19th Feb... sorry! from meg :)

Hello lovelies, sorry it's been so long, sorry mums and dads if you worried about us, we're fine and happy just the internet here is very bad...
So just a litle update on what we've been up to :)
my birthday was brilliant, such a nice place to have it :) Everybody seemed to know about it and came to give me hugs and para bens :)
Ash was a star, Ashlee and her made a huge cake it was completely covered in hundreds and thousands, and fruit, and Ashlee and Orion cooked me a birthday dinner which was amazing too.

The 14th (happy valentines day!) was ok, i hitched to Palmeiras, the nearest town, first thing, to get some cash out for us both, but the machine just wouldn't give me any! I went round some supermarkets asking if any of them could give me cashback (posso usar o meu cartao para retirar dinheiro com pagamento aqui?) they pretty much understood but nowhere could do it. Caught a mini bus back to Capao and experienced direct racism for the first time (Ash had a drink thrown on the ground in front of her in Salvador but I didn't even notice that) The minibus was filling up but they would not let me on and still wouldn't until the bus was completely crammed, I worried I wouldn't get on at all. They let me in the end though. Then it was clinging on tight for 15km of bumpy track much worse than the one up to the farm, in a normal size minibus with 42 people and several crates of stuff!
But when I got back I walked with Ashley Orion and Ash to the farm nearby which grows all kinds of fruit and veg as well as loads and loads of herbs, which is really exciting. We were thinking of going to stay there to learn about herbs, but might not have enough time really.
We walked back, got some food on the way, and when we got to Capao there wusic and dancing on the street so we had a little boogie :)

On the Sunday as there was no circus, me and Ash walked to the cachoeira fumaça which is the second tallest waterfall in South America. The walk is supposed to take about 2 hours each way but we spent 6 hours in total, looking at every single thing, and hanging out at the top as well.
It was really really amazing! The whole landscape here is absolutely stunning, these huge rocks jutting out with very steep sides. It's Chapada Diamantina national park if you want to look for pictures, since we haven't got oursa up yet! The camera ran out of battery that day too...
On our way up we found loads of teeny weeny cystasls, perfect clear quartz, i couldn't believe how many there were.
When we got to the waterfall it's like the end of a huge huge deep valley, with rainforest at the bottom and steep sides. You can see for miles- after the great big rocks and mountains it's this enormous flat plain, it looked like you can see further than Britain would have fitted into! Honestly I've never seen such a big space on land. Just as we were sitting gawping a magic green beijar flor (hummingbird) came and hovered right by us, the size of my thumb! We saw loads more while we were there, and loads of lizards, and a capibara too! Very special place.

On the 16th After circus we found Ran, he'd been at Neil (maker of good tahini who reminds me and Ash of Duncan Dragon :) )'s house helping him do hios roof and make lovely wholesome energy balls.
We had a really nice day, i did some reflexology on Ash and Ran which was really good, and we chatted about dreams and Now and things...
Then had the most brilliant evening with many at Sempre Viva, cooked a REALLY tasty risotto with salad and more tahini, and a 'Now Cake'*
What a brilliant evening :)

On the 17th I wrote-
I'm really happy. Me and Ash have talked a bit about Carnaval and have decided to stay in Capao for it. It's going to save us a LOT of money, but our main reason is our so-far experience of Salvador's loco-ness, as well as everyone we speak to warning us about 'Babylon city' and telling us it's 100times worse in Carnaval.
Also the circus here, the herb and fruit farm to learn about, etc, etc... Carnaval at Capao!

And the 18th-
Yeaterday we caught a jeep into Palmeiras and a minibus to Seabra, because I still can't get money out in Palmeiras.
It was nice to go for a bit of an adventure but even better to get back to Capao.
I showed a Russian/Canadian girl to thye campsites, who had been living and studying in Salvador for 6 months (escaping from Carnaval along with hordes of other Salvadorians :)
It was funny to see her reaction to everyone saying oi and starting genuine conversations she'd assume they were trying to sell her stuff or get money off her somehow, like everyone is in Salvador.
Today we went for a walk with Thomas and Ran adter circus. I have been really sloppy and tired, I might have worn myself out learning tricks and trying to do handstands this morning.
We just made a really good soup! It's called Be Good Soup.** lucky you now you know how to make it:)
Lots of love x x xx x x


*Now Cake
ok it's a good one, reccomend this :)
Melt 2b big bars of dark chocolate (if one has nuts in that's cool too) with a big glob of butter (about 1/3 block?)
Add a glug of coconut milk, 3 mashed bananas & 2 eggs, stir quickly and add self raising flour until a good thickness.
Since there's no actual sugar, add a good sprinkling of hot chocolate powder, and put in the oven at about 200degrees.
While it cooks, mash 1 banana with 2-3tbsps honey, a dash of coconut milk, a handful of chopped cashew and a splash of water. Heat up until it smells of cooked banana.
When the cake's nearly done or done, spead nutella on thinly then the banana sauce and pop in the oven for 5 or 10 minutes (the oven can be switched off for that bit, it's just to keep it warm while you have dinner, and maybe make the banana extra gooey.) bon appetite :)

**Be Good Soup:
Fry an onion and some garlic. Add a chopped potato then chopped squash, about 2 big handfuls. Then 3 grated beetroot (bettarraba) and 3 grated carrots (cenoura) and a little salt. Now a litre of veg stock, a pinch of those dried chilli flakes, 1/4 of a nutmeg (of course), a glug of coconut milk. when it's done whizz it up till it's creamy. Would be good with parsley (or gremolata mum!)
yum yum x x x x x