Brazil trip of a lifetime

The first week of our Brazil trip was filled with wonderful sights, delicious food, fun travel, a beautiful beach, meeting loving Brazillian people, and an amazing family wedding.  Alex and Landon planned this once in a lifetime trip perfectly. 

We arrived in Sao Paulo and first thing we did was go to Grandma Neide’s home.  She is a delight with a energetic personality at 86 years old..and she tries to speak some english words with her VERY low voice.  IT’s cute.  She made us a ton of food..and we wandered to  a bakery for meat, cheese, and to try some of the Brazillian pastries….beginning with Wayne’s Doce de Leite.   He ate this as many times as he could find it, in all different ways.  

Sao Paulo is a gigantic city  –4th largest in the world…  At one point we looked down onto a highway that cuts through the middle of the city and there were 19 lanes! 

So many people!! The Italian food in Brazil is truly amazing.  There is a huge Italian influence here.  My stomach is FULL all if the time.  So many things to eat and try. The streets are twisty and turny and I don’t get how people know how to get there from here.  

I feel like a blonde walking around with a lot of dark hair people.  

Portuguese is messing up my limited Spanish.  I say “ obrigada” which means thank you for just about everything- hello, excuse me, you’re welcome, good day, I don’t speak Portuguese…..  so I sound pretty crazy.  I also say “No falo portuguese” which actually means, I don’t speak Portuguese. 

 I’ve discovered cashew juice and passion fruit (Maracuja). Delicious. Seen a lot of art and street vendors.  The bathrooms- and flushes are not like ours ?!?You have to wipe and discard the tp into a wastebasket- not the toilet. This is hard to remember to do.  

The world is so unique and different and there’s many sights and foods and people and things here that we don’t have in Utah and then all of a sudden I’ll see a McDonald’s or a Starbucks or Vans store and  my view shrinks right back down to the world is so small and interconnected. 

I like a big city… it reminds me of New York, so our time there was filled with a lot of walking,  museums, and we went to a Broadway show of The Adaams Family  -  all in Portuguese.   On Sunday they shut down the bit Avenue  Paulista to traffic and it’s full of dancing, and bands, and high fitness and flea market booths and artisans selling their wars, and street food and  just a lot to experience.  

So many men here look just like Alex Buzelli… I feel like I see him everywhere!

On Monday we went to a cemetery where Alex’s little brother who died when he was 7 is buried.  It was sweet to be there and mourn with his parents for a bit on his brother’s birthday and sing Happy Birthday around the stonemarker.   The cemeteries here are different than ours.  Either flat on the ground with a plaque that reads up to 6 names– in a plot.. Or the catholic cemeteries which are all ostentatious with mini mosques/houses/tributes side by side  like you would see in New Orleans.   met up for lunch with the Rineharts, and the Koffords… the Becks couldn’t come because of covid scares in the MTC.  Then we walked to the visitors center and the Sao Paolo temple… and Grandma Neide was one of the first 1000 converts in Brazil…she was baptized in 1957.  

Then on day 6 .....we headed to Guaruja– a beach that’s an hour and a half outside of Sao Paulo.  It was gorgeous and because it’s winter for Brazil, no one was there.  We basically had the beach and the resort to ourselves.  So fun.  BUT… Alex started feeling yucky, diarrhea,  fever…couldn’t eat anything, couldn’t really leave his room, but we thought this would pass and pressed forward without him.  

Alex was still doing poorly, but we had to get back to Sao Paolo so we could fly that evening to Goiana for the big family wedding of Alex’s cousin.  The airport was a disaster. Teh lines were huge..because of traffic, we got there late.   In all the rush Landon and Alex’s luggage was lost.  Alex was passing out and we had to get him a wheelchair. He was unresponsive.  So he couldn’t fly and he and Landon went to the medical room for assistance .  He got two full bags of IV fluid which helped him feel good enough to take the red eye flight later.   We all got to Goiana around 1 in the morning… Aye Yay Yay…. Landon and Alex with zero luggage.

Saturday Alex went back to the ER in Goina because he was in a lot of pain and spent the whole night basically in the bathroom… They gave him more IV fluids and checked certain things… then released him to go to the wedding and walk Grandma Neide down the aisle.  

Landon spent most of the day trying to buy suits for the wedding and shirts and shorts etc… since they had NOTHING.

