last full day

Where do I even start about yesterday? It was such a great day, that I was too tired to blog even a bit about it last night. In the morning, Alanna took us to Mosqueiro, which is about 70km from Belem. There we went to Marau beach, as Tulio had suggested. It took us about 2 hours to get there b/c Alanna got lost a couple of times trying to find the beach, but I didn't mind. The road leading out to Mosqueiro is dotted with many poor houses in fields. I use the term houses very generously here. Really, they look like little more than one room huts. Alanna said that the very poor kids don't go to school b/c they need to stay home and work. Some of the kids that live way out off in the river would have to spend hours each way to go to school.

The beach we went to was way outside of town, which Alanna said made it better. We stopped off at a club that has a restaurant and then steps leading down to the beach. They set out tables and chairs and an umbrella for us. Brandie went in and out of the water several times, but I only went in once. But according to Alanna, we went swimming in the Amazon! Alanna talked about piranhas and anacondas and alligators b/f for I went in, but I didn't see any of those. Then she told me that the piranhas prefer the smaller rivers and that the anacondas and alligators don't come close to shore. Suffice it to say, B went much further from the shore than I did! It was a lot of fun and very relaxing. Brandie stayed out in the sun, but Alanna and I sat in the shade of the umbrella and chatted. We talked about family, school, and get this: the Twilight series! She didn't think the books were very good, which I agreed with. Then we started talking about the movies, which neither of us really like. When we talked about how Kristen Stewart has absolutely no emotions in the movie as Bella, Alanna did a very good impression of her. It was hilarious!

After the beach, we drove into town to try tapioca. Nece had actually made some for breakfast the day before and I liked it, but B didn't try it. I believe Alanna said that tapioca came from a root, but we say it as a fine powder. It is then formed into very flat pancakes, kind of like crepes, with different toppings inside. First we tried tapioca com queijo, which is tapioca w/cheese. I really liked that one. Next came tapioca molhada c/leite condensado, tapioca w/condensed milk. That was really sweet; it was B's favorite. Then came Alanna's favorite, tapioca c/queijo e goiabada, which is tapioca with cheese and guava jam. I know that it sounds like a different combination, but it was actually quite good. We then tried tapioca c/manteiga, tapioca with butter. This is also what Nece had made the other day, and I really liked it. Just plain and simply, just how I like my pancakes. Very good! Next came tapioca de brigadeiro, which had chocolate inside. It was good, but very rich. I was glad we were sharing all of these, b/c I don't think I could have eaten a whole one by myself! Last came tapioca c/doce de leite, which was basically caramel inside. That was pretty heavenly. All in all, the stop for tapioca was an excellent use of our time, even if it made us late for the Brazil game, which it did.

Brandie wanted to go somewhere to watch the Brazil game with Brazilians, so we hurried back to the city as fast as we could, took a quick bathroom break, and then we were off again, looking for a place where we could watch the game and get something to eat. We drove around for quite awhile, b/f finally stopping at the place we had lunch the first day. It wasn't as crowded as most of the bars we drove by, and we could eat there. We didn't get there until the start of the second half, so we were in the car during the first two goals. Even in the car, however, we knew when they scored b/c we could hear the cheering and the horns going off and people setting off firecrackers. We got to see the third goal in the restaurant and the crowd went nuts! It was a lot of fun to experience.

After the game Alanna asked us if we wanted to go to see the party celebrating the game and we said yes. First we just drove through it, which was adventure enough. Part of this main road was blocked off, but even that part the wasn't blocked off had so many people and vendors that it was hard to drive through. Alanna looked for a parking spot for almost an hour, but then she did and we were out in the crowd! It was absolute madness! People parked their cars all along the street and blasted music out of the back of their cars with huge speakers. People were dancing drinking, setting off fireworks, you name it! I've been in crowds before, but this was unlike anything I had ever experienced. We managed to all stay together, and after a little while, we walked back to the car and left.

On our way driving back to the apt, we passed this dance competition, so Alanna pulled in so that we could look at it. We were standing by the dancer's entrance, and the man guarding the gate asked Alanna about us. B/c he found out we were American, he took us up to a box which was level with the dance floor to see the dancing! We felt like we were dignitaries or something! I couldn't quite figure out the dancing. We saw two groups, and in both cases, the boys were dressed up as scarecrows and the girls had these outfits on that looked like they were made for Bavarian bar wenches, with skirts that stuck straight out a foot from all sides. The dancing wasn't too complicated, mostly just stamping or prancing to the beat. They made various formations with the groups (both groups we saw probably has about 30 people or so) and sometimes danced with partners. There was also one older man that seemed to be the leader of the group. Throughout the dancing, which was done to what sounded like polka music, the whole group could chant/shout. The first group mimicked someone getting married, so in a way, it seemed like a weird symbolic mating ritual. We only stayed for two groups b/c the dances were really long. It was entertaining, however, and so funny that we got VIP seating!

So that was it, our long exciting last full day in Belem. This morning Alanna is taking us to somewhere she works, maybe the zoo, to feed baby manatees and see baby turtles and see the sloths. She says that we can't come to the Amazon and not touch the animals. Then we will come back to eat and shower and then it is off to Rio! I won't have internet in Rio, unless I go to a internet cafe, so I might just write about everything and then post it all when I get back in the US. Wish B and I luck on the rest of our journey!