Great adventures...

Well, we have been in Manaus for about 28 hours now...

Panama was awesome! I loved the people and the city! We were able to stay in Panama for two days. We saw the famous Panama Canal. It was awesome to see a large boat go through it! We also saw the Panama temple. It was right next to a large military cemetary. Very beautiful area! We saw some ruins in the town, a palace, and many, many churches!!!

Brazil has been pretty good too! We have only been here for a short while, but we have done what we wanted to in the city. Tomorrow we will visit someone my parents knew on their mission in the south. It will be fun for dad to visit with them. I am guessing he does not speak any english, so I will be listening for a while, I am sure. I usually pick up on the jist of what is said. Spanish was much easier to pick up on though... some of that could have to do with the fact that not all the spanish people could understand portugese and talked slowly to make sure dad understood them. :) But, I like to think I was able to understand a great amount... I was impressed with my skills! ;)

I wish so badly I could post pictures right now. None of the computers have a place for SD cards. Manaus seems to be a pretty poor city. It has about 1.5 million in it, but all of the parts we have traveled through or walked in seem pretty poor.

Well, we are paying $1/hour on the computer. It is actually a good connection this time. :) Some of the connections have been very slow!

I have had a great time on the trip so far! We still have about 10 days left. We might be taking a 5 day 4 night tour through the Amazon next week (Monday through Friday). That trip would definately be cause for many great pictures if we end up going. We will see. We are going to ask around to see how much it would cost to travel to the rainforest ourselves. Scary! Jk. Either way it will be a great adventure! I like the city, but I am very ready to get out in the jungle! As much as I love bus surfing (trying to stay standing as they constantly accelorate and brake), I am ready for a different kind of adventure! :)

That is all for today. I will try to post one or two more before leaving.

AWESOME...

So, guess what I got the day before we leave for our trip!?!?!?!?!?



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Wait for it...



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You might laugh


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or cry



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Awesome, that's all I can say.





CAUTION, if you don't like spiders, don't scroll down!

Side note: Today when I got out of the shower there was a big hobo-looking (or actual hobo) spider. I stepped over it to get my clothes and it started to run towards me, so I stepped over it again and it turned and ran for me again... I did this a few times before it decided to go a different way. I definately think these things are preparing me (in a very SMALL way) for things to come...



However, if I see something like this (which I probably will):





I will simply try and take a picture like this (which I probably won't):




And then I'll simply walk away... or run. :)

Greatness!

Well, I may have packed a little too much... but I don't know what to expect! :)


Here's almost everything that I need to take...

Paige got me that awesome CamelBak! I'm excited to use it!!! THANK YOU PAIGE!
Do you think it will all fit in that blue backpack!? Yes, that is a pillow you see behind the backpack... and yes, I do want to fit my CamelBak in there too. :)



My teacher gave me a $25 gift certificit to Deseret Book... with some of that money I bought these... I'm super excited about my little leather journal!





After trying and trying to pack it all inI had to move to plan B. I mean, I made it SUPER close, but I didn't want to leave all my clothes behind. ;)
Well, I fit everything in including my pillow and CamelBak (can you see my nice bright blue SeaWorld Poncho!?). Now all I need to do is make sure it will fit on the airplane. I also want to make sure I can use my CamelBak as a second carry-on in case I find something(s) in Brazil I can't live without! ;) Wish me luck!




Mom got me this sweater the other day at DI! Awesome!
...don't worry, I didn't pack it! :)


When I get home I'm going to take a picture of everything I take out of my bags... then everyone will come to me for packing tips! :)

Checklists...

Tickets... Check!
Passports... Check!
Visas... Check!
Hotel... Check! (For the first 5 days anyhow)
Shots... Check! (Yellow Fever, Typhoid, and TwinRix #3)
Pills... Check! (Daily Malaria pills... Mmmmm!)
Packing... ... ... ... ... ...



I want to make sure I take what I need...


But, I don't want this to be dad and I in the middle of the Amazon...



What was I thinking!? I have no clue what I'm doing! I just hope I don't get a disease before my shots kick in since I got them so late. Wish me luck!!!





Maybe we should have a contest guessing the weight of my bag when I pack it. I will be taking a backpack... that's it. Whoever wins gets to carry it for me! ;)