I havent had much time at a computer lately.... at least not long enough to write a proper entry in this. I guess traveling will do that to you though. I havent written in my journal lately either.

Rio was amazing... as expected, the rest of my trip was just as fantastic as the beginning. Lucy and Efren and I went to see the Botanical Gardens, which are amazing and HUGE! This whole block is just like a little jungle in the middle of the city. It is incredible and we had such a good time goofing around and taking funny pictures of ourselves. The next day we went to the Corcovado... The huge statue of Christ the Redeemer. Lucky us, we went on Good Friday, probably when everyone in Brasil decides is a good day to go see Jesus. So, there was traffic out the wazoo, and we ended up getting out of our taxi and just walking up the top of the mountain. It is a pretty incredible scene, although I think it would have been a little more amazing had there been fewer people EVERYWHERE!!! I took some funny pictures, and Ill post them as soon as I can.

On a side note - computers in Brasil dont have the apostrophe. It sucks!

On sunday, after much debate about whether I should buy a bus ticket in advance or not, I went to the bus station to leave (no ticket), and there were no busses until 4 hours later. So I sat in the bus station for 5 hours. It was no problem though, because Lucy and Efren waited for me for a couple hours, so the time went by quickly. I read The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (Im like, 3/4 of the way through Lance! It is great!). I made it to Belo Horizante unscathed by Rio, and by the bus through the mountains on a rainy night, with a scary bus driver.

Belo is a great city and Anna Hardy, who is generously putting me up, is soooo wonderful! Its great to see someone from Pittsboro after all these months. She has been here in Brasil since last July! Its been 9 months since shes been home!!! I dont know if I could do that right now. Im getting excited to come home and eat american food and drive a car and get hugs! Real, good, Pittsboro/Chapel Hill Hugs!!!

On Sunday I travel to Buenos Aires, and there Im meeting up with more Pittsboroians! Were everywhere!!!! Mason Phillips, Abby Wilson and Amos Vernon and I are all meeting up together in Buenos Aires. I think it will be fantastic!!! Im so excited to be ending my trip this way! Ive been using a lot of exclamation points, havent I. Yikes. hahaha.

More soon! Tomorrow we go to an old mining town called Ouro Preto. Ill let you know how it goes, and try and post all those pictures.