooth roads, lighter traffic, and carefree summer days.
We kicked off the
month of May with a trip to Penedo and Itatiaia National Park in the state of
Rio de Janeiro. Last year, shortly after
arriving in Brazil, we took a trip over the Carnaval holiday that was
less-than-glamorous – rain-filled days and muddy roads are the things that
stand out most in our memories of that week.
One of the places we had been so excited to visit was Itatiaia, and we
were sorely disappointed to only see the museum, as the rain didn’t allow for
any exploring. With a long weekend and
no plans, we decided to try again and hope for better weather, this time
inviting friends (John and Ann Arends, and their three kids) to join us. It was a great few days spent talking,
eating, watching the kids run and play on the hotel grounds, and checking out
the local sights – both in the picturesque Finnish town of Penedo and in the
lush rainforest of Itatiaia. I also had
a very “proud mama” moment as I overheard Ian asking a little boy who was
quietly observing their game of American football if he’d like to play with
them, and proceeded to explain to him the rules and object of the game – all in
fluent Portuguese! Another moment that
made me beam with pride was the following week, when both boys took (and
passed) their tests to earn yellow belts in Kung Fu – again, their classes and
the exam are given in Portuguese, so I felt this was a double accomplishment
for them.
Last month, Matt
and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary – 15 YEARS!!! Where does the time go? We commented to one another that - young kids
that we were in 1997 - never in our wildest dreams would we have imagined that
we’d be celebrating in Brazil! A few
months before our anniversary, we started discussing what we wanted to do to
celebrate, and decided the kids were doing well enough with their Portuguese
and comfortable enough with Tania (our helper) that we could go away for a
weekend, leaving them home with her.
Tania was thrilled with the idea, as were the boys – they couldn’t wait
for Mom and Dad to go away! After some
research, we decided to go to Ilhabela, which very aptly translates into
“beautiful island” – an island just 3 ½ hours by car from Sao Paulo. We felt confident that the kids were going to
be fine without us and couldn’t wait to get away for a couple of days – Matt,
stressed as ever, was especially excited to have a three-day weekend.
We left on Friday,
May 18th (a couple of weeks before our actual anniversary) – it was a
gorgeous, sunny morning. After sitting
in traffic for almost an hour, we finally made it outside the city limits and drove
up the coast, taking in the beautiful views of mountains and the sea. A short ferry ride took us from the city of
Sao Sebastiao over to the island, and we made it to our resort (DPNY Hotel) a
little after 1:30pm. Since it was too
early to check in to our room, we had lunch at one of their open-air
restaurants, overlooking white sand and a peaceful sea. Once we were able to get into our room, which
was spacious and nicely decorated, complete with a four-poster bed with
mosquito netting and a two-person jacuzzi tub with a view of the ocean, we
changed and headed out to the beach for a couple of hours of sun and sand. DPNY, a boutique resort on Praia do Curral,
definitely stood up to their claims as being one of the best beach hotels in
South America. We loved the cushioned
loungers, tiki huts with beds and sofas, and tee-pees with round mattresses in
the sand that were scattered around the resort’s beach area. We hadn’t expected weather warm enough for
bikinis and sunbathing, but we spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the
breathtaking views.
After breakfast
on Saturday, we decided to go for a hike along one of the trails we found on
the map provided by the hotel. The
concierge recommended a couple of trails, both of which led to waterfalls –
Brazilians love their waterfalls! We
grabbed some waters, and headed out for what we hoped would be a nice long hike
through the rainforest. Once we found
the trail, we were a bit disappointed to find that it was only 255 meters long! So, hike number one was short, but sweet,
leading us to a small, but picturesque waterfall, surrounded by the lush
vegetation I’ve only seen in Brazil. On
our way back to the car, I noticed the stunning vistas of the sea with the
mountains in the background – we stopped for a few minutes to breathe in the
fresh air and enjoy the beauty. We then
headed to hiking trail number two, where we had to pay R$10 per person for a
circuit that took about 7 minutes to complete.
So much for a good long hike!
But, we did take a little tour of the “engenho” – the distillery where
they make cachaca – and sampled some of their flavors – so it wasn’t a
completely wasted trip. After our
so-called hikes, we opted for more beach time and returned to the resort where
we enjoyed sangria and sushi on the beach; later, we each had a one-hour massage
to finish off our afternoon of luxurious relaxation.
By the time
Sunday morning arrived, bringing with it another glorious day of sun and warm
weather, we were reluctant to leave our paradise, but ready to see the boys
(who were having a great time, and judging from our few phone conversations,
were not missing us at all). We stayed
on the beach, soaking up a few more rays of sunshine, and finally pulled
ourselves away and headed back to Sao Paulo.
When we finally returned to the city, we were greeted by heavy traffic
and grey skies - and once we made it home, the boys hardly noticed we were
back. Ian’s only comment was, “I’m glad
there’s someone here now who understands English!” Tania gave us a full report, stating that
they were able to communicate perfectly well with one-another and that our boys
(especially Ian) speak very good Portuguese.
I’m still amazed at what a long way we’ve all come since arriving 15
months ago – who would have thought we’d be leaving our kids to go away for a
weekend?!
The end of the
month brought with it Alex’s 9th birthday, which we celebrated with
lunch at his favorite churrascaria, Fogo de Chao, followed by cake at home with
friends. He was thrilled with the simple
celebration, content to have his best buddies playing and running around –
thankfully, neither of my kids feels deprived by not having the lavish
(outlandish) birthday parties that are common among their peers here. It also was time to bid several friends
farewell – it seems as though our community in Casa Grande suffered a mass
exodus – one farewell party had seven families as guests of honor, including my
sweet friend, Nancy. For a year, Nancy
was my walking partner and was always there to lend a baking item I was missing;
we had numerous lunches and trips to the mall together, her kids babysat my
kids. I’ve said before, one common
factor among expats is the continuous revolving door – friends leave, and new
people arrive as frequently as the seasons change. Though it is sad to have to say goodbye to
people who have come to feel like family, as my friend, Tina, wisely put it, we
are happy to have had the chance to know one another, than to not have been
touched by those friendships at all.
And, to borrow a quote by Dr. Suess, “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile
because it happened.” So, despite a few
tears I’ve shed, I’m definitely smiling and grateful!