I spent most of the day with Sonia at a hair salon getting all done up for the wedding… manicure, pedicure. Wash and style hair and a full face of make up.  It was fun. I looked like I was going on stage with a large hair bump ( polygamist style).   Of course, I didn’t change it.  I wanted the full Brazilian.  No one in the salon spoke English…I gained a lot of compassion for refugees and immigrants….it’s hard to want to communicate and not be able to. 

The wedding was  so opulent.  Gorgeous. ( Like The Godfather’s movie). Amazing flowers, setting, food and beautiful people.  Full live orchestra for the ceremony and then a full band for dancing.   Alex lasted an hour then ubered back to the hotel to crash.    We danced and laughed and ooed and ahhhed at everything. Alex’s family is so kind, loving  and fun to be with- half of them speak English so that helped me. 

Sunday.. Alex is back in the hospital.  This time they are going to admit him because his kidneys are failing.  2 more bags of fluids. More tests.  He has Shigella/ ecoli.  And renal dysfunction from being so dehydrated.   Kidneys only working at 9%. AND Covid to add to the mix…so none of us can be with him.      We spent today when we should have been traveling to a posh tropical resort waiting for hospital results.

Alex  was getting worse, every test his numbers went higher and it looked pretty bleak.  Alex’s parents are in shock fearing they are going to lose another son in brazil… and Landon is afraid of losing his whole family.  It was pretty trying.  We knelt down and pleaded with God to help this situation.  To take away the fear and to bring comfort to all.  At one point Wayne was going to stay in Brazil with Landon…

On Monday… Alex begged us to go to the tropical resort, since it was all paid for  and atleast see and enjoy it a bit.. So we 5 - Landon, Alan, Sonia, Wayne and I piled into the car in search for Perinopolis.   We got lost- GPA shut off…no satellite nothing..and finally made it there.  There were no signs.  The resort was amazing.  We had our own private pools hooked onto each suite.  We swam a bit, ate, slept, got bad news about Alex’s kidneys then headed back to be with Alex in the morning and make some decisions.   Alan and Sonia wanted to stay with Alex, but they need to be back in Bountiful to help with Andrew and Sophia …who know nothing of this until they get home on Sunday July 10 from their mom’s house…. So that was decided.   Wayne made contact with Mark and Peggy Rinehart and explained the situation and asked for their help.  So he felt good about traveling home.  (The Rineharts are the best!  They have really stepped up and are filled with hope and compassion.  Having Landon and Alex to dinner on Sunday since their apartment is only a few blocks from the hospital. )       

We had to leave Landon in Annapolis with Alex’s uncle ( who only speaks portuguese) an hour away from Alex’s hospital and move forward.  It was tough.  So many tears.   Landon and Alex looped Alex’s sister Pati, who is a nurse practitioner at the Mayo CLinic, into all of the medical stuff..and she was a great help and advocate for Alex’s care.  

Alex’s numbers finally started to come down with his kidney’s and we all got some hope.  We headed back to Sao Paolo to re pack and then get home on July 7.  Landon’s birthday…  We got more good news about Alex on Landon’s birthday.  

Landon and Alex have been released from the Goina hospital on an outpatient level– which means Alex still has to go in for IV fluids and some antibiotics..and they flew to Sao Paolo… to check into the hospital there.  Alex is still so weak and exhausted and has lost 15 pounds.   Prayers are needed!  

So that’s the news..  If the goal of this trip was to bond Landon’s parents with Alex’s parents..that truly Happened.  We feel so much closer to Alan and Sonia.  Wayne and Alan made each other laugh all across Brazil.  Sonia has broken english..but she is more willing to try to converse with me now  than ever before.  She is very sweet.  They are good people. 

1. at the airport 2. breakfast at grandma Neidi's 3.
Wayne with Neide 4. Me and landon with Neide

São Paola

Day 1: Land Friday 6 am. Go to Alex grandma house for breakfast. 

Drop bags hotel. 

Famous market. Train station mortadella sandwich. Brazil fresh fruit 

Pinateca- oldest dance and art schools turned into Brazil only museum. 

