The day I went to Águas de Lindóia
Autor: Alison-Rose | Publicado: 2012-04-26T17:17:00-07:00

What type of day would it be? A kind of with the
exchange students… my favorite kind of day! 



&nbsp;It has been a while since I had spent time with
all the exchange students together so obviously I was excited, when I received the
e-mail from rotex saying there was a new project I didn’t even read what we
were doing, I just said that I was going. Once I had actually read the email I found
out that the exchange students would be going on a buggy ride up a mountain in
a city called Águas de Lindóia. 


&nbsp;The day of the project came around and I woke up
excited. Unfortunately some of my fellow exchange students who went with me on
the northeast wasn’t going to the rotex project so I was a little sad. I was especially
sad because my best friend from Denmark called Stine wasn’t going to be there
either seeing as she was going to Argentina to look at the waterfalls. However my
other best friends from the states were going to be coming with me and I was ecstatic
to see them! The meeting point was at a bus station in a city called Campinas. The
city was about two hours away so it meant YET another early morning. I arrived on
time at the bus station seeing as we were told if we were late the bus would
leave without us. But in true Brazilian style the bus was over an hour late. That
gave all the exchange students who met up in Campinas to wander around the
shops and catch up with each other. Oh just a little thing that happened in the
shopping Centre that day. The day of the project was March 17th which
was St Patrick’s Day! Brazilians don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day but me being
from the UK, I’m used to having some sort of St. Patrick’s Day celebration. I also
found out that the American exchange students that I was with all also
celebrated at Patrick’s day. There was a store in the bus station that was
giving out free bracelets; to promote its store, and they had green ones! So all
the exchange students picked green bracelets to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.


campinis crew! 


&nbsp;When the
bus finally arrived I couldn’t hold in my excitement, there were exchange
students on that bus that I hadn’t seen since December! &nbsp;All the exchange students who were waiting in Campinas
ran towards the bus and pilled on. It was finally time to get to our actual
destination. The bus ride was about an hour and a half but it flew by. I don’t think
I actually sat down on the way there; I was too busy walking up and down the
bus catching up with the old exchange students and getting to know the new
ones. Once we had arrived there was a little surprise for all the exchange
students who went on the northeast. One of the exchange students from Mexico
was waiting for us! It was truly a surprise because I thought I was never going
to see her again! After saying hello to her it was time to pick our cars, well I
say pick but my friends picked for me, I just followed haha! I ended up in a us
with my two best friends Camille and Wyatt from the states as well as exchange
students from Canada, Mexico, Australia and India so I was happy :’) 


representing, UK, US, India, Canada and Brazil 

&nbsp;It turns out the guy who was driving out bus was
tour guide of the whole group and knew the area better than anyone so we got a
more detailed tour as we rode up the mountain. We were shown a country club at
the side of the mountain that offered a beautiful view of the city below. We then
drove to the peak of the mountain. It has to be one of the most beautiful views
I have ever seen of Brazil so far. After many picture taking it was time to descend
back down the mountain. 
﻿

all the exchange students!



On the way down we drove past a river and by this
river there were these animals. I don’t even know how to describe I t, they weren’t
like anything I have ever seen in my life! They looked like little pigs, but
they were brown and furrier and had longer noses. I personally didn’t want to
go anywhere near them but our driver promised that they were harmless. And I must
admit, looking back they were quite cute &gt;.&lt;



the "cute" animals! 


We made it
back to the bottom of the mountain and thanked the drivers. We then walked over
to a massive grassy area to have our picnic, all exchange students were asked
to bring some type of food to share with all of the exchange students. I brought
mini hot dogs :D we spend the rest of the afternoon eating each other’s food
and just talking. We ended up in a massive huddle lying on each other, just
cause that’s what exchange students do. &gt;.&lt; all too soon it was time to
get back on the bus home and head home. As various exchange students got off at
various stops I became more and more sad. I’m happiest when I’m with other
exchange students and I was rather unwilling to leave them. However all good
things must come to an end and I knew there would be a new rotex project net
month so I had that to look forward too. So with that thought in my mind, I smiled
and hugged my fellow exchange student’s goodbye with a smile on my face.