Adventures in Porto Velho and Amazon

Oi Pessoal!

I hope that you are all doing well. I figured it was time to give you a quick update (I promise this will be shorter than the last one and less rambly).
This week lots of great things have happened. We have been having constant visitors from the Amazon region here in Porto Velho and it has been great meeting them and having some more company.
As far as work goes, it has been kind of slow. A lot of my job simply entails playing games and having fun, which I can’t really complain about. I get to spend the day with high schoolers playing soccer, volleyball, and just chatting about life and differences in culture, etc.
A highlight of the week was going to Humaitá with Pe. Jefferson and Pe. Gennaro. Humaitá is a city that borders Rondônia (the state I live in) and Amazonas, but it is actually located in Amazonas. We spent two days there and I got to see the Centro do Menor (Salesian site) for the kids there and got to hang around the city about which was fun. I also ran into a Swiss volunteer and got to whip out my German and had a good conversation with him. The downside of Humaitá was the sleeping arrangement. I was in a room that looks like it came straight out of a horror film, (mysterious stains on the walls, mold growing in all sorts of places, the room was lined with the carcasses of huge insects, plumbing only kind of worked and worst of all… NO AIRCONDITIONING.. in 90 degree weather) So basically I just sweat all night, and didn’t sleep much. Also the roads to and from were… exciting! I thought I was going to vomit on multiple occasions, but we made it safe and sound (only hit one biker at a stop sign… who didn’t seem to notice really…we just tapped his wheel really). It was a really beautiful trip though. The Amazon is a gorgeous region. The pics I have a blurry because they are taken from inside a moving car… but I think you can get the jist of it. We also had to take a ferry to cross the Madeira river (note.. this is not your typical ferry) on the ferry on the way back I also got to see kids being taken to school in the Amazonian version of a School Bus… a boat. (see pic)




Tomorrow we are having a big festival here. (It seems like one giant party after another here. Haha.) But the main event is Bingão. (Which just means really big bingo). I’m super excited for it. The prizes include a motorcycle (first choice for winning) a cd of a Padre Manoel rapping (close second) and a goat (third choice.. slash it’s actually a Garrote, but the closest animal I can think it resembles is a goat). All really great prizes, so I’m sure the place will be packed.
I managed to watch my first Brazilian soccer match on tv, with two priests and some friends. Half way through the match I declared myself a São Paulo fan… which is a big deal. Soccer is everything here. At which point, Padre Jefferson turned to me and said, “João, remember when I told you I bought you a present… it is a Flamengo jersey” hahah AWKWARD, since that is the biggest rival team to São Paulo. I guess I am a Flamengo fan. He still hasn’t given me the jersey though… even though he keeps talking about it.
We also celebrated All Souls day by going to the cemetery and celebrating mass there. It was a really cool experience. The cemetery was full of people, all lighting candles and praying and visiting their deceased relatives and friends. The streets were absolutely packed with people on their way to the cemeteries and people selling flowers and candles. At the actual cemetery there is a big cross in the center, where people would come and light their candles and pray. There are some pics of the events underneath. Cool experience!

I am still really loving it here and am having a great time. My Portuguese is picking up and I am determine to converse fluently by the end of January. Haha at least I promised Pe. Jefferson that I would be fluent by then. We will see how it pans out. Lol. Here are some extra pictures for visual enjoyment 
Sending you all my love do Brasil,
João