Brasilia

We got up this morning at 4:30 and Kleber dropped us off at the airport in Palmas. We ended up having to check our baggage on this flight since the domestic flights have a 5 kilo maximum (that's only 11lbs!) which pretty much expires anything but maybe a few books or a laptop. We thought that was a stupid rule, and it had not been enforced on us up until today. Even though I argued with the desk agent, it didn't do any good.

Our flight into Brasilia was quick. Only an hour. Once there, we put our belongings in a locker and grabbed a bus into the city to explore.

We made it to the bus station on the main plaza, similar to the mall in DC. At one end is a tower. At the other is the congress and Capitol buildings. In between are all the government department buildings.



We walked all the way down to the Capitol and took some pictures around it. We found out in conversations with some other people on the plaza that today is a holiday. We asked the guards at the Capitol if they were still giving tours. They were, so we took an hour tour through the senate and house of representatives. Brazil uses approximately the same system we do, except that they have 3 senators for each state.

After the tour, we went around back behind the capitol and saw the "3 powers plaza" (legislative, executive, and judicial). Then we walked back up the mall to the Conjuntos Shopping Center to get some lunch. We found a place in the mall that had all the normal Brazilian fare. We ate beans and rice, beef, salad, mandioca, pudim and maracuja mousse.

After lunch we looked around the shopping mall for a while and then walked up to the tower at the north end of the mall and took in the great view all the way down to the other end of the mall to the Capitol. We walked through an outdoor market right next to the tower and then returned back to the bus station to bus it back to the airport. Our bus ride was so hot and uncomfortable. Hard to believe we did it every day while down here as missionaries.

When we got back to the airport, we grabbed our bags and when we went into the restroom to wash our hands, we realized that we had gotten pretty sunburned. Ladies, this is a heads up that we will need an aloe rub down when we arrive home :)

We caught our flight back to Sao Paulo and we're now waiting to get on our flight back to SLC through Atlanta.

Two last things: I would recommend TAM airlines to anyone flying withinb Brazil. They have great service. Even on the one hour flights, we had meal service and at least two beverage service passes. And, we are super excited to come back to our families. We miss them and love them and can't wait to get back to see them!

- Posted from my iTouch