Fortaleza/ Cumbuco Brasil, Thanksgiving Week 2010 - Family Edition

Rafa and I traveled long and far to the beautiful NE of Brasil, about 26 hours there and 24 hours coming back.  While the travel was long, it was one of the most relaxing trips I have ever been on.  And even with being relaxing, we seemed tired all of the time!

Our days consisted of waking up to the early morning sun, about 7am, having breakfast of fresh local fruits and fresh breads delivered by our caseiro, Marcus.  Then we would walk two blocks to the beach where we swim and watch what seemed like hundreds of Kite Surfers.  Cumbuco is after all VERY windy!  We would walk back home, where we would stop for a Fruitati (like a Popsicle in which my favorite was the limoa, yum!) or a Magnum ice cream filled with caramels, nuts, and various choices of ice cream flavors!  Back at the house, Fernando would grill up many meats for barbecue and we would take frequent dips in the pool.  In the evenings, we would lounge on the hammocks and usually Rafa and I would take an evening walk after the sun went down.   And then we would wake up and do it all over again!  There was one day where we managed to peel ourselves from the beach and the pool and we took a day tour into the heart of Fortaleza for shopping and more beaches!

It was a wonderful trip, and I can't wait to visit Brasil again next year with our little girl : )

In front of our house rental...

In Fortaleza...

Barbecues every day!

At the second floor of the house...

Lots of lounging!

Collecting specimens for Raquels research...

 A few of the gals go for a dune buggy ride!

A quiet walk in the dunes...

Fernando barbeques...

Rafa and I and the belly bump!

Rafa takes an outdoor rinse!