Buffalo ridin'...at lightning fast speed!

Here goes Paula flying down the street at a whopping 3 mph!!
It was actually pretty cool, we took these buffalo down the nature preserve, crossed a swamped with water that reached our feet and infested with mosquitos (the mega warriors of the Equator), along the beach, through the streets, all at about the pace of an 83 year old lady with a bad hip and knee problems!!! Basically it was pretty slow but a fun ass experience!!
All day today this town is partying, so now we are headed to the town plaza to hear bands, watch the horses and buffalo races, and drink some caipirihnas! We're not alcoholics, its just that everytime we talk to you guys it seems like we are drinking...hmmm....maybe we are!!!!!!

Sent by Jeffrey via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

La vida en Salvaterra

Mi cumpleanos estuvo lleno de muchas emociones, primero muy preocupada por la salud de Jeff en el hospital que gracias a Dios todo salio bien y solo tenia unos parasitos raros que nose saben de donde vinieron.



Despues en las horas de tarde cuando Jeff se sentia un poco mejor (y me imagino que haciendo el esfuerzo por mi cumple) fuimos pueblito llamado Jones en la isla de Marajo. El hotel estaba precioso varias cabanitas con una vista hermosa al mar y en noche tuvimos una cena romantica frente al mar con una noche llena de estrellas.



Ayer nos vinimos para otra parte de la isla el pueblo de Salvaterra, tambien a la orilla del mar. Aqui en Salvaterra hemos caminado por la playa, montado en bicicleta, jugado pinpon y matado 200.000 zancudos, hay por donde quiera. Me imagino que debe ser por lo pegado que estamos a linea de Ecudor.



El pueblo tiene 5000 habitantes, es un pueblo muy bonito pero tranquilo, todo se ve en muy buen estado, se ve que la gente se preocupa mucho por cuidarlo. Todo el mundo anda en bicicleta es el medio de transporte numero uno, porque carros hemos visto pocos.



Lo que mas me ha gustado es el hostal donde estamos, llamado BOTO. Esta lleno de detalles de muy buen gusto. Las cabanas son en madera con techos altos y decorados con mucho color. En el hostal hay la secion de las cabanas, de hamacas, de hacer ejercicio, diferentes juegos, un area de lectura, bicicletas, canoas en fin se puede quedar uno un mes y no se aburriria.





Sent by Paula via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Include email address

To so many of you that have written...THANKS! Always cool to read messages sent to us. The only way we can write back directly to a question, comment, etc is if you include an email address in the "send us message" section of the website.

Right now at this place called Pousada da Boto (www.pousadaboto.com.br) (same island) and Paula just spanked my ass in ping pong. Must be the 83,000 mosquitos that make it impossible to see the ball. Honestly, never knew that at the equator the insects ruled...its sickening. Going to our mosquito nets now. Later
Sent by Jeffrey via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

ALIVE.....!!!!

The parasite in my stomach has been eliminated!!! (Literally!!) Hahahahah

It was a bad one and one for the records but am going to try to keep myself clear of shady places to eat!

So now that I'm moving around and better..we headed to the island at the mouth of the river basin...we are actually nearly touching the equator, there are malaria insects and killer snakes on the western part of the island but apparently we are well protected from them on this side. Its called Marajo Island and the funny thing is that all over town there are buffalo roaming free. Seriously there are 1 ton animals just roaming eating at the grasses and shrubs...kinda like the town gardeners, except if you step in there way they will not politely ask you to move THEY will crush you! Kinda crazy...

It was Paula's birthday yesterday and we were able to enjoy the afternoon some more since the whole morning was stuck in the hospital.

Right now we are drinking beers on the beach (against doctors orders! But it is so amazing to drink here...plus its only 1 beer or maybe 2 AT MOST 3...and I'm done!) of this island, there's some sweet ass brazilian beach music that both Paula and I try to sing the chorus to but sound like absolute morons! Maybe if I had 4 beers we could get the portuguese words right!!

By the way thanks to all the folks that wrote to wish Paula a happy b-day and Matt, I bet ya that the Ciudad Perdida is a lot more appealing than Oxford at this very moment!!



