This definitely is in close competition for the most stunningly beautiful place I have ever been. I know I said Florianópolis was like New Mexico but I was mistaken; here is really like New Mexico, but rushing with water everywhere. Images here
I am staying in the super small village of Vale do Capão. The three other English speaking folks I have met in the last two weeks are from Australia, Switzerland, and Canada. I'm learning more Portañol here as there are many travelers from the rest of S. America, and I've been learning to understand Portuguese through French and Italian accents as well. The tiny mercados and restaurants are only open in the mornings and evenings. I am spending many hours silent and alone with my body and the rivers and waterfalls and sun filled dirt roads, hiking the endless trails near my rented quartinho, writing and singing, practicing yoga, or sometimes just sitting still. Here I have found my main occupation is athletic training. I take amazing capoeira classes morning and evening on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and days in between are for longer yoga sessions, going running when the sun is low, and African dance class. I feel healthy, alive, and thriving, flexing the capacity of my body as animal, machine, spirit in action.
I feel so much transmutation in myself these days. I had no idea how much Brasil would open me. I had no idea how much more of me there was to discover. For one, I can't beleive how long I have wanted to train in dance and capoeira and I didn't even know it. I am working through some seriously huge old barriers about not wanting to be a beginner, not wanting to potentially be bad at something at first. I have been seeing more clearly this part of myself that wants immediate mastery. And, of course I don't get to take a vacation from my shadow sides. It is so funny to see this part of me that hates being wrong, hates being told what to do, getting activated sometimes in classes, where of course I am there to be told what to do!
Ok, off to feed the sugar monster now. Actually, bolo de aipim is not that sugary, but I do have a sugar monster happening right now. Aipim is the food I have been waiting to remember my whole life. There are 5 different kinds of cakes they make here with manioca, all without flour or milk or much sugar and all amazing. Bolo de caramá, bolo de aipim, bolinho de estudante, bolo de tapioca, bolo de I don't remember the name of the last one.
If I mispelled anything here don't hold it against me; the spell check thinks I should be writing in Português so technically everything I'm writing is gibberish!
