Week eight began with the realization that my volunteering work was coming to an end very soon. On Monday and Tuesday we kept busy finishing the pictures on the wall, buy items for the garden, and working on the fence. I managed to understand the gardeners telling me that they are going to miss me when I finally go. I realized that just six weeks ago I was meeting them for the first time and was not sure what to expect. Looking back now I have met three of the nicest people and really have been blessed. I am able to go to a project every day and work towards a garden that is feeding a school and the community. I am looking forward to adding an extra week next week and finish our mini projects and buy supplies with the rest of the fundraised money. On Wednesday three other volunteers and I headed north to Salvador by plane. About a month ago I realized that I felt a bit stuck in Rio de Janeiro and I felt like there was so much more to see in Brazil. So I took a dive and planned a random trip and extended my trip a couple days to be able to go to Iguaçu Falls in a couple weeks. I am already here so why not. So from Salvador we loaded onto a bus in the afternoon and headed west to a little town called Lencois. This area is known for a national park called Chapada Dimintina. I was ready to enjoy time in the middle of nowhere and have some outdoor fun. We arrived at our hostel at midnight and went straight to bed. Woke up the next day around 8 to an amazing breakfast! There were fruits, cakes, breads, eggs, and juices. After 8 weeks of granola and toast I was super excited for a change. We then talked to the office about some exploring we could do on our own. They sent us on a 30 minute walk to a natural water slide/swimming hole. We were there for at least two hours having the time of our lives for free! We then headed back to town and went to have some lunch. We found this natural café where the man spoke English. He started talking to us about the park and offered to take us around to the other side of town for a hike. We were super excited to have someone that knew the terrain and we got to see and learn so much more than if we were by ourselves. We even got to the top of a mountain for sunset which was perfect. We then headed back from our hike and went to a tour operator to sign up for a tour for the next day. We picked to hike to a waterfall called Fumaca, which is the tallest waterfall in Brazil at 1,300ft. We were excited for the 4 hour hike and an unknown adventure. By the time we got back everyone was very tired and I think we were in bed and sleeping by 9:30. The next day (Friday) we woke up by 7:30 and enjoyed another great breakfast. We got picked up by the tour group and headed off to the region the waterfall was in. Our hike began with a steep one hour hike up rocks. Not going to lie I did not think I was going to make it but after ten minutes your concentration kicks in and I was fine the rest of the way. By lunch time we made it to the waterfall and it was amazing. As we were turning the bend we could feel the mist on us which I learned that because the waterfall is so high most of the water does not reach the ground because it gets taken by the wind or evaporates. When you wanted to look at the waterfall you had to crawl to the edge because walking up to it can throw off your balance. We got to enjoy our lunch there and headed back midafternoon. We ended our day at a natural waterhole with a smaller waterfall and got to relax and enjoy the day. When we got home we booked another tour for the next day, made dinner and went to bed early again. On Saturday we got picked up again around 8 and our itinerary was packed with great things to do. Within that one tour we got to see two natural swimming holes, a cave, the azul pool (that is what looks to be crystal blue water that comes from the reflection of the shells in the water and a valley of masons. I was completely blown away by the end of the day. These hikes were exactly what I needed to refuel and finish my time in Rio! On Sunday we jumped back on a bus and headed back to Salvador which is an old colonial town of Brazil. We stayed for the night and got to explore the town the next day until our flight. It is known for his traditions and churches so I enjoyed exploring for a bit. We headed back to Rio that night and headed back into the grind of the city. Three more days of project this week and then I am off to Peru so let the adventures begin!
