So if you wanna friend me, just leave a comment.

hey guys, so sorry for the lack of updates. im just so fricking lazy. but to compensate for my laziness, heres my cough....cuteness




hehe, i was a bunny for halloween.

my time in brazil is coming to an end unfortunately...sniffle. i only have 1 month left and then off to visit my family in colombia which will be nice.

my portuguese course is finishing next week and then i have a few weeks to travel to the remaining places. brazil is the size of europe so there are so many places to visit but i dont have the money nor the time. the places i have visited and wil be visiting are-

recife, joao pessoa, natal, fortaleza, salvador, catingeira, rio de janeiro and sao paulo. i thinks thats pretty good for 3 months.

the other day i ate a packet of walkers salt and vinegar crisps, i was in heaven!!!!!!!!! a friends mum brought us some.


this is just a quickie email just to let you guys know that im alive and well. i will be updating my journal but porobably in colombia. these next few weeks are gonna be hectic with travelling, wrapping up the university course and just enjoying the left in brasil.

i hope you guys are ok wherever you are.

take care,

steph

Hello everyone, how goes??? I'm doing fine like usual, nothing much to report apart from the fact that the university has finally gone on strike. However, my lessons carry on because the uni has an obligation to the foreign students, they dont want to get a bad reputation.

We usually just chilL during the week in João Pessoa doing nothing cos frankly its quite boring here but then we try and do exciting things, go new places at the weekend. last weekends destination was Natal, a mere 3 hours from Joao Pessoa by bus. It is a city famous for its amazing sand dunes and nightlife. It was named Natal (Christmas) because the portuguese founded the city on the 25th december 1587.

We were recommended a youth hostel by the rough guide to brasil and a friend of sarah's calle Lua Cheia. It sounded really good, its a castle with drawbridge and everything in the heart of Ponta Negra, the hippest place to be in Natal. the hostel looks like this....



We were in the Inquisition Room, the room has 4 beds - 2 bunk beds. I politely refused the top bunk because we (natis, caro,mache,eka,leo) know what happens when i cant get off a bunkbed. ricaurte huepa!!!!!!

It was a really nice room and it only cost 10 pounds a night.

that night we went to a few bars and had a few drinks because the bar scene is so much better than Joao Pessoa!!! we didnt stay out too late because the next day we had a full day planned and our buggy tour of the dunes started at 9 am.

We met our 'buggueiro' George the next day, a really nice guy and we set off on our adventure.

First off we went to the top of a huge dune that overlooks the genipaby lake. heres a pic







then we had some buggy riding with emocão (thrils) so the guy would go wicked fast up the dunes and it was really exciting.

then we went on a camel ride!!!!!!!!
the woman made us wear these towels on our head, i felt like Steph of Arabia, she kept the yellow towel just for me.


Sarah and Helen shared a camel and i got one by myself. Their camel was called Kenya, very ethnic name and my camel was called MARIO!!!!!!!!!! what the hell, who calls a camel mario....anyway heres a pic of me and mario.


It was a really fun experience and kind of scary because i didnt have much to hold on to and it was kind of bumpy.
Then after the camels, we went to a fresh-water lake and just chilled. we really needed a rest and water because it was so hot and we in the sun for ages that i was felling quite dehydrated.


After a little pit stop we went to another dune and this guy was a holding an iguana. asked me if i wanted to hold it, i said yes and voila!!!! the other girls were a bit scared of the thing but they eventually held him also so that was cool.

we then went to another dune overlooking a lake called Jacumã, you could zipfly into the lake for less than 1 pound so i did.



it went really fast and i just crashed into the water, the guys waiting for us on the water to take us back to the top of the dune asked me if i could swim. hmmm....a bit late for that question don't you think!!!!



