Brazil!!

Thanks to my great Aunt and Uncle... I was able to get organized and store my things for my 6 weeks in Brazil... :)

 We went to a soccer game that Lauren played in. It was great!

Here is my last moment in the US... just taking a picture in case I forget what Utah pavement looks like... you know, it's not like they have that pavement everywhere in the world. 

This was the longest flight of my life. Here I am on the plane from Houston to São Paulo. It was a big plane and they had cool fancy screens etc. I didn't sleep much, but I got a nap.

Flying into Salvador.

You can´t really see it from this picture, but the bay (a bahia) is full of commercial ships.

This is kind of a picture of where I am staying. The spit of land has a lighthouse at the tip. I've now walked out to that lighthouse and we've seen some of the area. 

More of the city.

First picture in Salvador from the airplane on the runway!

A view from the bus on our way to the hotel. The ocean and beach are nice here. 

On our way home from church yesterday... I had a great time. During the sunday school lesson, the teacher was asking about what was the "most beautiful place that we had seen/visited". I said, "This chapel. For me, right now, this chapel is the most beautiful place!" It was so good to see the members and to feel of their dedication and hard work. 

This is one of the views from a hotel window. There are a lot of trees in the city. 

This is what I ate for breakfast this morning. On the right is a pancake-type food that is made from tapioca flour. They serve it with sweet or savory toppings. I got coconut and sweetened condensed milk, which is the staple of Brazilian (and mexican) desserts. Then I ate some melon, papaya, passion fruit, along with some little breads. One with coconut inside, one made of tapioca, and another with jam. To drink, I had acerola juice (I don't think that has a translation), which appears a bit like a cherry.

It is super humid here. I never really got the humid experience in Mexico City, but here I shower 2 or sometimes 3 times a day. Lots of sweating and lots of warmth, although it is winter here, so in the summer it gets way warmer. I really like talking with the people. There are a couple of workers here at the hotel Davi and Fernando. I've talked with them a bit. Just walking around and talking with people in the shops, etc. Most people are surprised by how well I speak, but it is obvious that I am an American, so I'll need to work on that...:)