My last entry from Brazil! I can not believe I did it but I did and thank you everyone for your cheers and prayers. I am going to try to go to Joplin Mo and help out. My `big sis`Martha lives in the next town over and works in Joplin. The tornado missed her place of work by a few blocks. It is very sad. I have loved my time in Brazil and highly recommend it, especially the Pantanal and the Iguaçu falls!!!! And my |Portuguesse still stinks but I can get by. I cant wait to talk to my children and hear their voices!!! I will call when I get to Miami kids :>) Looking foward to putting my picturs and videos on the blog and sharing stories to all who want to hear....
A vida e bela!
Jungle Jan
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Jungle Jans Adventures Continue
WHOO HOO!!! Had a fabulous time at the falls on the Brazil side. Was not planning on being so adventurous....really, but could not pass this up :>) I balanced myself through jungle tree top obstacle course, zip line, rock wall climbing, rappelled 50 meters!!!!!! and river rafted the Iguaçu River....HOT DOG! I am not even sore today which I am amazed that my arms arent with the rappel. I would love to take pictures of birds doing that....what great photography. I am SURE National Geographic wants me now....lol
Last night a very funny thing happened and I have it on video.....but I will not utube it! A select few will enjoy and laugh their butts off! I do not know how I get into these situations.....just seem to pop up when I am around....lol Leave for Brasilia in a few hours and then just 2 days left :>(
A vida e bela!
Last night a very funny thing happened and I have it on video.....but I will not utube it! A select few will enjoy and laugh their butts off! I do not know how I get into these situations.....just seem to pop up when I am around....lol Leave for Brasilia in a few hours and then just 2 days left :>(
A vida e bela!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Argentina
Got a new stamp in my passport!! The 26 hour trip to get here was well worth it! Got some great photos and video :>) It is more than breathtaking and is beautiful. The best way I can describe is to say....my heart and soul were soooo happy to see it!!!!Nothing else like it....how it touched me. I kept thinking over and over again....A VIDA E BELA, A VIDA E BELA...OBRIGADA! THE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, THE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL...THANK YOU. It is humbling.....
Thursday, May 26, 2011
perfect night
Forgot to mention that my last night at the Pantanal and it was like a warm summer eve....most were, the sky full of stars and the milky way very clear and best of all.....not a bug in the sky! Weird....not even under the lights....not any type of bug.....and I did not get one bite....that was a miracle ;0)
Arrived at Iguacu Falls this afternoon....a 26 hr trip....25 by bus, 30 minutes by truck coming out of the Pantanal and another 30 minutes by taxi. Here is the goofy thing though....we had to drive north 5 hrs to Campo Grande to buy our bus tickets to the falls only to turn back around the way we came and continue south! Brazil has not quite figured out online status yet. They are crazy....dont stop at stop (para) signs and not always at red lights either, especially at night...YIKES. The Brazilians love their salt...more so up by the Arguyia river....just pour the salt onto their hand like when doing shots of tequilla...but no tequilla. The food is not as salty down south. They always have beans and rice with lunch and dinner and often like to have potatoes with that as well. They are a friendly bunch though and the country is beautiful. Weather much cooler down south. Most likely will go to Argentina tomorrow!! To check out the falls on that side and then will check it out on the Brazil side the next day if all goes as planned....hot dog! Had a nice time with the French family I rode on the bus with along with some young English men....luckily one speaks Portuguesse. This family, 2 young girls....6 and 10? who are the sweetest and their mom and dad are on their last month of a year long trek around the world...incredible. It is very nice here at the Paudimar Hostel....the manager...Vitor....pronounced Victor.....he vas my boyfriend....a line from Young Frankenstein....calls me Janet Jackson....greeted me when I got out of the taxi and asked what happened to my dark skin. Told him had the same problem as my bro did but still got the moves....lol so friendly and helpful. Will fly back to Brasilia on Monday....gives me an extra day to make it back on time before I leave on the 1st to head back home.
