Hinduism is a polytheistic religion. There are many gods like Ganesh, an elephant headed god and the remover of obstacles; Shiva, the god of destruction; Brahma, the god of creation; and Vishnu, the god of preservation.  On February 12^th, I celebrated Shivaratri in India. Shivaratri is a day on the Hindu calendar, set aside to honor lord Shiva. I went to a Shiva temple on Shivaratri; it was in an underground cave. The smell of incense was intoxicating. Humid air filled the underground room. One by one, people kneeled in front of an altar depicting lord Shiva. One man painted a tilak, a streak of red paint, on each worshiper’s forehead. As I was leaving the cave, the priest handed me some sweets made from milk and sugar.

From The Big Field Trip – India, December, 2009

Unlike most religions, Hinduism doesn’t have a founder or one holy book, but it has many important scriptures. The Vedas are different chants and discussions from 1500 BC. They were written down in 1000 AD. Before they were written down they were passed on by memorizing and retelling.

Hindus worship gods in shrines, temples or at home. In India, there are many shrines on the sides of the roads. Brahmins are the highest caste in India. They worship Brahma; Brahmins are the priest class of the Hindu religion. Brahmin priests lead the ceremonies at weddings and give spiritual guidance to the people in their community. I have many friends in India who are Brahmin, but in modern India anyone can do any job regardless of their caste. My friends’ fathers are business men and teachers.

From The Big Field Trip – India, 2010

My freind Sonu,. He’s in the yellow, black and grey shirt.

Sadhus are holy men of the Hindu religion. They travel from town to town asking for food. They are of the Brahmin caste, and have given up all luxuries to worship Lord Shiva. They are easily recognizable in a crowd because they wear orange robes, carry begging bowls, and have painted eyes or three stripes on their forehead. Tridents are a sign of Shiva, and Lord Shiva has three eyes, two regular eyes and one eye of destruction. When opened, the eye turns everything in its path to ashes. Brahma, the god of creation, had five heads, but now he only has four because Shiva fried his head off.

Hindus believe in reincarnation. Reincarnation means that when you die, your soul goes into another living creature that was born the moment you died. Then when that creature dies, your soul goes into another creature, and on and on like that. Hindu’s believe in karma. There is good karma and bad karma. To get good karma you do good things like worshiping the gods, helping people, and following your duties. When a person dies, if they have good karma they go to heaven and become gods. If a person has bad karma they may be reincarnated as an animal. If they have balanced karma they are reincarnated as a human again, and if they have really bad karma they go to hell. In the Hindu tradition, when you die you’re cremated. Hindus believe that spreading someone’s ashes in the Ganges River ensures that the person will go to heaven.

In World War II, Hitler used the swastika, the Hindu sign for good luck, as the symbol of the Nazi party, except it was turned around backward. In India it means good luck. Hindus usually have it on the door their homes and the entrance to weddings.  Most Hindus have shrines in their home that contain statues or pictures of gods. Ganesh is the most popular god; almost every Hindu has a statue of him in their house. He is the remover of obstacles, and he brings good luck. Even now, as I walk down the streets of Bangkok, which is Buddhist, I see statues of Ganesh with offerings like fountain drinks, money, and sweets placed around him. Even the Thais believe that Ganesh has the power to solve their problems and bring happiness to their lives.

            Sikhism is a small religion found in India. You can easily distinguish Sikhs in a crowd. All Sikh men and boys over thirteen wear turbans, so you can easily identify them. It is against the Sikh religion to cut your hair, although many Sikhs do. Five things Sikhs must do are: 1) Be clean 2) Commit good deeds 3) Protect their families 4) Not cut their hair and 5) Have self-discipline. Sikh means disciple.

            The most important Sikh site is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, India. Sikhs give gold to the temple, which is put on the temple’s domes. I haven’t been there, but from the pictures I have seen, the Golden Temple shines like the sun. Sikhs worship their god, Mool Mantar, in gurdaws, which are temples. The religious leaders in Sikhism are called gurus. The religion was founded by Guru Nanak, who was born in Lahore, which is now in Pakistan. He taught that god is in everyone. Guru Nanak wrote his ideas in the Guru Granath Sahib, which is the Sikh holy book.

