Saturday. The fun day. We hit another waterfall and had a picnic today. It was a bit of a hike to get to the top, but there were numerous breaks in the falls along the way and the hike itself was beautiful. The property is owned by a family that charges at the gate to come in. There is a little restaurant where they offer free coffee (latin style--lots of sugar) and during lunch hours offer an amazing spread of homecooked food as a buffet where you pay by weight. They also have beers, homemade cheese, dulce de leche, plus there is a stand across from the restaurant where they serve fresh agua de coco (coconut water in the actual coconut--like at the farmer's market back home) and little homemade bonbons. Yum!!!!! 

     After we left, I got dropped off in town with a few other people so I could use the internet Lan House and Skype call my mom, and blog (Hello!!). In a little while, we will walk back to the Ecocentre; it'a about an hour walk through some farmland and down and up some mountain land. It's gorgeous, and really peaceful. It's amazing at night here. There is no light pollution on the property or on the walk back from town, when we walk back after dark sometimes. You can see every single star in the sky, and I am NOT exaggerating. I don't think I have seen the Milky Way since I was a kid in New Hampshire with my mom's family. Here, I see it every night. When the three of us still camping out walk back to our tent city, we sit and stargaze for a while on the strategically built sun dial. I love this place. I love moving. Stagnation is horrible. I never quite feel right inside when I am in a routine. They are hard to get away from though. 

     When I get back to the Ecocentre I'll work on my design for the school and then cook dinner. My community duty this week is Saturday dinner. Last week I was on compost. I am hoping that next week I will be on showers. It's a gross job, but I really want to do it. During Bioconstruindo, when I helped build the Bio-septico tank, I found out the the interior design of the tank is built differently for the sewage vs. greywater output, so I wanted to get down and dirty in the showers so I could see how the system is designed. If I don't get it this week coming, I will hopefully be able to trade jobs with someone. I was originally scheduled for it the first week, but the IPEC girl in charge of my group wanted to swith with the other IPEC instructor. That's cool, I like composting, although I have also heard feeding the pigs is pretty cool too.

     Tonight I also have acupuncture lined up. There will be a lady coming to IPEC for anyone that wants to get work done. I'm excited; I haven't had acupuncture done before. There are a couple girls in the program that had it done last week and they have mustard seeds in their ears right now to continue with the therapy for their specific ailments. Legal!!! (Remember, that means cool, Portugese slang style). I have also been waking up at 6 am every morning to do yoga as the sun comes up. One of the girls in the program is a yoga instructor and volunteered to do classes every morning for everyone in the eco-village. She is really good and super nice. Before she came for the program, she was on an island in southern Brazil, at a detox retreat in the middle of the rainforest giving classes there too. She is very present. Her energy is great. Go Ally!!! The other day, it was just the two of us; it was a late night for everyone, but you all know my sleep habits. It was fun though, just us. The birds come and sit or feed right near our heads while we are on the mats sometimes. Hearing them fly up while your eyes are closed is intense. They sound so much bigger and louder than they really are. The way the piegons fly around here is really enchanting, like they are hopping through the air instead of flying. There are also humming birds at breakfast and lunch that play in the still flowering tress (even though it's winter here now). AND!!!!! I finally saw the bird I wanted to see in Belize but didn't get to! It's called the Motmot bird and it is super legal! I was walking to the mosiac showers with my girl Kelly (she has a twin and they have my birthday!!) when she said, oh, cool bird ahead. I looked up and it was the Motmot. I freaked, grabbed my camera out and started trying to get a shot. I chased it aroud for 15 minutes until it was completely out of my range. Sigh. I got a couple shots that are pretty decent. I'm just glad I saw it. It's the coolest bird ever. Kelly was laughing. She thought I was going to have O-face for the rest of the day, I was so stoked. In case you haven't heard yet, I picked up a small appreciation for bird-watching whilst I was in Belize. (Thanks a lot Rudy!)

     I have also been taking advantage of the free capoeira lessons we have been having. During Bio, there was a guy named Mirim that would have capoeira drum circles with shakers and berimbaus. He was the one that hosted the roda (circle) during the party the last night of Bio. He practices the faster style of capoeira, while the one we are learning now is Angolan--the traditional style that is performed more slowly. I think the faster, newer style is more my soul's style, and Mirim agrees. The other teacher told me to go mais lento (slower). Heehee! That's cool, capoeira is like the rhytm of my heart regardless. Mirim and I had a really great conversation in my broken Portugese the other night after the Portugese lesson. He plays music, does capoeira, is a reiki master, paints, meditates like 3 hours a day, does massage, and practices Ayurvedic medicine as well. What!!! Our conversation was about life, people, nature. It was just really great. He met up with us at the waterfall today as well. We have been getting Portugese lessons as well, though they are optional. It helps, but it's so much faster learning when you are forced to integrate with locals, like during Bio where the classes were in Portugese also. It's fun though; Rebecca, one of our instructors, hosts them and gets some of her friends and IPEC's friends to come in from town and work with us, play games, sing songs, etc. The music is beautiful; some are Bossa Nova style, which I LOVE!!!! It was created in Brazil, that style of music. (My cousin, Rebecca, played Bossa Nova at her wedding party, one of my favorite weddings ever.) That night, after the lesson, myself and some of the other girls that were there for Bio hung out in the Praca do Arte (outdoor art room) with Mirim and some of our other Brazilian friends that showed up for the lesson, as well as one of our Chilean friends (there were 3 at Bio!!!). We played music, sang, learned some samba, and drank Chilean merlot (represent!!!). Good times.

     Tonight, I think I am heading into town after dinner for a Blues show and eco-film night at Amazen. Last week, we hit up a reggae show; didn't stay long though--the band took forever to come on. Then, later tonight, one of our friends is spinning at a farm party (whoot--old school field party!!) until 7am, though I'll probably hitch a ride with others that come back a little earlier though. Exciting!!! Might be pulling an all nighter, who knows! Have to be up and ready at the Ecocentre by 8:30 am. We are going to a local farm 20 km-ish out that was dubbed a world heritage site. They host a traditional (all you can eat) breakfast with the influences of all the cultures that have influenced Brazil; there is also a tour of the property. Hooray for homemade, fresh pastries!! After that, siesta. . . .