January 31- Februrary 3
João and Diego have family in a town called São Lourenço. One of my first weekends after moving in to the house, I tagged-along when they went home over the weekend. Diego drove us there Friday night once he got off work.Friday
Our first stop was to pick up Diego's wife. After that, we went to grab a bite to eat. The name of the restaurant humored me. Any guesses why? [Hint- seems to have been named after an international fast-food restaurant]
I stayed the weekend with João's mom, Eva, and older brother Miguel. They had recently moved apartments, and were still settling in. Eva was very sweet and caring. Miguel is getting married in April!
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| Miguel, Eva, João, Me |
Saturday
The next day, Diego was my tour guide as he showed me some various places in town like the train station and where his wife works.
He took me to Parque das Águas (Water Park). However, this wasn't the kind of water park I was expecting. São Lourenço is known for its natural mineral water. The park we visited was a big exhibition that featured different types of water throughout the park.
It was interesting to see that the water naturally contained gas. All around the park there were various fountains with descriptions of the type of water that was available to drink.
Also, a placard contained information on the benefits of drinking that certain type of water and how it helped your body. Some helped with digestion and cramps, others were good for those with certain medical conditions and ailments.
It was all very interesting, and after a lunch break back in Diego's home, we returned and cooled-off by taking a mineral water shower.
He took me to Parque das Águas (Water Park). However, this wasn't the kind of water park I was expecting. São Lourenço is known for its natural mineral water. The park we visited was a big exhibition that featured different types of water throughout the park.
Also, a placard contained information on the benefits of drinking that certain type of water and how it helped your body. Some helped with digestion and cramps, others were good for those with certain medical conditions and ailments.
It was all very interesting, and after a lunch break back in Diego's home, we returned and cooled-off by taking a mineral water shower.
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| (I bet it was good for the skin too!) |
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| Right before lunch, we made a stop by a churro stand...and oh boy- delicious! |
I went to Mass later that evening in a very picturesque church.
During the liturgy, I noticed some differences in how the parish celebrated the Mass. One example, is that (if memory serves me right) the congregation waved their hands in the air at one point earlier on during the service, and applauded after the Gospel reading. I have noticed the applause following the Gospel reading in other churches since visiting São Lourenço. It is a neat custom. I was able to follow along fairly well thanks to a pamphlet that was available. It contained the readings and other parts of the Mass- all in Portuguese of course.
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| Newly-Weds |
Sunday
We had a scrumptious lunch (compliments of João's mom), and took a big siesta following the good meal. João took me to Paulina's Sorveteria (ice-cream parlor) later that afternoon, and it was great. It was a happening place, as the hot day was driving people in to cool off with some cool, delicious ice-cream. So the way it worked was that there were several coolers side-by-side that contained buckets of all different types of ice-cream. At the start of the line, you select a bowl or a waffle-cone bowl (like I did), an ice-cream scooper, and then make your way pass the coolers, looking at the variety of flavors and loading up on how much or how little you wanted. At the end there were toppings, and syrups before you would place your ice-cream on a scale. So it was like the "Fro-yo" places back home in this regard. You pay based on the weight.
That night, Miguel and I dropped off João and Eva at church for their evening service, and we went to a gym to play futsal. When we arrived, there were two gyms: one where a group of girls had just finished playing soccer, and the other where a few people were playing volleyball. After waiting to see if anyone would show up for futsal, we walked over to the other gym and joined in with the volleyball. I played a few games, and then we headed back to the apt where I watched a stream of the Super Bowl.
São Lourenço was a nice, tranquil town. It is a tourist destination for Brazilians too. For example, people from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo might travel there during their holidays to get away from their big cities and enjoy life in a slower-paced, old-fashioned, small town for a few days.
...and that sums up my first trip to São Lourenço.
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| You scream, I scream, We all scream for sorvete! |
That night, Miguel and I dropped off João and Eva at church for their evening service, and we went to a gym to play futsal. When we arrived, there were two gyms: one where a group of girls had just finished playing soccer, and the other where a few people were playing volleyball. After waiting to see if anyone would show up for futsal, we walked over to the other gym and joined in with the volleyball. I played a few games, and then we headed back to the apt where I watched a stream of the Super Bowl.São Lourenço was a nice, tranquil town. It is a tourist destination for Brazilians too. For example, people from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo might travel there during their holidays to get away from their big cities and enjoy life in a slower-paced, old-fashioned, small town for a few days.
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| There were numerous charretes (buggies/carriages) passing on the streets while I was there. |
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| Also, there was a motorcycle convention going on. For all you Harley Davidson fans. |
...and that sums up my first trip to São Lourenço.
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| Diego, João, and I headed back to Itajubá Monday morning. It was a scenic drive. |
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