From The Big Field Trip – India, December, 2009

Although Sikhs believe in reincarnation like Hindus, Guru Nanak didn’t believe in the caste system and thought that it was ridiculous to worship icons and give offerings to the gods. Sikhs also do not believe in fasting and superstitions. They believe that you should do actual deeds like give to the poor and stand up against injustice. When we were in Delhi, we took a tour of the city to see how street kids lived. Our guide was a former homeless kid. He told us that no one starves in Delhi because of the Sikhs. Anyone can go to a Sikh temple and eat there. Sikhs cook food and sit and eat with some of the poorest people in India. They believe that all people should be treated equally, from the dirtiest street sweeper to the King of Japan. Sikhs also aren’t supposed to drink alcohol, take drugs, or smoke.

Sikhs believe they are holy warriors, fighting against injustice. Sikh men are supposed to be courageous, strong, and fierce. A great example of this was our Sikh driver, Mr. Singh, on our tour of Rajasthan.  Whenever there was a traffic jam, he got out of the van and scowled at everyone. They sure got out of there fast. Mr. Singh told us that he gives 10-20% of his earnings to the temple to feed poor people and help those in need.

From The Big Field Trip – India, December, 2009

Judaism is one of the world’s oldest and spread out religions. The only place where Judaism is a majority is Israel. It is practiced most in the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. People who practice Judaism are called Jews. The original Jewish language is Hebrew. Judaism was founded in 1300 BC in Mesopotamia. The founder of Judaism was Abraham. God told him to leave Mesopotamia and go to a holy land, where he would be the founder of a nation. The holy land is now Israel and Abraham’s people are the Jews.

Jews worship their god (the same god as in Christianity and Islam) in synagogues. The Jewish holy men are called rabbis. Some Jewish holidays are Passover and Hanukkah. Jews cannot eat animals with a split hoof like pigs, or with paws like rabbits. Jews can only eat fish whose scales and fins can come off. According to traditional Jewish Law, a Jew is “anyone born of a Jewish mother” or converted to Judaism in accord with Jewish Law. Most Jewish men and boys wear “kippahs”, skull caps, which are tiny black hats.

The Star of David is one of the symbols of Judaism. A popular Jewish folk tale says that the Star of David is made after the shield of the Israelite warrior, David, who would later become King David. To save metal, the shield was made of leather stretched across a simple metal frame of two interlocking equilateral triangles that would hold the round shield.

From The Big Field Trip – Istanbul, November 2009

In Turkey, we had a Turkish teacher named Alper. He was a Jew whose ancestors were from Spain. When the Muslums ruled Spain, Muslims, Christians, and Jews could practice their religion freely. When the Christians came and took over in 1492, they told the people who weren’t Christian to either convert to Christianity or leave. Some people agreed to convert, but secretly followed their religion, some left Spain, and some did neither and were tourtered until they converted or died. Most of the Muslims who left Spain went to Northern Africa, many of them settling in Tunisia.  Alper’s Jewish ansestores fled from Spain and went to Turkey, which was part of the Ottoman Empire. Under the Ottoman Empire, anyone can practice their religion. Alper still spoke a little of the old, medival Spanish from that time!

Islam is one of the world’s largest religions. People who practice Islam are known as Muslims. Islam was founded by Muhammad. Muhammad spoke the words of God. His followers wrote his words in the Koran, the Muslim holy book, so they would not forget. Since, the verses of the Koran came directly from the Muslim god, Allah, Muslims consider the Koran very holy. One cannot even touch the pages of the Koran. You have to use a special tool to turn the pages. Since Allah spoke Arabic to Muhammad, Arabic is considered a holy language, and Muslims are expected to know the lines of the Koran in Arabic. Even though he wasn’t a very religious Muslim, our guide in Tunisia, Yussef, believed that the writing of the Koran is proof that god exists. Yussef said that the Koran is written so beautifully, that no one but God could have spoken the verses.

Muslims follow the “Five Pillars” of Islam. The first is Shahadah, believing that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is his prophet. The second, Salat, states that you must pray toward Mecca 5 times a day. The third pillar is Zakat, giving 2.5% or more of your salary as donations to the poor or to those in need. The fourth is Sawat, which means you must fast (if you are able) during Ramadan, an important Muslim holiday. The fasting lasts for an entire month. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat during the day; they only eat at night. Last but not least is the Hajj, the fifth pillar. Every Muslim (if they are able) must make a pilgrimage to Mecca once in their life. During the Hajj, which lasts for four days, millions of Muslims go to Mecca, a city in Saudi Arabia, and perform a series of rituals. The Hajj creates a sense of unity among Muslims of many nations.