Portuguese Pizza at Baz Pizzaria with Alex cousin Carolina and SLEEPING 

1. Mercado Central 2. tasting fruit with the fruit guy
3. gorgeous fruit 4. Pasteis and Mortadello Sandwich

1. Slurping passion fruit 2. stained glass in Mercado Central
3. Oustside of Museum 4. Wayne and Melinda in a window at museum

1. favorite art work at museum 2. Landon being a statue 3.
Huge rubber tree 4. view out of our hotel window  Melia Paulista

1. Pastries every morning at Bella Paulista 2. thick hot chocolace
3. Pastries 4. Pizza Paulista at Braz Pizzaria 

Day 2:  Bella Paulista for pastries and chocolate cremoso.  Batman alley graffiti.    Restaurant Cafe -  feijoada.    Shopping mall.  Italian restaurant- Familia Mancini for Bread, gnocchi, ricotta ravioli.  Everything was amazing!    (Worth the  1 1/2 hour wait) .   So many men here look like Alex Buzelli.... I am seeing him everywhere.

1. Waiting outside Familia Mancini 2. easting delicious food
3. gnocchi and ravioli 4. statue in restaurant

 

1. Batman alley 2. Batman Alley statues 
3. Shop at Batman Alley 4. Shopping on the street

1-4. Batman Alley grafitti walls

1. Wayne found his Argentina Alfajor store 2. Faijuada
3. Street graffiti 4. sign at the mall

Day 3:  Sunday.  Outside market day. Avenue Paulista   Is shut down to vehicles. So many musicians and flea market stalks and artists and street food and People!  We got a painting of Avenue Paulista and the modern art museum. Ate a Brazilian pastel filled with chicken, a Brazilian hamburger and some gelato.   Adam’s family Broadway show.   So fun to see!  Dinner at Alex’s cousins home.  Surprise reunion for Sonia with so many of her cousins showing up.  Teca. Traditional food. And amazing desserts. Home made rice pudding - dulce de leche and brigadiero.  At 9:00 on Sunday they always have family prayer so we did it with everyone holding hands and reciting the Lords Prayer. 

1. 1,000 McDonalds in Brazil 2. Landon with cousin Isabelle
3. Outside Museum on Avenue Paulista 4. Avenue Paulista

1. Golden Grass earrings 2. Golden grass
3. Gelato 4. Lunch at a pride avenue

1. Theatre 2. Broadway show A Familia Addams
3 -4 o excited to see this show all in Portuguese.

1. Sonia with her cousins- hadn't seen in 28 years 2. So much love
3. Hair feather from indigenous tribe 4. Purple tree

Day 4:  Cemiterio da Paz Brothers birthday. - would be 36 years old today. Died of leukemia when he was 8.  Rinehart’s and Koffords for lunch at Churrascuria   A Brazilian meat house.  Then walked to São Paulo temple and visitors center.  Met Alex cousins Teca and Isabelle for a walk through  Ibirapuera.  Like a Central Park.    Walking around a lake.  Cool trees. No cars.  Museums.   Filled churro.   Dinner at a Lebanese restaurant Esfiha Immigrantes for Esfihas. Little Lebanese pizzas. All different toppings with lime squeezed over.   Romeo and Juliet: white cheese and guava paste 

1-4 Cemetery for Alex's brother

 

1. Peggy Rinehart, me, Rachell Kofford 2. Koffords, Peggy and us at Churrascaria
3. Outside Sao Paolo temple 4. Inside Visitors Center

1 -4 Ibirapura Park!

1.Bridge over 19 lanes of traffic 2. Wayne inside a rubber tree
3-4. Esfiha's

Day 5: drive to

Guaruja.  Beach. Hang out.  All inclusive resort  Dural Guaruja.   Walked beach. Ate salmon salad. 

Walked to Dinner - well lit boardwalk. DATI for Portuguese pizza and Paulista pizza.  Empty resort! 

Day 6:   Beach breakfast in our rooms because not enough people staying at the resort. It’s winter in Brazil so not many people here. Beach is basically empty. 78 degree weather gorgeous!     Acai bowls.   First ever coconut juice right out of a coconut.   Wayne is riding these old rickety bikes. Having a blast.   So many bums!! All shapes and sizes. No body shame like we experience and are indoctrinated with is USA.    Alex is sick with travelers diarhea.  He's spending his day in his room and bathroom.

Day 7: Like an Oregon beach day. Sitting with a sweater on and a towel on my knees.   I’ve learned I’m never hungry in Brazil. I just eat for the experience of all the new food delicacies.  Tried 3 different soups squash: Abobora com carne seca. Callored greens and ham: Caldo verde.  And a white carrot soup:  cream Mandioquinha com carne

The fruit here is delicious!  Pineapple and melon. Bread and butter. All so good.   

