Feliz Natal e Ano Novo!

The best Christmas tree is an invasive pine tree.

We cut and removed our pine tree from the dunes. Pines colonize and disrupt the dune ecosystem. Ben, Rick and I went searching for the perfect tree. There weren't many, thankfully, but the perfect specimen stood tall within a sea of spiny bromeliads. And what do all Brazilians wear for foot protection? Havaianas--flip flops. Since it was our second day there, I was still wearing my trusty, full frontal toe protected, all-terrain Keens. Thank you.

Rick went in first.

You might wonder, what sort of tactics are useful when treading through spiny masses of plants?
Opt for walking through large, less-spiny massive shrubs, tip toe on only a few squashing them sideways, walk quickly... Now with a pine tree on your shoulder.
Thank you Arboretum, with your Grevilleas and Roses, for making me the spiny, pokey, sticky plant ballerina that I am today.

We spent New Years with a group of Ben's good friends on a dock over looking the lagoon. The fish were jumping and we looked for the Southern Cross in the night sky. Felipe and Carol were leaving for England to study abroad early in the morning, only five hours after the New Years.


In Brazil they bring in the New Year wearing white clothes, drinking champagne and hollering Feliz Ano Novo while watching fireworks. Not so different from the United States...

Except the fireworks a bit.
The fireworks were going from the time Ben and I arrived in Brazil. Day or night. The frequency varied over the weeks, peaking at New Years of course, but I am almost sure they are only now petering out around the 10th of January. Oh, wait, I think I have just heard one off in the distance.

And this part my brother will enjoy. These are high quality fireworks made available to the public. Large, beautiful, awesome, hand-held rocket explosives--the kind they set off on secured areas at our high school graduation. Danger? Ha! I will hold this long cardboard tube in my hand, as far away from my face as possible and set it on fire! (Disclaimer: I did not actually set any off.)

As the last of the grand finale explosions from the shore of the lagoon fell silent a group on the bank that had gathered around the pier produced a wondrous firework display. Whistling, oo-ing and aw-ing, I had never been so close to the burst of a firework before. Only I wish they would try to aim more for the large body of water, and less for the dock of people. Especially with the bright wild exploding cork-screw kind.

Happy New Years!

Oh, and in the little downtown, Centrino, only one bar was open and they were out of food. Everyone was out celebrating. Got to love it.