We landed in Recife on Monday ( Segunda-faira ) the 22nd. Toni's cousin Bete came with her boyfriend to pick us up. The journey was an hour and a half to the town Toni where Toni was born and raised. It is called Perdas de Fogo ( Stones on Fire ). His parents still live there. along with his one brother and four sisters. The parents share a house with his brother Zito and his wife and four kids ( one girl and three boys ) Toni's sister Teka also lives with her parents. We were staying with his sister Nia ( Maria Jose ) and her husband and son. Toni other two sisters that live in the town are Loura and Secena. Loura ives with her husband and daughter and her daughters husband and her one grand daughter. Sucena lives with her two youngest daughters. She has had eleven children. She now only takes care of the two youngest, Carol and Luecia. Secena had been married but now is divorced.
When we arrived we had lunch at Nia and then walked a street over to visit with his parents. We quickly started drinking. The town was small with street after street of small colorfull houses that are build next to each other. There are no lawns but large sidewalks that people sit out on. Toni's father constantly sits outside the house in his rocking chair.
When we arrived we had lunch at Nia and then walked a street over to visit with his parents. We quickly started drinking. The town was small with street after street of small colorfull houses that are build next to each other. There are no lawns but large sidewalks that people sit out on. Toni's father constantly sits outside the house in his rocking chair.
The next day we walked across town to the Supermarket. It was not that far but Toni was constantly running into people he knew. Bete also had to go pick up her daughter from school. My wound on my back was getting increasingly worse and Toni was getting worried.
We saw the main plaza of town with a large church. At the supermarket we bought things for a Churrasco for tonight. When we were finished we took everything to his parents house. We went to our room at Nias. I took a shower ( there is no hot water which isn't bad since it is always hot here but the water is freezing cold!) Toni fixed my wound. It was slowly draining. That night we had churrasco. Drank beers and Caipirinhas. All of Tonis family was there.
The next day Nias' husband loaded everybody up in his truck and we drove 45 minutes out of town to where Toni's cousin owns a sugar plantation and also bottles mineral water. A short distance from the main house is a large swimming pool filled with mineral water. We unloaded the food and then everybody spent the day in the pool. Even though my wound was bad we figured the water was good for it. The pool was filled with kids screaming and playing. In the evening we picked mangos from a large mango tree outside the house. We finally all loaded back into the truck and returned to town. That night we stayed at his sister Loura's house.
In the morning I had a fever so they called the hospital. An ambulance came and picked me up. We got the the hospital and the halls were full. Toni says there was a man there with a knife in his side who started screaming about the rich people going first when I got to pass him in line. They took me into a room and took my temperature. I did have a fever so I was allowed to see the Doctor right away. We ( loura, Toni ,me and Bete ) went in. I showed him the wound. He wrote some things down. Next we went to a nurses station where they looked at the form and gave me three shots. One in the arm and two in the buttocks. For those who know of my history of vacations, know that things happening to me on vacation isn't anything new. This was probably one of the worse....this and there was the time I had sudden hearing loss in Germany. Well at least health care is free in Brazil. If you are a foreinger you will probably have to wait awhile but since I knew people this was not an issue.
We saw the main plaza of town with a large church. At the supermarket we bought things for a Churrasco for tonight. When we were finished we took everything to his parents house. We went to our room at Nias. I took a shower ( there is no hot water which isn't bad since it is always hot here but the water is freezing cold!) Toni fixed my wound. It was slowly draining. That night we had churrasco. Drank beers and Caipirinhas. All of Tonis family was there.
The next day Nias' husband loaded everybody up in his truck and we drove 45 minutes out of town to where Toni's cousin owns a sugar plantation and also bottles mineral water. A short distance from the main house is a large swimming pool filled with mineral water. We unloaded the food and then everybody spent the day in the pool. Even though my wound was bad we figured the water was good for it. The pool was filled with kids screaming and playing. In the evening we picked mangos from a large mango tree outside the house. We finally all loaded back into the truck and returned to town. That night we stayed at his sister Loura's house.
In the morning I had a fever so they called the hospital. An ambulance came and picked me up. We got the the hospital and the halls were full. Toni says there was a man there with a knife in his side who started screaming about the rich people going first when I got to pass him in line. They took me into a room and took my temperature. I did have a fever so I was allowed to see the Doctor right away. We ( loura, Toni ,me and Bete ) went in. I showed him the wound. He wrote some things down. Next we went to a nurses station where they looked at the form and gave me three shots. One in the arm and two in the buttocks. For those who know of my history of vacations, know that things happening to me on vacation isn't anything new. This was probably one of the worse....this and there was the time I had sudden hearing loss in Germany. Well at least health care is free in Brazil. If you are a foreinger you will probably have to wait awhile but since I knew people this was not an issue.
They took me back to Nias to rest. We would have to stay a day extra here because on Saturday I needed two more shots. The rest of my time here I couldn't drink. The whole family was worried about me and constantly asking me how I was and making sure I was in the shade. Saturday came and I had my shots. We then found a taxi to take us to Recife. The final part of our feriados ( vacation ). Toni's family was great but I was ready for some quality time with just the two of us. Plus it is not easy being sick with a whole family watching.
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