1. Favela 2. Hotel in Guaruja 3. Beach 4. Landon in the lobby

1-2. Beach at Guaruja 3. Breakfast in bed 4. Wayne and Alex with coconut

Wayne found a bike to ride 3 different days...

1. Me with Coconut water and Landon with Pina colada 2. Acai bowl 
3. Shells from the beach 4. Nighttime Soccer game on the beach

Day 8. The plan is to ...Fly out to Goyais.(state) Goiania for Wedding along with grandma Nadie 

Drive back to São Paulo visit grandma Neide and re arrange our suitcases. Alex is still very sick shivering one minute diarrhea the next he can’t eat anything or drink anything he’s becoming dehydrated. we finally headed to the airport at 5 o’clock for a 755 flight with women - me, Sonia and Neide  in an Uber and the men with the suitcases in our rental car to return it. they got stuck behind an accident on the freeway and finally returned the rental car at 6:26 PM it was due at 6:30 PM and then raced over to the airport with Alex now pretty much incoherent and going to fall down any minute and in between all of that they somehow missed a piece of luggage. We didn’t know this at the time. 

We were behind this huge line and an airport agent took us to the front of the line because we’re gonna miss our flight and now Alex is about ready to Faint so we have to go grab a wheelchair for him and he is not doing well, he’s all white, they tell him you can’t fly like that and they take him to a medical place with Landon and then the rest of us barely make our flight to get to Goiana.  Alex took two full bags of fluid to become hydrated he was totally dehydrated his blood pressure was like 80/50. They wouldn't release him until it was 120/80 and now we are trying to get a rental car without them in Goiânia and Landon and Alex are trying to get on the redeye flight in São Paulo so they can get here for the wedding without any of their stuff because theirs is the bag left somewhere - either the rental car or on the platform at the airport or in front of the desk at the airport.  it’s such a disaster.  But Alex is feeling better so that’s the good news and we’re just gonna have to buy new stuff for them. the sad news is their wedding suits were in their luggage and the wedding tie and you know all the stuff so that’s the hard part (but if the airport lost your luggage they would also go without it.). L and A gonna fly in about two in the morning and we will figure this out tomorrow.    

Ay yay yay.  

1. Grandma Neide feeding us again 2. View of Goiana
3. getting the "full Brazilian" for the wedding 4. After with my hairdresser

1. Sonia and Melinda ready for Wedding 2. Glamour dress
3. Wayne and Melinda ready for wedding  4. Alex at the wedding

So this morning - Day 9:  Alex went to the emergency room more tests. Still doing poorly.   After all this he’s diagnosed with travelers diarrhea and they gave him a few meds. He’s so sad.

Landon bought them both new suits and clothes to wear for the next 4 days at a mall in Goiana today.  So crazy about their luggage.   Which included all of Landon’s hair cutting stuff ($1000).  

I spent 2 1/2 hours at the hair salon today for the full Brazilian which included manicure, pedicure, hair washed and blown out and styled and a full face of makeup.  It was fun and I definitely gained more compassion for immigrants. I wanted to communicate so badly and I knew 3 things:  Obrrigada ( thank you ) Bom ( good) and Sogra de Alex. ( mother in law of Alex)  My hair was “ something” but I left it because when in Brazil do the Brazil thing. 

The wedding was amazing!!!  Gorgeous. ( Like The Godfather’s). Amazing flowers, setting, food and beautiful people.   Alex lasted an hour then ubered back to the hotel to crash.    We danced and laughed and ooed and ahhhed at everything.

1. Cake table 2. Dinner tablescapes 
3. Center of flowers with truffles  4. Appetizer table

1. Wedding bowery 2. Claus, Anderson, Nene, Neide and Alan
3. Melinda, Wayne, Sonia, Alan, Landon and Neide  4. Landon with the bride

1. Wedding shoes 2. gorgeous sunset
3. Wayne and Melinda 4. Cousins Caro, Dani and Wayne

1. Ben casada-  Happily wedded treat 2. Alex and Landon in hospital
3. Albert Einstein hospital 4. Wedding setting

Day 10: Sunday. Alex is back in hospital. 2 more bags of fluid. More tests. He has Shigella/ ecoli.  And renal dysfunction from being so dehydrated.   Kidneys only working at 9%.  May need to go on dialysis.  Ay yay yay.   We just found out he also has Covid. When it rains it pours. 