Arrived at Iguacu Falls this afternoon....a 26 hr trip....25 by bus, 30 minutes by truck coming out of the Pantanal and another 30 minutes by taxi. Here is the goofy thing though....we had to drive north 5 hrs to Campo Grande to buy our bus tickets to the falls only to turn back around the way we came and continue south! Brazil has not quite figured out online status yet. They are crazy....dont stop at stop (para) signs and not always at red lights either, especially at night...YIKES. The Brazilians love their salt...more so up by the Arguyia river....just pour the salt onto their hand like when doing shots of tequilla...but no tequilla. The food is not as salty down south. They always have beans and rice with lunch and dinner and often like to have potatoes with that as well. They are a friendly bunch though and the country is beautiful. Weather much cooler down south. Most likely will go to Argentina tomorrow!! To check out the falls on that side and then will check it out on the Brazil side the next day if all goes as planned....hot dog! Had a nice time with the French family I rode on the bus with along with some young English men....luckily one speaks Portuguesse. This family, 2 young girls....6 and 10? who are the sweetest and their mom and dad are on their last month of a year long trek around the world...incredible. It is very nice here at the Paudimar Hostel....the manager...Vitor....pronounced Victor.....he vas my boyfriend....a line from Young Frankenstein....calls me Janet Jackson....greeted me when I got out of the taxi and asked what happened to my dark skin. Told him had the same problem as my bro did but still got the moves....lol so friendly and helpful. Will fly back to Brasilia on Monday....gives me an extra day to make it back on time before I leave on the 1st to head back home.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
last evening in Pantanal
Had a magnificent time with my new family...got invited to eat with the staff and they fed me fresh fried catfish...mmmm!!! It was delicious and poured me casasha all night, played ping pong, danced and laughed :)!! I will miss them but looking forward to seeing my family and friends in Spokane! Will take the night bus with a french family I met here to the Iguacu Falls...a once in a life time experience I have been told by all. Can't wait to post my pictures when I get home. A vida E bela!!!! As the Brazilians say...the life is beautiful!! I am so grateful!! Hopefully can write at the falls.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
International hub
This place is awesome for meeting people from around the world! Played cards last night with a group that consisted of young couple..she is from spain and he is australian and they live in london, a 25 year old guy who is sooo funny and he is from london, a guy from munich who works for a big tv show in germany, a young israeli man and a polish ortho surgen who lives in spain!!! So cool :) the surgeon and young couple left this afternoon so that leaves the 3 amigos as I refer to them now. The 4 of us went on a little walk about...me being their tour guide now that I have somewhat moved in.. lol. A beautiful and large, about as big as me, anteater ran in front of us!!!! It was mr londons dream come true..
I will try to do a psuedo documentary with my camcorder on the 3 amigos! They are quite the group...very fun...this ought to be good :)
I will try to do a psuedo documentary with my camcorder on the 3 amigos! They are quite the group...very fun...this ought to be good :)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
surrender
Quit today before new group arrives so I went to the river bank. Had headphones on and danced on and on with hot sun on my skin, caymen on the other side of the bank watching, emu, horses and goats grazing without a care and the Paraguay river flowing on by endlessly and variety of birds flying about. I AM LIVING HEAVEN!!! ...except for those mosquitos those lttle bastards...lol
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Jungle Jan
It has been quite an adventure here in the Pantanal! The 25km dirt road trip to get into where I am staying was an expedition in and of itself.....lg caymen on each side of the road, transported by an old pick up truck where we sat in the back on padded benches but it kept stalling and eventually died out just less than a 100 yards from the hostel. The road was semi rough but huge craters/ditches due to recent decline in water and the bridges.....or what they consider a bridge anyway was old planks...but fun nonetheless.
Been swimming in the Paraguay river with small caymen near by.....my guide has been doing this for over a decade and assured us it was safe....they dont eat anything bigger than they are....so I went for it!!! :>) Went on sm boat and cruised the Pantanal and saw many birds, a few monkeys, and an anteater! I opted out on going fishing for pirhanas and instead sat around the pool and watched a group of young Dutch men play beach volleyball and strom on their guirtars.....dont figure! Went on quite a hike yesterday through swamps, open fields, forest and water up to my chest....in daylight and in the dark!!!! The sunset was breathtaking.....one I will never forget with thousands of kite birds all in a line from the west horizon heading east for the night. Went horseback riding this am and came across jaguar tracks and a fresh bird kill by it....the horses were a bit jumpy. Pretty cool.... My guide is like tarzan and can do all these animal calls and the animals call back! One more day and then onto Bonito....
Been swimming in the Paraguay river with small caymen near by.....my guide has been doing this for over a decade and assured us it was safe....they dont eat anything bigger than they are....so I went for it!!! :>) Went on sm boat and cruised the Pantanal and saw many birds, a few monkeys, and an anteater! I opted out on going fishing for pirhanas and instead sat around the pool and watched a group of young Dutch men play beach volleyball and strom on their guirtars.....dont figure! Went on quite a hike yesterday through swamps, open fields, forest and water up to my chest....in daylight and in the dark!!!! The sunset was breathtaking.....one I will never forget with thousands of kite birds all in a line from the west horizon heading east for the night. Went horseback riding this am and came across jaguar tracks and a fresh bird kill by it....the horses were a bit jumpy. Pretty cool.... My guide is like tarzan and can do all these animal calls and the animals call back! One more day and then onto Bonito....
