Brazil Visit #4 Post 9

Currently i am staying in an apartment located on a tiny beach, with a little cove in which are anchored about forty little boats, mostly used for fishing. This is a pleasant location except for a number of dogs who bark on an ongoing basis. Added to that is the hourly bells of the Catholic church one hundred yards away, the noise of construction or repairs inside the building, and occasional helicopters. Last night was taken to a Syrian fast food venue. I don´t remember the name of the item served. They are small, round baked bread with a slightly raised circumference simlar to a pie. There are various possible fillings. The staff was not Syrian but young black women in green uniforms. We sat outside in little wooden chairs and at a small table almost under a bridge at a busy intersection. Pedstrians and bicyclists, little motorbikes and cars flowed by. My host is quite eager to improve his English and is constantly inquiring about how to say things. Yesterday we had mashed potatoes as part of our noon meal. After explaining the word "mashed," i later realized that he equated mashed with mixed, whereas mashed is most often used only with potatoes. I then had to explain that "mixed" was the common word when two or more things are put together. We also had to work through the irregular verb "eat," because we don't have the logical past tense word "eated," but rather "ate." My host hires an "empregada," one day a week. This woman washed several loads of clothes, made a wonderful meal, cleaned several bathrooms, swept, vacuumed, and worked steadily for eight hours for less than $30. I was compelled to give her a tip to add to her salary. The Brazilian real (unit of money) has suffered an almost catastrophic loss of value against the dollar, and presumably other currencies in recent times. When I visited last December it required only 2.4 reals to purchase one dollar. Just before my trip commenced two weeks ago, it required 3.1. The rate yesterday went as high as 3.55, a lost of one-seventh of the value in two weeks. This morning, by suggestion of my host, varied my walking route. Instead of walking along the beach, a perfectly flat route of 5 miles (8 kilometers), I walked up a mountain called Morro do Moreno. The street begins at the Catholic church, winds along the cove on much larger cobblestones ( 3 by 6 inches instead of the beach trail which are 2 by 2 inches). Went past several houses with the necessary barking dogs, and onto a dirt road large enough for vehicles. This terminated at a single file trail through vegetation. At various points had excellent views of the city of Vitoria across the bay, the long bridge that connects the two, tug boats, and even a larger vessel playing "Ompah" music from loudspeakers. As I climbed the trails proliferated and it was not always easy to determine which was going up and which sideways. Did not see anyone for most of my climb. Towards the top began encountering people on mountain bikes. It turns out that they were part of a bicycle club. Eventually reached the top after an arduous climb. Once i had to get on my hands and knees. Arrived there with the first of the bicycle riders. There is a little house at the top, a television tower, some chickens, and even a horse patiently cropping a little patch of grass. Two signs intrigued me. One, in Portguese, had the end of John 8:32, "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. At least it had the Biblical reference although it did not have the crucial beginning, "If you abide in the Word (of God). Better than the Harvard University portal, which reads, "You shall know the truth," without any reference to the Bible. ( cf. John 17:17) The other sign said, in English, "Big Beach." Raher incongruous for the top of a mountain. I am told by bi-lingual friends that many Brazilians purchase T-shirts with English phrases written on the front but have no idea what the words mean.