Moonlit Rio

For some reason I have been very in touch with my feminine energy here in Brazil. I don’t mean anything about feminism or my sexuality; this is just the first time that I’m really happy that I’m a woman - truly strong in my female identity.

Maybe it’s because the full moon is coming up, but I’ve felt very connected to her energy lately. As I was traveling alone by bus from Pirinopolis to Brasilia, with the hopes of meeting up with someone from the next ecovillage at the bus station, I felt nervous that the person would not show up, or that at the huge bus station I would not be able to find her. But then I peered out the bus window and saw mama moon shining down on me, telling me that she would look after me, and I felt OK. “tranquilidaje.”

I feel like the moon picked me up, rocked me in her arms, and then dropped me back down to earth, knowing I would somehow land feet first. And I have – the “unplanned-ness” about my whole Brazil has trip turned out unbelievably well. I smoothly glide from one experience to the next, indulging in advice presented by wonderfully friendly eco-strangers.

I am now in Rio and could not be happier. There are two institutes that I will try to visit that teach bio-construction and permaculture, etc, but they are 2 and 3 hours north/east of the city center, so tomorrow I will figure out if I’ll really make it to them or not.

Tonight I had dinner with two Israelis that are staying at my hostel. I arrived at Vila Carioca (a hostel recommended by an ecovillage friend) in the late evening and decided to research what to do tomorrow. I was on my computer in the lobby (free wifi! – que massa!), and Chai came up to me and invited me to eat with him and his wife (they are a young couple on their honey moon). They showed me their favorite soup spot – this friendly woman that makes soup on a street corner and there are lots of stools to sit around on. Not only was it nice to meet friendly people in a new large city, but Israelis! Haha, I bet Chai saw my Jewish Star or something ☺

Anyway, I am excited for the next few days of freedom in a city that I can explore and make my own. Idealistically I will start writing my research paper at some inspiring café that I happen upon, but in reality I see myself waiting until I get home and writing it over the course of the summer.

Portuguese lesson:
Bom Dia (“Bon-Jia”) – good morning
Boa noite (“Boa-Noiche”) – good night
Tchau (“Chaow”) - bye
Legal (“Le-GAOW”) – slang for cool
Que massa (“Que maza”) – more slang, for hella cool





Yum! Acai! (seriously, SOO good and SOO filling!):


This is pao de queijo (pronounced "poum-de-kay-ja") and is a traditional breakfast food in Goias (the state that I was in up until today). It tastes like a small, soft sourdough bread piece with some cheese in it, kind of.:


Some "IPEC-ians":