We dad lunch at a churrascurria with uncle Anderson and bride Rafaela and groom Andrayvie and uncle Nene and his 2nd wife Mari, his first wife Magalli  and kids Daniela, Carolina. Grandma Neide,  cousin Claus and his son Eduardo.   Delicious. Non stop grilled pineapple. 

Day 11.  Left Alex in hospital  for kidney help maybe dialysis.  Off to Perinopolis  - Old 1770 established city. We missed the turn and got delayed 1 1/2 hours. Finally made it to our Posh , tropical resort. We each have our own private pool hooked on to each suite. So fun!  Drive into Pirenopolos to see old cobblestone town.  If we had our extra day here we would hike to waterfalls etc…. 

Alan’s sayings:  “Nada que nada.”  “We hate those guys.” 

1. Cow at the gas station 2. travel to Perinopolis
3. Cow in the field  4.  side road

1. Perinopolis famous church  2. Portugeusa Pizza
3. Honey comb 4. Wayne and Sonia at resort

1. At resort in Pirinopolis 2. our suite 3. Living room 4. Bedroom

1. Pirinopolis sculpture  2. we love Piri
3. Outside his suite. 4. Swimming in our private pool

Day 12:  leave the gorgeous resort.  Tuesday morning drive to Annapolis. Visit uncle Anderson and primo Victor and grandma.  Celebrate grandma Neide 86 birthday with cake and ice cream. She is such a good, valiant, faith filled woman. One of the first convert baptisms in Brazil in 1957.   So hard to leave Landon at Anderson’s house crying.  And Alex in the hospital not doing well. Too many tears.  Head to Brasilia to fly to São Paulo. 

1. lunch at Anderson's home 2. birthday cake for Neidi
3. Cashew juice 4. Grocery store in Annapolis

1. security garage outside of house 2. inside garage you see the house
3. Wayne with Anderson and butter. 4. butter in a can

1. Saying goodbye outside of Andersons 2. Passion fruit Maracujah!
3 -4. Brasilia airport

We are leaving Landon at Alex’s uncles house and Alex in the hospital and we are heading back to São Paulo and eventually home.  So many tears shed at parting. This was not how this trip was supposed to end. 😢The goal for Alex is to get his kidney functioning enough to be able to fly to a São Paulo hospital. Get help there  and eventually get home. We don’t know their time line. Moving forward with faith and praying for miracles. 

Fly back to São Paola 

Stay in hotel in Brooklyn. 

Gran Estanzaplaza 

1. Hotel Estanza Plaza in Brooklin area of Sao Paulo 2. breakfast
3. standing on our balcony 4. View from hotel

1-4. Murals

1. eating fruit at Nene's condo 2. the lost luggage!  
3. Alex and Landon out of hospital 4. Nene's condo

Day 13:   Breakfast at the hotel was “moito bele.”  Really elegant.   Walk to Nene’s condo. Talk with. Nene and Caro and try all different Brazilian fruit.  Lunch at a diner - had cashew juice and an Americano sandwich.  Spend afternoon in São Paola packing at Grandmas house organizing suitcases etc…  And guess what’s at Grandma’s house?  Landon and Alex’s lost suitcase..and angel must have brought it there.  In all of Alex’s sick and us trying to get to the airport it was left behind.  Tender mercy.  This has over $1,000 of Landon’s haircutting stuff in it.   

Alex’s numbers are going down and things are finally starting to look up.  We are headed home and hopefully Landon and Alex won’t be too far behind us.  

Head home on Wednesday. 6th.  Flight leaves 10:50 pm. 

We have bonded with Alan and Sonia.  If that was the goal for this trip then mission accomplished. 

 

 Landon's  text message:  This morning we woke up to another miracle.  Alex's creatinine level is 3.3.  This is now considered severe kidney injury and out of the failure range.  They are talking about moving him to Sao Paulo today and not waiting days to do so.  Thanks for the prayers.  We aren't fully out fo the woods but moving in the right direction and seeing.what we need to see and more.  God is good.  

Home July 7th at noon - Happy Birthday to my Landon.  

Landon text Message: Guys for my birthday we had a "laila miracle."  Alex's numbers are almost to normal range.  What was looking like weeks in brazil has become a few days.  And he can qualify for outpatient care today.  Gah!! ow to get him ok enough to fly to Utah but he's so close.  

AND a picture we found in Grandma Neide's of Alex as a teenager.... He looks like LANDON

Pati, Camilla, Carolina, Alex and Danielo