Thick grass

Mato Grosso has been interesting. After our day at Club Med Barra Krystal and I arrived at the airport at 4am for our 6:45am flight but of course the airline staff didn't even arrive until 6:20. We had to change planes in Brasilia and then take a bus from the airport in Cuiabá to Caio's house in Chapada. Everyone in Cuiabá goes to Chapada for weekends and days off to enjoy the peace, quiet, and breathtaking views. As soon as we showed up at the country house, which was HUGE of course, I met everyone in Caio's family and I sat in the yard with all the homens drinking red wine and talking. Caio introduced me to his uncle, Banã who runs all the political campaigns in the state and on the side takes photos of these indigenous people he knows called 'Chavante'. Banã is really intimidating but took a liking to me and planned a trip to take us all the reservation. Other than that, we didn't do much in Chapada other than hang around with his really funny friend who always is playing saxaphone while Caio was with his new semi-girlfriend. Caio did take us though to this cliff that is exactly in the center of South America!

The day that Banã took us to the Chavantes was pretty awesome. He picked us up in his jeep that has 330,000 km (210,000 mi) on it! He's driven all over South America and done all kinds of random things around the world. Late that night we arrived at the reservation where we met some people, felt awkward and then got invited to a coming of age ceremony for the next day. We spent the night at a hotel in the nearest city and left at 4am to arrive at Banã's friend's house. There we watched all the men of the household prepare the body paint for their sons (ages 4-7) who are seriously the buffest kids I've ever seen. The dads also gave them these really big roots that the kids use to whach each other in the ceremony until one chickens out and leaves crying. At around 5am we went to this big circle in the middle of the reservation where all the young boys and their fathers were there to fight. The Chavante kids don't speak Portuguese because they only begin to learn at age 14 if they care to study it.

After the ceremony Banã took us to meet the elders of the community and they all fell in love with Krystal because she looks super indian right now from being so tan. We gave someone a ride after to another reservation that was a whole hour and a half away from the paved road. There some people took us swimming in a forbidden river you need permission to swim in that had the clearest water I've ever come across. The whole day was so surreal and beautiful and strange. Despite my thorough application of repellent I got bitten by more mosquitos and ants that should even be in one place :(

That same day, which started so early at 4am, we with with Caio's main squeeze to this enormous night club called 'Garage' back in Cuiabá. The security was so over the top and you had to get your fingerprinted just to buy drinks. The air conditioning was on full blast and I was freezing the whole night--people from Mato Grosso think it's hot here but it has NOTHING on Rio. The night was just as surreal as the Chavante trip because of the freezing temperatures, the strange vastness of the building as well as the fact that the whole national volleyball team was there and Vive, Caio's girl got so drunk that she threw water in someone's face and made a fool out of herself. We left at dawn so that Vive and Caio could eat McDonald's and I was dying in the backseat with Krystal while the classic drunk Vive tried to speak in English with us.

More drama happened with Vive but it's boring and not worthy of Maniquí me. Krystal and I have been getting a little Cuiabá fever because Rio is obviously more fun and exciting. I also think that people dress better in Rio, with more colors, and not such a strict dress code. Mato Grosso has treated me well though of course. Last night I fell asleep smiling because I finally made a real human connection with someone which has given me hope in the human race once again. Tomorrow it's back to Rio--Caio, Krystal and I have tickets for Coldplay on Feb 28! This life only gets better.


PHOTOS to come. I left my cable at home, but I have a 1000 Chavante pictures I'll post sometime soon.