Explorar Lins...

Lins is difficult to describe, but I'll give it a shot. It is a city of about 70,000 people, literally in the middle of nowhere. Once you exit the vicinity of the city, the next city isn't for at least another 60 miles. Parts of the city are really pretty and remind me of the more tropical, resort like areas in Florida and the rest could best be described as slums. Dirt, stones and pieces of trash line the street across from Volkswagons, tropical trees and flowers. The locals can't help but stare and wonder why we are here as Rachel and I wander the streets speaking a language unknown to them.



I found this website, which is a much beautified version of Lins: http://www.curtalins.com.br/. Rachel and I have been on a search to find the water depicted on the website, but have not been successful. Hopefully we will find it soon, because it's starting to get hot already, and it's still winter.




We spotted a bus station yesterday and decided to stop by and ask for a map of the town. There was a huge map at the front of the bus station, but we wanted a miniature map that we could carry around when we walked. I am directionally challenged and have already managed to get lost at least three times. "Tienes uma mapa de Lins?" we asked. "Mapa!" the man exclaimed and got up to direct us to the giant map right in front of us, assuming we were lost. He asked where we lived and we told him the street we lived on, "13 de maio" (yep, the streets are named after dates). He could not speak English, but apparently knew how to count to three, and nothing else. "One bloco, no! Two bloco, no! Three bloco, no!" and then he pauses and says, "Sim." I guess he was trying to say it was four blocks away...