25/7

Today I got on a bus, with no idea where I was going, but it turned out to be a great day. We visited a couple beaches which were way fun, but probably the highlight of the day was going to the turtle zoo called Projeto Tamar, or “The Tamar Project”. There were turtles of all types there and also manta rays and some fish. I enjoyed taking in every second of it and even for a second regretted on not following through on my wish as an 8 year old to get a turtle.

Something that really struck me was the value of having zoos. I discussed this with Doug, pointing out that sometimes it must be miserable to be penned up in a cage or a pool. Doug agreed, but pointed out that by doing so, the animals life was put into a lot less jeopardy than in the wild. He also pointed out that it helps us appreciate more these types of animals by being in closer contact with them. I guess I’ll have to think of that next time I’m about to dump a bunch of toxic sludge into a river or ocean.

Thanks for reading!!

24/7

Today was quite an experience!! I stayed in Salvador for three months and today I saw so many things that I never even knew existed! First, we went to the Lighthouse called Farol da Barra, which was really cool because we actually got to go all the way up to the top of the tower. The view (and breeze) was incredible! After this, our study group broke up into small squads. My squad (Shawndeen, John, Brady, Cristina, and Doug) decided to walk to the Pelourinho. I don’t think that any of us had any idea how far it was, but it turned out being a lot of fun! This is because we stopped once in a while, along with other things.

As we were walking, the first thing that we came across was the Art Museum of the state of Bahia. It was free!!... so I ended up donating some change anyway. We saw paintings, pottery, furniture, and a lot of other things. As our journey continued on, we came passed by the cathedral of Sao Sebastiao (Saint. Sebastion) which was the first cathedral I have seen in Brazil with a Greco- Roman style. It’s my favorite up until now.

The Pelourinho was an exciting spot! We went to the Mercado Modelo where you can haggle prices a little bit. After that, we met up with everyone to watch a catholic mass with an influence of Candomblea, which is a popular religion here in Bahia. It made for an exciting blend!

23/7

Today we basically packed our things, got to the airport, and went to Salvador, Brazil. We are now in the area where I served my mission about a year and a half ago. Although, I’m happy to be here now, I’m really thankful for the time we spent in Recife. It opened up my eyes to the Brazilian culture, and gave me a new perspective. I have learned to value more the impact that art can have. During our experiences with the CCJ, we used many forms of art to build friendships and get our foot in the doors of places. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this wonderful trip will bring, but I appreciate everything that Recife had to offer  myself and our small study group. 

7/20

So today unfortunately was the last day of class. Even though history has never been my subject of interest, the classes at ABA given by Professor Fitzgibbon have really opened up my eyes a lot and made me appreciate Brazil's past and how it affects the present. I am able to make connections with the things we learn in class when I witness and am immersed in Brazilian Culture.

I was sick, and so I didn't go to class, but it turned out that the majority of the class was used to learn a new dance for us North Americans to teach the Brazilians later in a church dance. I thought that I would get away with just mirroring the other students until at the dance when, I learned just how hard the dance would be to learn! That didn't go over so well, but I still tried.

Dancing is one of those things that I feel makes up the Brazilian culture and seems to come much more easily to them than to us Americans. Sometimes I wonder if it's just a mental thing...but no I'm pretty sure it's not. I tried to dance forro tonight with a Brazilian who was patient enough to help me out.

There's a certain dance where you just take one step to the right, and one step to the left. Simple enough, right?
It's just that by the way the Brazilians so gracefully danced, I thought they were actually taking a couple steps each time. So you can imagine how that looked when I tried to do it. No? Just think white boy stomping all over the place and that should be an adequate image.

Thanks for reading!!!

19/7

Today was the day that made me rethink my opinion on beaches to say the least. We went to a place called Porto de Galinhas, or the Port of the Chickens. This port was used for slave trade after slavery in Brazil was declared illegal. The slave traders used the code name Chickens for Slaves to keep their activities out of suspicion from the government. This beach has been voted best Brazilian Beach for several times in a row. I can see why now.

Upon arriving there, we took little sail boats out from the beach to the reef, where the water was extremely clear and it was easy to see the marine life in the water. We got to feed the fish and it was a really neat experience.

A rare sighting of some of the indigenous species at Porto de
Galinhas. Later in the day, we found out that the one on the
right was a lobster, due to the redness of his skin with exposure
to the sun.

The coolest part of the day was that as we were sailing on the boat, the boatman stopped and told us we could jump into the ocean and swim with the fishes!! It was the coolest thing I've ever done at the beach! I just wish I knew how to hold my breath longer, then I probably could have gotten more out of it! Today was well worth the sunburn I received/earned!

Thanks for reading!

18/7

Today once again we went to Old Recife, but I didn't expect us to visit the places which we did there. We were honored to be able to visit a restored synagogue which is now used as a Museum. It told a little of the history of the building, how it had been later used by Catholics as a religious building and lost its true identity for over three hundred years. The people knew that there was a synagogue on the street but didn't know the exact location until they found the nikvah, or source of water for a purification bath.
Another interesting thing is that Jews keep track of the years with the creation of the earth, and not BC and AD like a lot of other people. So, if I heard the guide right, the current year is 5725.

Another place that we also visited was the Capela Dourada, or "Golden Chapel" which was a very ornate Catholic church. There is a gold coat which covers the chapel, hence where it got its name. This chapel uses the Baroque Style, which, within the decorations and details uses things such as native Brazilian fruits.

17/7

Today we visited a fort in Natal called Fortaleza dos Reis Magos or Fort Wise Kings. It was used as a signal station for airplanes during World War II. Another cool thing is that when the Dutch attacked it a long time ago in  1633, there was a siege for 4 days, and then surrender when its Portuguese commander was killed. Sometimes I have a hard time fathoming how such a little building covering such a large piece of land can accomplish its task. I also noted that the doorways were a lot smaller back in that time period. Okay, not that they were smaller back then, they're the same size that they are right now. What I meant is that I guess as the human race has developed, we have gradually become taller.

Too bad I wasn't there to fend off the Dutch!!

Actually, the Dutch did a lot of things to help advance the Northeastern society of Brazil, especially Recife!! When you a brown or black-skinned person with green or blue eyes, it's safe to assume that that's because of the Dutch!!!