Lengthy update time

Four in the morning wake up time for the bus hit me a bit hard. We woke up to the empty room that we had pakced up two hours before and got a taxi to the bus station. All we wanted to do was get on the bus and sleep which turned out ot be more difficult than it sounds. The bus was late. Then we got on and had seats in the front row, only unlike the usual busses that have a door between the driver and passengers this one definitely did not. And the drivers’ choice of music at five in the morning was not conducive to sleep. So we moved to the back of the bus. And then a group of guys got on at the next stop and proceeded to sit right behind us and make loud proclamations about the state of the morning, the amount of fried pastries in their stomachs and other things. It would have been a little funny or at least a little entertaining maybe if my head wasn’t killing me and slepping wasn’t the only thing on my mind. So we moved again to the middle of the bus and after some crying baby episodes, the guys who got on and started playing music on their cell phones, and the section of the road fir which “road” isn’t really an appropriate description, I got some sleep. And woke up to find we were on a standing room only bus. Literally the aisles were packed with people who had gotten on while I was out and had no place to sit. They were squished up against each other and bracing themselves against the seats. What a way to ride the bus for five hours. Oh and the rain and fog were so bad I am fairly sure we were driving blind. I couldn’t see anything out the windows on some stretches. But we made it safe and sound to Ilheus and the airport to commence more waiting. Brazilian pilots delay their planes for overcast skies is the moral of that wait. Three hours of waiting with cloudy skies and a sprinkle or two in the air.

I’m staying with Frances while I’m in Salvador because her host mom’s house is way closer to where we go to work eery day.But we spent Saturday night catching up with a bunch of friends, learning some crazy news about everyone’s projects and chatting away. Sunday we buckled down and worked. A thriller for sure. But there were some great food breaks/conversations over the tops of various laptops.

And now more work. Wow. However last night we did meet Taz and the friend he is traveling with. We went out to where they are staying and met up for dinner and a LOT of fun conversation. We really covered quite a range from fraternity initiation to how to say seal in Danish. And I learned that for a sore throat you should sleep with a garlic clove in your mouth for three days in a row and it will be gone. And maybe stick some up your nose? But talk about morning breath, ew. It was really fun to hang out with them and translate for them to the waiter. Nothing like translating for someone else to make you feel proficient.

In other news, I am leaving in six days, I am NOT done with my paper, and I have NO clean clothes. And a lot of things to do/people to see before I leave the country. Also, I absolutely cannot imagine spending American dollars. I haven’t even seen any in three months (plus reais are way prettier.)