Praia. June 20-21th, 2009

I am a happy monkey.

Saturday morning I got a phone call from "Pee-tah" who said that he was too wasted to leave early with the family for the beach house and that they would come get me in a couple of hours. Fine with me... I was wrecked after getting home at 5:30 and my taxi cab adventures. About noon Peter and Ricardo (son of the family who have the house on the beach - cute, smart, 18, feeling again like mrs. robinson) anywhooo. We took a taxi to the mall to wait for his girlfriend Giovanna (yes, totally cute italian-brazilian menina) she didn't show... we waited nearly three hours. Anyways. After we finally got a hold of her, we took the metro to another town where she picked us up and we headed to the beach.

Driving to the beach, we must have passed through four different eco-zones. It was quite amazing. First you had the city - houses, windy streets, graffiti. Then we hit what I can only describe as the JUNGLE. Beautiful lush, green foliage, waterfalls creeping down the mountainside - and many, many - Favelas. Brick/stone/plywood residences for who I can only assume are the very poor. Outside these favelas hung hundreds of beautiful multicolored lines of clothing... like a sad festival really. It was quite a sight - but this little 21 year old menina drove like a bat out of hell and I was crammed in the back of her hatchback next to a life-size stuffed Eeyore and a snoring "Pee-Tah."

After the Jungle came the flat marsh-land covered with an eerie mist that seemed to curtail the back of the car as we drove. Once we made it through the abyss... I finally saw the light... Literally... The sun lit the coast like a beacon in the night and the rows of buildings looked like dominoes all lined up along the water. It was stunning - "é la onde vamos" - "that's where we are headed" they said to me.

Happy happy joy joy.

When we FINALLY made it to the apartment the sun was setting, which made for a quite a view from the Veranda. There was shrimp and salmon on the grill... bossa nova flowing from the tv speakers and really good company. I couldn't believe my luck. As you may note from the pictures, this was a really nice place, with really nice people.




For the next few hours we ate, sang, talked about life and I helped to translate for Peter's parents who were visiting from Ukiah. Think mullets and Hawaiian tees.




After dinner - all the folks headed to bed and the "kids" headed down for a walk on the beach. This was like being in high school again. They taught me all the bad words in Portuguese, we played on the beach, took shots of tequila by the pool and smoked hooka in the outdoor lounge. Hilarious. It was actually pretty great being almost ten years older than these kids. I felt somehow like I had endured so many battles that they had yet to experience and come out on the other side stronger. My "paz interior" was flowing.

I didn't sleep that night since Ricardo asked if I would sleep in the "boys" room with Peter - so he could sleep in the "girls" room with his lady. How can I say no to that little BONITINHO. So, I said yes and once I entered the room where Peter was snoring and hacking up a bronchitic lung, I though to myself... bad move Tiff, bad move.

I headed to the couch where I attempted to sleep however the light from the ocean and the sound of the waves lulled me into more of a creative meditative state. I may have gotten one or two hours of sleep... not enough. But it was all worth it.

Around 7 in the morning I went for a walk on the beach, warm air and coldish water - I couldn't believe THIS was winter in Brazil. Life's rough. People were out running, surfing, setting up shop for the day with carts of food and other good were being wheeled onto the beach. I saw tens of beautiful Sand Dollars lining the shore... I wanted to take one with me - but when I reached down to pick one up it crumbled in my hands, so I knew that I was meant to hold the memory in my head, and I kept walking.

After a fabulous breakfast we headed to the beach. It was beautiful, sunny, warm, and we drank fresh coconuts and soaked up the sun. Divine.



After sun-soakage, I went upstairs to shower and take a nap - then we headed back to the city for my birthday present - WE WENT TO SEE A MUSICAL!!! hooray :)

It was actually a theater school that puts on a season every year and I was impressed with the quality of the performance. It was called "lendas e tribus" (legends and tribes) - It was a HUGE cast - tons of African rhythms, dancing, song, comedy, lights, music... Great show. I'll try to put up a video later... but i'm not sure it came out.

Well, we finally returned home and ate Pizza to commemorate my birthday at midnight!

Good times, I'm pretty sure I will never forget ringing in my 27th year in Brazil.

Boa Noite :)