Return of the Gringa

So, after one year and two months in the U.S. I have returned to the land of coconut water and palm seed oil, outdoor bars and countless beaches, pick-pockets on every street corner and urine soaked sidewalks... yes, the Bahian capital, Salvador!

On my first night, there was a big Brazil soccer game here in Salvador so we all went to Shaddai's house to watch it on tv.

Shaddai and I showing our national spirit.

One weekend I went with Teca and Baixinho to a very small town in the country to celebrate a 99-year-old lady's birthday. It was a weekend of thrills, let me tell you.

I think she was glad that I could make it.

Here is a cool toy that Teca brought home for me one night.

I miss you all! Stay tuned!

Peru!

Standing in front of the flag wearing our new Peru garb.

Lima.

Vania and I at the zoo.

Goodbye Murilo!

Machu Picchu

While in Peru, we took a bus from Lima to Cuzco (only 30 hours), took a bus and then a train to Aguas Calientes (only 4 hours), spent the night, and got up at 4am in order to see the glorious Machu Picchu. It was totally worth it.

Entering the city.

Machu Picchu is awesome.

We climbed Wayna Picchu to go to the Sun Temple. It is very tall.

Llama!

Hooray!

On the train ride back, this guy danced for us. Everyone felt slightly uncomfortable.

Goodbye Salvador!

On my last few weeks in Salvador, I tried to spend as much time as possible with my closest friends. Murilo had left for Argentina so I spent a lot of time with his girlfriend Camila, with whom I became very close.

Camila, her little cousin Ian, Tiago and his Ukranian girlfriend Tatyana

Camila

Tiago

Matheus

Salvador on my last morning.

Duck Face

In June, I got into a fight with a refrigerator and had to get three stitches on my upper lip. My friends sent me flowers with a note that said, "Everything for your beautiful smile."

The Continuation of Fun!

See? I study!

My studies are interrupted by an important Aguarraz band meeting.

I sing Happy Birthday to myself.

The Fun Continues!

After Dad left, I was able to return my focus to school, home, and friends. I continued to take piano lessons at the Catholic university and also picked up guitar (no, I didn't learn how to play anything). I took a linguistics class with Murilo who had begun his first semester at the Catholic university as a Publicity and Advertisement student (lame!). I also took three courses at the federal university: Bahian History (very hard), Anthropology III (very easy), and Political Organization of Brazil (very impossible). Besides studying, I continued to enjoy a warm home life and a busy social life.

The fam and I on Teca's birthday.

Danna and I on Katie's birthday.

In April, I also traveled to Recife with some other students from the exchange program. We spent a long weekend at a cool hostel with a lot of other young people and were able to see just about everything Recife had to offer, as far as I could tell.

A view of downtown Recife from Olinda, the historic district.

At Porto de Galinhas, the nearby beach town.