Brazil photos and review!

A final blog with thoughts about Brazil. I obviously went into way more detail in my long blogs from abroad, but if you don't have the time, this will probably catch you up:

Most Amazing Sight: TIE- river boat rides with vegetation and animal life surrounding us or the incredible stars that the unobstructed sky had.

Most Glaring Dichotomy- The city of Sao Paolo vs the city of Campo Grande. Sao Paolo was dirty and scary, while Campo Grande was beautiful, clean and had friendly people. Don't take my word for it- check out pictures 006 and 014. Luckily, we spent 3 nights in Campo Grande and had a blast.

Most Indespensible Item- My Red Sox hat. Never before have I felt this close to an article of clothing, but my hat was with me through thick and thin on this trip. From the crazy airport scene in Sao Paolo (picture 005) to protecting me from bugs in the rainforest at night (picture 105). It was there with me when the Sox won the world series, and now it was halfway across the world with me. It is a friend I will never give up. And yes, I am still talking about a hat.

Least Indespensible Item- My Manny Ramirez Red Sox tshirt- Who knew the number 24 meant you were gay in Brazil?? I am just glad I didn't offer it as a gift to any of the cowboys who helped us out. I would be coming back to the states with a black eye.

Most Interesting Cultural Norm- Sharing. If you order a bottle of beer or even a bottle of water, they will bring out a small glass for everyone at your table and pour them all some. More my favorite, the Terere (kind of like tea) was one of the most communal customs I have experienced. (pictures 107, 148, and 150).One person continually pours water into the same tea and then passes it around the circle so people can one-by-one drink through the filter. No fear of germs necessary. (a close runner up is the fact that public displays of affection are totally ok there. It was completely common for couple to be cuddling, making out, or even necking in the airport, on the streets, or at their table at a restaurant!)

One way Brazil is more advanced than the US: their cigarette packages have pictures of dead rats poisoned and birth defect babies. Much better than a warning from the surgeon general.

One Way the US is More Advanced Than Brazil: Car emissions. There are no restrictions on what a car can spit out in Brazil, and as a result many are shooting out thick smog. I was sick from the fumes by the end of my cab ride in Sao Paolo. My guess is 50% of cars in Brazil would not be allowed on the road in the US.

Most comforting piece of home that was always around- Coca-Cola. There was a McDonalds in Campo Grande, but Coke made it all the way out to the remote stretches of the Pantanal. The do call Diet Coke "Coke Light."

Truest Stereotype- the Brazilian women. There is no way to truly explain them. You will have to take my word for it.

Most Amazingly Abundant- TIE- The birds, caimans, and bugs were all incredibly plentiful. It is cool every time a parrot or Macaw flies by, no matter how many times it happens. Caimans are everywhere and don't really seem to sweat humans at all. Instead, you could walk right by them or drive your boat right up to them (see pictures 074, 180, and 181) and they wouldn't care. After all, if you bother them they can always bite your hand off! Meanwhile, the bugs are everywhere. There are all types and it is unbelievable the percentage of living things there that must be bugs. I think I am still finding new bites on my arms and legs! (thank goodness for Benadryl anti-itch gel)

Truest Friends- Gene and I were already great friends and I cannot imagine having taken this trip without him. I also made 3 new really close friends while in the Pantanal: Silvana (pictures 108, 139, 230, 232)- a bat researcher from Brazil who has a caffeine addiction stronger than mine and probably learned more English than I learned Portuguese! Ivelisse (pictures 111, 139)- the coolest non-Madison Park science teacher in Boston and James aka Gentleman Jim(pictures 055, 093, and 194)- proof that the English can actually be extremely funny, caring, and pleasant to hang out with! I would have considered myself lucky to have met one of these friends. To meet 3 is a godsend.

Coolest example of what I teach directly in class: (picture 095) The marsh deers letting birds sit on top of them because they pick ticks off them. Very cool example of mutualism. We also saw a Capibara laying on its back letting a bird do the same thing. At first I thought it was dead and being picked apart! But it was just being its same-old mellow self. Capibaras rule. (pictures 174 and 182-184)

Only Animal Unhappy to See Us: The giant river otters. (pictures 169-171) They can get up to 5 feet and 90 pounds or so. They would come out and growl and try to intimidate us in order to protect their nests and feeding areas. Oddly the only animal that even really acknowledged our presence.

A little science: Bats and Peccaries are most important for their relationship to plants. They disperse fruit and plant seeds through their feces, making the plant populations there dependent on them. As their food sources decrease, they may shift behaviors and change what is being populated in the rainforest. So yeah, that's the short version of why they had us studying them while we were down there.

Most loyal blog readers- my friends, family and students! I have missed you all and though I miss Brazil very much, I am happy to be back and seeing many of you already!