Afterwards, feeling all adventurous, i wanted to try out sand surfing but i was quite scared because all you get is a piece of wood attached to a rope that the guy holds and thats it. i was told to balance with my hands, really thought i was going to fall off so i was asked to be let down slowly down the dune. by the time i was half away down, the fear had gone away and i told the guy to let me go faster and i went racing down the dune into a little pool.



here are some pics of the dunes,





We were so exhausted by the end of the tour- it lasted 8 hours!!! that we got home, had a shower and had a bit of a nap. we then went to get some food, another nap and then we were supposed to go out clubbing. unfortunately we all just fell into a deep sleep and woke up at 3am cursing the fact that we hadnt gone out and just slept the night away!!!!...grrr

the next day, to make up for our clubbing disaster, we went to the beach early, went back to the hostel then out for lunch then went to the mercado artesanal for some shopping. i wont bore you to death with how we actually got to the market but lets just say it was an 'experience'

at the market we took some turisty photos-






after the market we took some goodbye fotos of the hostel- heres me with my coat of arms




sorry to bore you guys to death but it was one of the most exciting weekneds in my life. havent done so many new things in one day. it was definately worth it and you are ever in natal, i totally recommend the Lua Cheia hostel.


take care guys,


love steph

This past saturday we decided to take in a few of Joao Pessoas famous tourist attractions. we decided to go see the light house and the most eastern part of ther Americas.

on our way to the lighthouse, we ran into adriano in his buggy, he wasnt doing anything so he offered to take us to the lighthouse which was very nice of him.

we arrived at the lighthouse and frankly its nothing much and its not even round!!!!
they say that you can hear the drums from Africa, i bet its a sound system right behind you. though it is weird that im closer to africa than Peru, it just gives you an idea of how immense Brazil is.



you then go a few steps east and there you are at Ponta Das Seixas, the most eastern part of the americas. there is even the most eastern coconut stand in the americas.


we were sucked into doing the typical touristy thing and i have to say the coconuts werent even that nice!!! whilst we were there, there was this man who really stood out, tall, blue eyes obviously foreign and we started talking to him. His name is Chris and he was here in Joao Pessoa for a few days with his navy ship. They had just spent 27 days at sea and they need a bit of rest and relaxation so they docked here. He is second in command of the ship.

we took him to this little empadinha place where we had chocolate tarts. they are to die for and soooo cheap. anyway, adriano had invited us to a bbq at his place the next day and he extended the invite to chris and his men. I was very happy with the prospect of being with 58 sailors...hehe.

the next day we went to adrianos place, what a house, it had a pool with waterfall, a bar in the pool (see the picture), sauna everything.



we were busy sunbathing in the pool when 3 random british guys arrived. they had been told about the party by Chris, their chief. Their names were Rich, Steve and Ross, really class guys. Chris arrived later after some sightseeing We all had a good time, just having some food, chatting and relaxing. By the end of the night, the lads invited us all onto their naval ship. Its a RFA which stands for Royal Fleet Auxilliary. WE had so many problems getting into the port at Cabedelo. The guys were allowed to go straight in even though they were civilians but the port police thought we were prostitutes and were asking for identification every 2 seconds, phoning up the main police staion to ask for permission etc. such a hassle, one of the sailors said that it wasnt as hard as this to get into a military nuclear base in england. I thing the police were just trying to make an example of us, show the navy lads that they are serious about security. after 30 mins of begging and providing our documents we were allowed in.




The ship is going to be decommissioned in March and i could see why, it was getting a bit rusty. The ship patrols everything below the equator. they are based in the falklands, had just been to montevideo in Uruguay and Freetown in Africa before docking in Joao Pessoa. After this, they will return to the Falklands then go to a tiny british colony near Antartica called South Georgia.

The lads were nice enough to give us a tour, we saw the engine room, went to the bridge and went to the crews bar. it felt like being in a pub back home, same dodgy maroon carpet. it was surreal. i dont envy them though, imagine looking out the window everyday and seeing nothing but vast amounts of water. Id go crazy.



Me steering the ship..... watch out for the iceberg!!!!!


I learnt how to use a sextant. Its quite easy but the calculations afterwards are a bi*ch...hehe



Its amazing how you meet so many deifferent people. i would never have thought that i would meet people that served in the Falklands War let alone ne allowed to go on a navy ship. it was a great experience that i will never forget.

we left the ship about 5-30 in the morning because the lads had to report for duty at 7 am.

