Week Three

I lost my head lamp. If anyone is in the Paraibuna lake region on a small nameless island a few kilometers past the boat launch of the local resort, and happen to come across a L.L. Bean headlamp, buried in the fallen, third generation eucalyptus leaves, please send it back to me. I miss it dearly.

This past week (actually nine days), I spent working my first trip with Outward Bound Brazil. It was a flat water canoeing trip at the magic lake of magic mentioned in a previous post. For those of you who may not know, it is winter here in Brazil. Winter in brazil is very similar to winter in the Appalachian mountains. mostly a grey, bleak, lifeless, cold, landscape that is best placed in the words of old dead poets. It is a time of sad december smiles filled with a longing for the sun and the return of the feeling of soft grass on callused feet, and warm sun on resting backs. For those of you who don't believe me I have pictures to show as proof.

Like I said it is bleak here. The temperatures are brutal with the low dipping into the 50s at night and the highs soaring to a sweltering 75 or 80 during the day.The rain is constant, I find myself longing for sunshine. The figs and rambutan have not yet ripened and the guava and cashew trees have yet to produce fruit, only flowers. I fear that the lack of beauty in this place may lead me to an early grave.