Still Kickin'

Yes, I'm still here, just been a bit negligent lately on the blogging. It's been a busy month or so.

Since the last blog, we had our last couple trips for plant geography. One to Iguassu Falls, where we hiked a 9km trail through the forest and I finally saw a monkey! and trees, lots of trees. we took a boat ride to catch another 2km trail back and we got to kayak in inflatable duckies through the shallow area where the big boat wouldn't pass. one night a few of us ran (well took a van) across the border to Argentina for olives, wine, and a steak dinner,

and the morning before we drove back, spent a couple hours in Paraguay where everything is way cheaper than brazil, but you buy electronics at your own risk. The battery of

Dagma's mp3 player lasts all of 20 minutes a

nd Kelly's flash drive will save everything...except excel files. who knows. I steered clear of electronics and made off with a thermos, a belt, a folding stool for field work, and 40 cent digital watch (which is still functioning thank you). Oh and of course we saw the Falls. Mr. Carbearman liked it.

For our last plant geography field trip, we went to Vila Velha to explore some grasslands. There are a ton of cool rock formations and gigantic pits where basically the ground water ate away at some rocks and created an abyss. No one knows exactly how it happened. But that first step is a doosey. We went down into one that had a sweet waterfall. Yes this was the best class ever.

Somewhere in the middle of that Luciana and I met up with her friend Juliana to visit the

Northeast of Brazil.

We spent a couple days in Jericoacoara riding around the dunes on the back of a buggy and bought lots of crocheted items. From there we spent one night in Canoa Quebrada and saw lots of neat sand cliff

formations and lots of fisherman getting their boats ready for the lobster season.

Also since the last time I wrote I've been to Anhembi, my field site, twice now. I just got back on Monday. The first trip we got 4 plots done and this weekend we got 10 done! woohoo! hurray for help! So now I'm just lacking 3 more plots, soil density for each plot, and a ton of lab work. I'm going back next week just to sieve soils for about week until the students from Piracicaba can come help me finish up my plots. This weekend was especially cool though because we saw a jaguar and an armadillo. battling to the death. ok, not battling to the death, but that would have been cool too. they both were just running across the road. still cool.

Let's see...I also have a new computer "situation" so to speak. You know how your mom always makes you tie you shoelace so you don't trip over it...well that should go for power cords of lap tops as well. After stepping on the cord and slamming my computer into the concrete floor, I'm now left with a corner of the screen functioning. Luckily Rafael lent me an old monitor of his, so at least I'm functional, though now much less portable.

I will also be avoiding clam chowder for an inordinate amount of time now. After all the slightly sketchy street food I've eaten, I came down horribly sick last night thanks to a delicious homemade soup. I don't think I have ever vomited from such great depths before. I think clams came out of my duodenum. It was unpleasant.

Other than that (and having a cold at the moment) things have been more or less good. Classes are almost over, I gave two more presentations in portuguese, my portuguese language class is done, and now is the time for reports and final projects. Whew. It's hard to belief the semester is almost over. And how much more work there still is to do. eek. But on the bright side all things portuguese have become much easier.

Ok, until next time...