WONDERFUL FUNNY BRAZIL

Sat Nov 14..Went to bed a 1:00 a.m. and got up at 4:00 to shower and dress to catch the taxi at 5:00 – got to the airport and the plane was also 45 min. late getting us on. But, uneventful and safe. Arrived in Porto Alegre at noon, rented a Fiat (w/o muscle and the smallest car you´d ever find) and tried to find our way out of town to Bagé (40 miles from the border of Uruguay). The GPS was wonderful, but when it said to turn right at the 2nd right, there were at least 3 choices, and invariably we choose wrong, and it had to get us back to the right place again. Navigating through Brazilian cities is a trick (understatement).

We were told the drive to Bagé would be 4 hours, and the tank was full, so, when we figured out which highway was right, we felt comfortable, and the drive was absolutely beautiful. This country is so expansive, so green. There were rice fields on both sides of the 2-lane highway, however it was raining, and pictures might be blurry a little. Rice fields are lime green. So cool. Still raining, we drove on, through the interior of Brazil. After 4 hours, we realized that (1) it was obviously much further, (2) there were zero gas stations and absolutely nothing anywhere except expanse, (3) we would probably be late and run out of gas, (4) fumes and prayer were our only hope.

Rice fields from the air and the car.

Five and a half hours was the actual time at 100 Km / hr. and still raining – even then as we thought Bagé was only 10 km further, when we got the 10 km finished, true there was a sign that said, ”Bagé- 7 km “ with an arrow pointing left. So, another prayer, and 7 km further, we came upon the 1st gas station in 360 km. filled up (it took 40.6 liters, and is supposed to hold 40) then on to find the church, wherever it was. We tried to enter the address of the church, but the GPS said address not found. Then it found just the street, so we drove down the street and the church was the last building on the right. Yippee! We noticed that no streets had any signs or numbers on houses or buildings. There were no directions to anywhere and the GPS was a bit confused.
Bagé chapel & family and our Elder Castillanos


In the meeting we sang without a piano – was none. Gave the PEF training and both of us spoke, (even me in Portuguese – Hey, I am almost there) then Elder Brooks helped someone to learn how to access the SMS site and enter information. It was good, the people were wonderful and so loving and so grateful to have someone come from headquarters. 1st time ever. Even found one of our missionaries from the CTM that had been there only 2 weeks, with his companion that was going home Dec 1st . They loved Bagé. After this, we asked someone if they knew where our hotel was. (They didn´t have any listed on the internet, except the Pousada Sobrada, so we booked it online). Everyone scratched their head. No one knew except a kid on a motorcycle, so he offered to show us the way on his bike. We began to follow him at 8:00. Now it was dark, but we were trusting.


We went through the paralelepipedos streets – in and out and over and through into finally a dirt road in an undesirable place. Dead end. Turned around, followed him through dirt roads, into nothing but a tractor lane, with mud holes, in and out of fields, fences, thru an underpass with water, and finally through a field where the horse there just stood in the path and wouldn´t move. (45 minutes doing this)



There was a barn type of building, and the kid said, “I think this is it.” Can you imagine our expressions, and then laughter? Well, a man finally appeared, told us to go through yet another fence, into another area where there were very old looking buildings, and this man, Fernando, was so excited and happy to see us. He talked a mile a minute, and had us park and showed us where we were going to stay, and we unloaded our baggage into a very quaint little room with antique furnishings. I decided we might need to wear flipflops everywhere.
Our Room

But, then he wanted us to tour the place. He took us past another wire fence, and through a gate, and into the most beautiful lush area. Lake with swans & ducks & geese (asleep at night), a windmill, and then a castle type building that used to belong to the King of Uruguay´s son, who married a Brazilian in 1830, and had his slaves build the place and we were to sleep in the slaves quarters (7 of these rooms). He took us into the building, and I was in heaven. Pure antiques, beautiful furniture, and well preserved. This man was the caretaker for the place. Then after the many rooms of ancient history, we went yet into another building where they have a big kitchen, tables for guests, and an exercise room pool etc. All very old. I loved it.





Hey boys, want to make an inlaid bed like this. It was made around 1830. Won´t show all the furniture for lack of space.

By this time 10:00 p.m. we were unbelieveably tired. So, we excused ourselves, and retired to the old dusty rooms of the slaves, hit the sack and slept soundly until the peacocks began crowing. Man, they were so loud. At 6:00 we got up, tried to shower in the bathroom with nothing to hold towels or soaps, so I didn´t wash hair. Dressed and this cute little man came to get us for breakfast in the kitchen building. He got up early just for us knowing we had to drive back to Porto Alegre, and was so sweet to feed us typical breakfast food – bread, meat slices, cheese and fruit.

Off to the car to return – still raining a little. On the way back, we saw a little place that was selling homemade baskets – by Indians, so we stopped, I fell in love with them, but Dad said I couldn´t get it on the plane. Bought one anyway and stuffed it into the car. We drove and drove, it stopped raining, and we loved the time. Stopped at the 1st gas station to fill up again near Porto Alegre, then checked into a hotel – much nicer and much cleaner. Hurried to unload and get back into the car to drive to Sao Leopoldo.
The baskets - fun!
Sao Leopoldo was great – did our computer training there, and drove back to Canoas, did the same thing there, and finally it was time to go back to the hotel. We were starving as hadn´t eaten since breakfast in Bagé. Ordered a little dinner in the hotel restaurant, then again hit the bed. So good to sleep, and shower in a good shower. My basket was my prize still, and Dad kept saying that I would have trouble in the airport. But, courage, and determination. We got back to the airport, and checked our bags. They made us get the basket shrink-wrapped in a little area for 20.00. Now it cost 55.00 instead of 35. I told them to please be cuidado. We boarded the plane two hours late (as usual – something happened to a little aircraft on the runway, and it held up air traffic forever. They packed about 300 people into a little room waiting for domestic as well as international departures. Then finally it was our turn.
Descent into Sao Paulo
Skies over South America - can´t help but love flying.

Back in São Paulo, we got to the baggage area, and lo and behold, the basket was not smashed. They had put fragile stickers all over it. YesJ! Brazilians are wonderful. So, Steadmans met us, and it took another two hours in heavy traffic to arrive back at the apt. But, we were home, safely, and Heavenly Father knew we were grateful to him. So fun to serve a mission and help even one person, but this time we helped more than one - 3 stakes.