Hotel Palace

We've got just a few more months here in Brazil. Come see us. If we fill up our extra bedrooms, no problem. We've got just the place for you to stay right down the street from us.

Iguacu Falls

Iguacu Falls is one of the world's great wonders. When Marsh, Brent and I first visited it fifteen years ago at the completion of Brent's mission in Brazil, I couldn't see enough of it. I thought I would never have the chance to travel there again. Well, I've been there six times now, five of them in the last 2 1/2 years and I still haven't seen enough.

This last January Barb and I flew to the Falls without Marsh. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to communicate without him there, but he assured me that the people in the hotel, at least, would all speak English. Surprise! They didn't and it was a great chance to use my shaky skills. I was really amazed at how the words and understanding came when I needed them.

Pictures don't do this paradise justice. The roar of the falls and the spray that drenches you to the bone can't be captured on camara. We visited the Bird Park for the very first time this trip. We gave ourselves a little over an hour to see it and found that we could have spent three times that much. You can walk among the birds and they are so tame that we got right beside them.

In this photo I felt like I was an eerie version of "The Birds." They were coming slowly at me from all directions. There were birds under the bench, behind the plants, and just out of camara range, all black and hard for you to see. Just after we took this picture the big black fellow to the left grabbed my glasses from my hand. We had a tug of war that I was sure I was going to lose. And when he couldn't get them, he made off with the plastic bottle label and Barb frantically chasing after him, fearful he'd swallow it.

Hey, Ashley, Ty, Anna, Ellie, Olivia, and Lilly. How do you like the snake I'm holding? He felt cold and heavy and smooth and very muscular. He was trying to wrap himself around my arm.

These Indian women are weaving colorful backpacks that they sell to the tourists. They work the buttonholes with a large bone needle. We had a great trip and I would be delighted if I get the chance to go one more time.

The Batmobile

One of the big perks of working for the Church here is the classy, up-to date car they give us to drive. Eat your hearts out.

(Just kidding. Our car is a really respectable grey Chevy minivan, but I kind of like this one. We spotted it barreling down the freeway. What'd you think? Does it fit us? )

It never ceases to amaze me what pops up on Sao Paulo's freeways. You often see people pulling kids walking along the inside lanes waiting for a break in the speeding traffic to dart across the freeway. I can't imagine how they dodged the cars to get there in the first place and how in the world they'll ever finish getting across. It's not unusual to see trucks on the freeway loaded dangerously to the gills with all kinds of cargo. I held my breath when we passed this one.

I think anything with wheels is legit on the freeway. Here is family out for a Saturday outing, horses, carts and all. I wished I could have gotten a picture of them clip-clopping along together but we were moving too fast. I've even seen bicyclists pedalling furiously amidst the streaming the cars and trucks. Haven't seen a skateboarder yet. Did see that in California one night on the I-15. I guess we all have our odd traffic.