Everybody needs a little vacation!

This past weekend was a nice change of pace for everybody (well except for the hiking). Nonetheless, Lençoís was a beautiful and magical place full of history and natural wonders such as caves and waterfalls. The trip began with a long bus ride (6 hrs or so) with two other groups from Nebraska and BYU. We picked up our awesome tour guide and started our first hike of the day up the side of mountain called Pai Inácio.

It is a rocky mountain that used to be the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago with a breath-taking view accompanied by a passionate love story between a runaway slave and his French lover which was told to us by our tour guide Aécio.

Cave at Lapa Doce
Cave at Lapa Doce

After our long hike, we finally made our way to the beautiful Hotel de Lençoís, which is an offspring of a Brazilian who found his soulmate while studying abroad in the US. You can see why it was a fitting place for us to stay. As soon as we arrived, I could not help but jump into the pool to cool off from the long hike in the mountains and through the hilly city with cobblestone streets. Eventually, I got out and we all were treated to a nice Brazilian buffet, something we became very familiar with on this trip. After dinner, our group had the opportunity to witness what is truly pure, cultural, and Brazilian – Capoeira. What made it even more special was that the performance highlighted some of the young talents in Lençoís. This capoeira crew is a program for kids and adults who grew up in the program to be active while becoming good members of the community through capoeira. We all brought gifts for the children as a token of gratitude for their wonderful performance.

Capoeira kids with their gifts
Capoeira kids with their gifts

I was so amazed by the amount of attractions and activities to do all around one city. The next two days consisted of sightseeing and experiencing some of the most incredible natural phenomenons this part of the country had to offer. This included walking through an underground cave, jumping into a river, and swimming under a waterfall. To get to these places, we would hike for miles and climb rocks under the Brazilian sun. Some of us fared better than others, but it never failed to break a sweat. However, it was always worth it in the end. This is also something I can say about Study Abroad in general. It may seemed like too much work, too much money, or too much time. At the end of it all, you know that it was an unforgettable experience.