Got straight home and slept for a few hours. no class on a monday....yay. did some laundry then went out in the evening for one of my mates 21st. It was a subdued affair because everyone was so tired from the day before.

and thats it, ive finally managed to fill you guys in on everything exciting ive done. i think this weekend i will go to Recife to see a friend for a few days.

i hope you guys enjoy my blog, sorry about the spelling mistakes, cant be bothered to check every word. also forgive my english, my english is getting worse and worse, i dont want to imagine how it will be when i go back to the uk in a year. dear me!!

take care everyone,

love steph

Once again, our american friends had invited us to do something special. this time, they invited us to their farm house, 6 hours into the interior of Paraíba to a place called Catingueira. We left on the Friday after class and arrived in the little very little town at midnight where Paulo was waiting for us with a truck to take us to the farm.

That night we had a few drinks but we didnt up too late because the next day was full of activities.

Catinguiera is very dry and hot, it has a semi-desert landscape and you can fell the heat at 8 in the morning.

the saturday we got up, had some breakfast and went horse riding. I have been on a horse once in my life when i was a kid and hated it. i was dreading getting on a horse but i reassured by Pualo when he said there wer no hospitals or doctors in catinguiera so please dont fall!!!!

anyway, i managed to get the lamest horse by choice of course, he was blind in one eye and he didnt trot or canter or bascially go above 2 miles per hour. Perfect!!!! he was really sweet, after riding him, ive got more confidence and i would definately ride a horse again. here are some pics of me in action.





Paulo's farm included a large pen where they can host rodeos. we were lucky enough to experience one. the activity of the day was to try and pull a bull to the ground by its tail. there would be 2 people on horses in the large pen waiting for the bull to be released from its pen. the bull would run like crazy and the 2 people would have to chase the bull and pull it down. its really hard to explain, here a few pics







After the rodeo, we just hung around the pool listening to Britney Spears because we were so sick of fooro (local country music). we also went on a motorbike ride in pitch black but it was all safe, Paulo has a motorbike licence. I tried to ride a bike but unfortunately it was too high, pitch black and the path was full of rocks. i fell off a few times, once with sara on the back.....
all in all it was an ace night.


the next day we went to Paulo's townhouse cos we wanted to have a wander around the place. Its so quaint, there is absolutely nothing in the place, they have 1 restaurant, 1 grocery store and no mobile service. we were very remote but it was a nice escape from Joao Pessoa and everything.

the town reminds me a bit of Villanueva (town in La Guajira, Colombia where my mum comes from), this picture especially could have been taken in any small Colombian town. thats why i guess i feel so at home here, its so similar to Colombia.



next post will talk about the cabo branco light house, the eastern most part of the americas and a random meeting with a guy from Plymouth!!!

the 7th of septemeber was brasils independence day, they gained their independence from the portuguese in 1822. It was a national holiday so we didnt have class that day. Paulo and Liz, our american friends took us to a celebratory parade in downtown joao pessoa. We only stayed a few hours cos it was really hot and there was no shade. plus once you've seen one marching band, you've seen them all.
here are some pics

a marching band







most of the participants were schools but then at the end of the parde, the army, police, firefighters all appeared in their uniforms and their vehicles ect
I asked one of the guys if i could have a picture on his ATV (all-terrain vehicle,) he politely agreed but i wasnt to touch any buttons.




In Colombia, when its independence you always see the national flag everywhere, out of windows, cars etc but here i was very disappointed. not many people flew their flags, i think i saw 2 flags in the whole day.

next post will talk about Catinguiera.

hey guys, hows it going? i'm doing fine, just doing the same old such as going to uni and the beach ect. however i have done some really good things in the past few weeks that i would like to share with you.

a few weeks ago, adriano a friend of ours who is brazilian and marine biologist invited us (sarah,helen and i) on a 'buggy' tour. A buggy here is like a really small jeep and it is speciall desigened to go on the beach at low tide (see picture below)



We had to get up really early at 8 am so we could take advantage of the tide. It was a beautiful day and i think we visited about 5 beaches.
heres a pic of me at one of the beaches


we got to one beach just as the fishermen were bringing out their nets, we were so lucky


they had all sorts in their nets, eels, stingrays, shrimp, fish, crabs.
adriano grabbed a crab and put a cigarette in its claw ( no animals were harmed in the process)



it was a lovely day and adriano was so kind to us, he didnt let us pay for anything and it was nice to see more isolated beaches cos the beaches we go to are packed most of the time and the water is a bit muddier cos its an urban beach.

some more pics




the next post will talk about brasils independence day which was the 7th of september.


take care guys,

love steph

BEAUTIFUL.

RANDOM.