Mata Atlântica...and getting here (59th street bridge song)

I'm here, in the jungle, and (to quote Paul Simon way out of context) feeling groovy. I have the bottom bunk in a very modest room in a very modest little 2 bedroom house, or building rather. I got here a few hours ago, spent some time setting my room up and then had lunch. This place is completely Socialist, by the way. A self-sufficient forest/farm, everyone divides the work in groups and shifts and the like and sings while they do it. It's kind of like gschool for me, in a way - a month spent with bunch of people isolated and connected by a common goal. Internationally speaking, most have gone away (to Rio probably), but there remains a friendly Canadian and a German. There is no real work now since it's the last day of Carnaval, but this time tomorrow I will probably be elbow deep in wet brush. This whole paragraph is completely out of order. To continue the trend, let me add that the top bunk will be filled by a Brazilian starting next week, and the other room belongs to a Brazilian who apparently also has somewhere else to stay in the village nearby, so he isn't here all the time. So I'll be living semi-alone for the first week, and then with one roommate for the next three weeks. I'm a little disappointed they didn't put me into a crazy international house of at least four, but I figure that this way, at the end of the day, I can choose when to retreat to privacy for the first week and will get more Portuguese practice thereafter. A lot more Portuguese is spoken here than I had anticipated, at least while the English-speaking people are traveling...and probably when they come back, too. I think I may be the only American.

Last night at 8:30 I left São Paulo alive, which I thought was a pretty good accomplishment. But I had a complete falling out with Nilza, believe it or not. We were all set to drive to the bus station, as she had offered to take me, when I brought up the fact that I'd paid her for 2 extra days of accommodation and only used 1 (Sunday night). When I asked her to return the 1 day's worth, she was taken aback. She argued that Saturday night wasn't covered by the fee I paid to the school--which I wasn't sure about so I couldn't argue, only speculate--and thus my payment for 2 nights covered Saturday and Sunday night. She also stated that she was giving me breakfast, dinner, and a comfortable house throughout that time, and not to mention she was taking me to the bus station (which I had offered to pay her for when she brought it up, and she said no!). In all fairness, what I paid her for the 2 extra days was so relatively cheap, especially given the time of year in Brazil and all the extra things I was getting, that it wasn't an issue of money, but more so the fact that she denied what we'd agreed upon as fair payment that made me mad. At one point she said she'd refund me the money and then charge me more than that for the ride to the bus station if I'd like. I told her she could keep the money, because I was ready to go, and the whole situation became ridiculous. She said she'd never take in a student from the school again. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and I asked if it was because of me, but she repeated it was because of the money and that I had been a good guest. It was a terribly awkward discussion and we still had to survive a car ride to the station. I sat through it, thanked her for everything and said goodbye. She thanked me for being good to her. I had no idea any of that was coming, but honestly, I laugh now to think about it.

At the station, I found the company for the bus I needed, marched up and asked for a seat. Of course, my bus was full. It was 9:10, and they said they may be able to help me if I come back at 9:40. I spent some of the worst 30 minutes of 2008 lamenting my situation and dreading the prospect of calling Nilza back and asking to stay for yet another night after what had just happened--all the while trying to be patient, knowing that it could have been worse and wasn't. I went back at 9:36, and while in line, got a thumbs up from the clerk that put me at rest. I was on the 10:00 bus at the last minute.

I stayed up for most of the ride because I wanted to take advantage of the window seat...even though it was pretty dark. It was still great. The second bus ride was about 1 hour long and was much more local, alternately running through smaller villages and then periods of just nature, huge green mountains with stylistic trees on top and then trees all around, and animals...I'll take tons of pictures this month and on the way back and upload once I get a USB cord. It's raining like crazy and I haven't had the opportunity to stare at the nature yet...so allow me now. I think we're going to a waterfall? We had a little linguistic discussion about what can be considered a waterfall. Lol.

P.S. - later that day

Talked to the director and had my room changed. I live in the center now, which is about 3 times less nice but 10 times more social. I wasn't expecting 3 stars in coming here, and it seems all will work out.