Later (next official stop is Sao Luis a ways down from the equator and the malaria mosquitos!)

Sent by Jeffrey via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Caught a rare stomach virus

At a clinic in brazil, been feeling kinda shitty (no pun intended) the last couple days. In fact we now think I caught it when we were in Alter do Chau.
NOTE: John from USC or Diana from Germany please let me know if you got sick from that food)! Write to me from this website, I get it immediately.

Getting some medicine and need to provide a sample!!
Never thought Brazil would send me to the hospital, I guess you never know.

More importantly it is Paula's Birthday today!
We were supposed to be on an island, instead we're at the hospital...
Thank you baby, I realize your standing by my side but I want everyone to know that I LOVE YOU more than anything!

Sent by Jeffrey via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

VIDEO - live broadcast Monday March 3

Hi there, we broadcast for 15 minutes from a small internet cafe in Belem Brazil. It is at the mouth of the Amazon. We hope to get outdoor locations as we travel down the Brazil coast line to Rio de Janerio. We want to show more of what is going on in the area, but here in the Amazon, trying to find internet is difficult. Its a long video so get ready!

Ya llegamos a Belem

La experiencia por el rio ha sido muy hermosa, es el rio mas largo del mundo, segun estudios del a#o pasado superando el rio Nilo.

El Amazonas como tal contiene 6 millones sq km de rios y selva, la mitad de esta cifra esta en el Brasil, conteniendo el 17 porciento de todo el agua fresca del mundo.

Empezamos en Leticia donde tuvimos la oportunidad de navegarlo para ir a la Isla de los Micos, Puerto Narino, Amacayaca, y otras comunidades del area.

Despues lo pudimos ver por mas de una hora y media por aire cuando volabamos de Tabatinga a Manamos. Por tres dias mas lo navegamos desde Manaos a Santarem, hay si lo vismos en todo su explendor. Hay partes donde no se ven sus orilla, hay momentos en q uno cree realmente q es el mar.

En Santarem tuvimos la oportunidad de banarnos en el, este lugar lo llaman el Caribe del Amazonas. Es un pequeno pueblo a una hora de Santarem con varios hotelitos, restaurantes, pero lo mejor es que tiene playa y sus aguas son claras, definitivamente no parece el rio Amazonas ya que sus aguas son muy cafes por el lodo de la selva.

Hoy llegamos a Belem, es la ciudad de la costa del Brasil donde desemboca el rio Amazonas. Todavia no lo hemos visto ya q desde q llegamos ha caido una tormenta de agua que no nos ha dejado mover de la habitacion. Menos mal que el hotel esta muy bonito y da gusto quedarse en el viendo la lluvia y el rio ya que desde nuestra ventana tenemos vista al Rio Amazonas.

Quiero dar las gracias a las personas que siempre nos escriben para saludarnos y saber como estamos, para nosotros es muy importante saber q estamos en los pensamientos de las personas q nos estiman y q son importantes para nosotros.

Esas personas como mis dos bellas hermanas Zoraida y Milena, mi madre Esther, Maria Antonia, mi primas Natalia y Paulilla q siempre esta tan pendiente, mis amigos como Lissett y Camilo, Sandra y Esleivan, Rosita, Paola y Ricardo, Edson y Dayanna, el senor Martin y. La senora Elizabeth, Fumico, Mauro y Lilli, Vanesa, Matt, Lymari, Lisa y Alberto, Ana y German, Carlos Prieto, Luz, Ana Franco, Jaison, Guillermo Gonzalez, Amber y Dave mis companeros de trabajo como Cristina, Jordi y Matt y Eva.

A todos ustedes GRACIAS

Sent by Paula via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

We'll be in Belem in a couple hours

The mouth of the Amazon river awaits us...
Remember we are going to be LIVE from this major port town on Monday, March 3 at 12:00 E.S.T.
Come to the website and tune in...
Tired going to try to get some sleep now.
Sent by Jeffrey via BlackBerry from T-Mobile