Our Life in Brazil Days 9-10 (Oct. 17th-18th)

Wednesday
     We were privileged to have lunch with the Duarte Family. Lawanda fixed us a Brazilian Thanksgiving dinner. It was very good and included rice, beans, chicken and some other dishes. She also had some special desserts. I tried them all, but I am not crazy about the desserts they have here.   We visited for a couple of hours and Lawanda and I exchanged gifts. She gave me a lovely doily that had been hand made.
    Later that day we walked to the candy store and I picked out some different candies to take back to the states.
    In the video below, Judah is playing soccer with Joshua, the Duartes’ grandson on the Duartes’ Porch

Thursday

This was our big day to go to Chapada. It was a fun day. I was a little apprehensive at first when Jeremy was describing the ride up the mountain, but it was not like I imagined and we did just fine. There happens to be a very dangerous curve in the road that several drivers have gone off. It is called the gate to hell. As we talked among ourselves, we said we could call it the gate to heaven for when you know the Lord, it matters not where your life on this earth ends for it only ushers you into the presence of the Lord.
     There was some construction and things closed, maybe due to the world cup coming.   Jeremy was about out of gas because he forgot to get it in the city.   I sure was not up to running out of gas in the wilderness of Brazil.   But we made it to Chapada, got our gas, and did our souvenir shopping first which turned out to be better for the kids. We journeyed on to the “top of the world”   It was very pretty and unusual, but still not like my beloved smoky mountains. We ate a Brazilian lunch at a restaurant at the top, took pictures, played on the playground and just enjoyed this oasis with straw huts and trees and flowers and scenery and coconut drinks. After leaving there we went to the Bridal Falls. It was about a half mile hike, mostly down which meant up coming back. It was really a pretty view once we got there too and we got some good pictures. We went to another little “village” near here and we got some coconut water.   It was really good and Grandpa and I enjoyed sharing straws and sharing it with the kids also.
    On our way back we found a little falls with a swimming hole so Jeremy’s “brazilian” kids went swimming. They really enjoyed that. At one point grandpa started walking up the swampy river to take pictures. I was just sure an anaconda or the piranhas were going to get him. I sure was not up to traveling back to the states by myself.
    It was beginning to get dark when we headed home and once again we made it safely through the crazy Brazilian traffic. We sort of snacked for supper with left overs and also Jeremy picked up a couple of corn cakes – can’t remember what they are called. They were pretty good – tasted like corn bread cake and I thought it would be good with chocolate frosting.