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Brazil
Wow!!!!! Will try to sum up the last couple of weeks. Went to alien landing strip which are a big hit in Brazil....really, they want to welcome the aliens and you can get your picture taken with a cardboard figurine and the whole works....they are all over Brazil. It is soooo green here and the land goes on forever and ever. Today traveled to Campo Grande and at times it was like I was on top of the world and could see only various shades of greens and foliage and mountains farther than the eye could take you....beautiful. Came across a 6ft boa constictor, beautiful steel blue and able to get pics up close...his face and tongue inches from my camera. Spotted caymen, toucans, pink dolphins, 2 types of otters, coita, capabbya various lg and sm birds. Surveyed an area of the Arguyia River....spelling wrong sorry, for habitat.....human dwellings and wild life and its effects on the jaguar and dolphins....defintely an impact. Went on treks with trained dogs to sniff out jaguar scat....found 23 samples....maybe 2 jaguars, others puma and other type cats.
Got introduced to Brazils favorite drink...caiperinha....sort of like a margarita except the alcohol is made from sugar cane and has lots of fresh limes.....very tasty and strong! Made wonderful friendships with my team....2 women from England and a guy from Austrailia.....then being around Portugese.....I wasnt sure what accent to pick up!...lol Still working on my Portuguese.....
Went to lead researchers home....invited all 4 of us after the expedition was over and what a treat!!! He and his wife head up the jaguar conservation and are the top specialist probably in the world on jaguars. They have a variety of animals they have adopted due to the forest service asking them to with these animals that have been injured or abandoned. They have 2 macaws, 5 Brocket deer which are as cute and friendly as can be.....minature, a tapir, 3 6 month old jaguar cubs, mother shot and killed.....bastards, a 6 yr old female jaguar and a recent wild jaguar that had been hit by a car and transported to them. They will relase this one soon.....the cubs will be a work in process as it has never been done before and the 6 yr old would not survive. They just recieved a spider monkey yesterday and I played with it this am before I left and it is sooo sweet and graceful...it took all our breath away when she came out of the box. Oh yeah....the BBC was their starting the filming of Leandros work there and the conservation....cool!
On my way to the Pantanal tomorrow for a few days and then Bonito. Sorry...no pics until I get home and can down load them onto my laptop. Not sure when I will have access to internet again on this trip. Thank you all for yor thoughts and prayers.....its working!
Got introduced to Brazils favorite drink...caiperinha....sort of like a margarita except the alcohol is made from sugar cane and has lots of fresh limes.....very tasty and strong! Made wonderful friendships with my team....2 women from England and a guy from Austrailia.....then being around Portugese.....I wasnt sure what accent to pick up!...lol Still working on my Portuguese.....
Went to lead researchers home....invited all 4 of us after the expedition was over and what a treat!!! He and his wife head up the jaguar conservation and are the top specialist probably in the world on jaguars. They have a variety of animals they have adopted due to the forest service asking them to with these animals that have been injured or abandoned. They have 2 macaws, 5 Brocket deer which are as cute and friendly as can be.....minature, a tapir, 3 6 month old jaguar cubs, mother shot and killed.....bastards, a 6 yr old female jaguar and a recent wild jaguar that had been hit by a car and transported to them. They will relase this one soon.....the cubs will be a work in process as it has never been done before and the 6 yr old would not survive. They just recieved a spider monkey yesterday and I played with it this am before I left and it is sooo sweet and graceful...it took all our breath away when she came out of the box. Oh yeah....the BBC was their starting the filming of Leandros work there and the conservation....cool!
On my way to the Pantanal tomorrow for a few days and then Bonito. Sorry...no pics until I get home and can down load them onto my laptop. Not sure when I will have access to internet again on this trip. Thank you all for yor thoughts and prayers.....its working!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
The Islands
Well the weather has been gorgeous but had a few difficult and sad things come up. Techno communications have not gone well as that is why I have not blogged for a bit and i can not send pics via my phone liked I hoped as well. I suppose I am to be in the moment and not fussing with technology.... Then got word that my step father that raised me from age 7 - 20 passed away a few days ago. So that was a bit sad and my heart and thoughts are with my step brothers Don, John, Pat and Mike. I have been able to contact Don via email which I did not know his address before so that has been good and able to talk about old times, good memories.
On St. John right now and my couch surfing friend Barb and I getting along very well. She has introduced me to knowing all the names of the different corals and fish where we have snorkeled at. Saw many types of beautiful fish and a baracuda and a huge lobster! She has an under water camera so I will get a cd from her of our little adventure.
Leave for Brazil this afternoon, arrive tomorrow am. Probably won't have internet service while out on the jaguar expedition for a couple of weeks. Will try to blog when I can and keep everyone updated.
On St. John right now and my couch surfing friend Barb and I getting along very well. She has introduced me to knowing all the names of the different corals and fish where we have snorkeled at. Saw many types of beautiful fish and a baracuda and a huge lobster! She has an under water camera so I will get a cd from her of our little adventure.
Leave for Brazil this afternoon, arrive tomorrow am. Probably won't have internet service while out on the jaguar expedition for a couple of weeks. Will try to blog when I can and keep everyone updated.
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