Last Leg to Canela

 

Dec 11 Thursday

Woke up in the middle of the night (we haven’t caught up with the new time schedule yet).  I spent some time reviewing the Portuguese Missionary handbook with words, phrases, and grammar.  We have been warned that we may be asked to bear our testimony and say a prayer.  It would be good to show that we are attempting to learn the language of the people we will be working with.  Finally went back to bed shortly before it was time to get up to repack, eat breakfast, and catch the shuttle to go back to the airport – then to catch the bus to Canela.

At the aeroporto, we got directions to the Citral bus ticket office and tried to purchase tickets.  The girl there didn’t speak any English, but it became clear they did not accept debit or visa cards and no American money.  We hadn’t exchanged for Reis (Portuguese $).  She called a man who could speak “a little” English, and Merl was directed to a Banco.  I waited quite a while worrying about missing the bus when the man returned and asked, “How is it that you are in this place?”  I interpreted it as “what in the world are you doing here?  You can’t speak the language, you don’t have any money, and you want to go to Canela – the best place in Brazil?”  He was very kind as we ‘talked’ about going to live with D&A for ‘pleasure’ and ‘service.’ 

Merl finally returned, purchased our tickets, and found the bus stop.  We boarded the bus and started the very rainy, foggy drive through the beautiful mountainous landscape.  The hillsides are covered with dense, lush plants of all kinds.  The hortencias (hydrangea in US) in full bloom covered sides of the road much of the way.  They brought back memories of when we saw them in their late stage of bloom in the fall on our previous trip.  So much more beautiful in the summer.