Hello from the Brazilian rain forest! For the last few nights (and until the 8th) we´re staying at the Hotel Donati in the Itatiaia National Park, between Rio and Sao Paulo. It’s beautiful here. I’m wiped out and heading out to my room in a minute (the internet here is very slow and for some reason none of my email accounts will load; sigh) but I wanted to let y’all know that the rain forest in Brazil is, as advertised, rainy and foresty, and lovely. Our rental car broke down in town and when we called the rental company reached no one who spoke English; it looked like trouble, but fortunately we had the good sense to break down in front of the police station, and a very nice fellow named Fabiano whose wife is canadian and who therefore spoke impeccable English called the company for us and acted as our translator. Then, when it was clear that the replacement car would not be coming until the morning, he gave us a ride into the park and to our hotel. Hurrah for nice policemen! We’ve been going on hikes in the forest in the meantime; a few waterfalls, a whole world of lush greenery. Our hotel is stunning; it’s a faux-Swiss chalet and we have our own cabin on the extensive and manicured grounds. Before we left Rio, we went to the botanical gardens and saw a horde of little monkeys lunching above us, and a toucan! No monkeys here yet, but enough birds to keep us awake at night with constant twittering. The people are all very nice. The next stop will be at my Aunt Bridget & Uncle Steve’s place in Campinas–hurrah! Then Rio, one more night at Cristiane’s and the long air trip home. I’m a little worried that I won’t come home with the tan I had hoped; despite all our time on the coast, Sean and I spent little time on the beach itself, and now it’s all rainy! But I will valiantly endeavor to fix that, if we ever get a sunny day again. Life is good, we are living now in the lap of luxury, only slightly homesick for people we can talk to. Dad, you’d love the forest here; it’s full of bamboo, most of it as thick as my arm and some of it as thick as my leg! We saw some ENORMOUS frogs yesterday, too, bigger than my fist. Plus a little tiny neon-orange one that hid under the gigantic, camoflaged (parent?) otherfrog. It’s gorgeous here. Sparky, while we were waiting for the car thing to get resolved I had a 130k Nethack game–have you beat my high score yet? I’ll be disappointed if no. ;)

Goodnight, friends! I’m too sleepy for more, but I am thinking of you–

–Alissa