From The Big Field Trip – Istanbul, November 2009

Muslims go to their mosque, the place where they worship. Mosques have domed roofs and minarets. Five times a day the call to prayer is chanted from the minarets, magnified by giant bull horn speakers. It is a Muslim’s duty to worship their god, Allah, five times a day. Most Muslims don’t go to the mosque five times a day. They may pray wherever they are, like in a park, at work, or at home. When they pray, they must be clean. They take out a prayer rug and face Mecca, the most important Muslim holy site. In the mosque or on the prayer rug, praying Muslims kneel on the ground and put their head on the floor, submitting to god. As a matter of fact, the word Islam means “submission” in Arabic. You can tell if a Muslim worships God a lot because they have calluses on their foreheads where their heads touch the floor.

Some Muslim women wear dark black robes covering themselves. They do this so they don’t tempt men or give them impure thoughts. Like Jews, Muslims don’t eat pork because they consider pigs to be unclean. Some important Muslim holidays are Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Kurban Byrami which celebrates the submission of Abraham to God, by agreeing to sacrifice his son. (The Koran says that Abraham was to sacrifice Ishmael (the father of the Arabic people) not Isaac (the father of the Hebrew, or Jewish, people.))

From The Big Field Trip – Istanbul, November 2009

            Most countries where the majority of people are Muslim are in North Africa and the Middle East. The exception is Indonesia, in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Of the countries I’ve been to on this trip, Tunisia and Turkey are the ones where the majority of people are Muslim. India has many Muslims as well. In fact, as we were driving to the airport in Delhi, we saw a special terminal set aside just for Muslims going to Mecca for the Hajj.

Buddhism started with the birth of Buddha about 2,500 years ago. Buddha was born into a royal Hindu family, but gave up all luxurious comforts to become a monk. He tried to find out why people die and why they suffer. Buddha tried to follow the life of a Hindu monk by hurting himself and fasting. He realized that these practices just distract you from meditating. He believed that people should follow the middle way – not fasting or hurting yourself but also not eating too much or living a life of luxury.

He meditated under the Bodhi tree, a sacred fig tree, until he was enlightened. He learned how to end all pain and suffering and how to break the reincarnation cycle. He taught people the Four Noble Truths and how to follow the Eight-Fold Path. The four noble truths are 1) life means suffering 2) suffering comes from being attached to things in this world 3) it is possible to end suffering 4) you can end all suffering by following the Eight-Fold Path. The Eight-Fold Path is 1) right aspiration 2) right knowledge 3) right speech 4) right behavior 5) right livelihood 6) right efforts 7) right mindfulness and right concentration.

From The Big Field Trip – Thailand, February 2010

Buddhist monks travel from house to house asking for alms. They prefer vegetarian food because they believe in non violence, but they will eat whatever is given to them. Every man in Buddhist countries is supposed to become a monk for some amount of time in his life. My friend, Rolando, in Thailand, told me that sometimes his colleagues disappear for weeks or even months at a time. They become monks for a short time and then return to their normal lives. Buddhist monks are much respected in Buddhist countries. Thailand is the only place where I’ve seen metro for seats reserved for monks.

Many Buddhists live in Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, and Japan.  Buddhism is the 4^th largest religion in the world. It is hard to count the total number of Buddhists because 1) Buddhism is often practiced alongside other religions 2) There is no official church that keeps records 3) Vietnam and China are communist and have discouraged religion, but there are many Buddhists in these countries. It is hard to define a Buddhist. Buddhism is practiced in many different ways. Buddhists recognize Buddha as someone who was enlightened, and they try to follow his example. They may meditate, pray to Buddha, read Buddhist teachings, or learn the practice from Buddhist monks. They seek enlightenment by being mindful of the nature of reality.

Christianity is the world’s largest religion. Christians are all over the world. Christian countries range from Armenia to Zimbabwe. The reason Christianity has spread all over the world is because in the Christian faith, you have to be a Christian to go to heaven. When the Europeans, especially the Spanish went to the Americas, they forced the people there to be Christian, thinking they were helping them. The Europeans destroyed the native people’s (like the Incans) holy sites and temples and built Christian churches on top of them, which is sort of ironic because the Incans built their temples on top of the Chachapoya people’s temples when they conquered them. When we hiked the Inca trail, we explored the ruins of an Incan temple that was destroyed by the Spanish when they conquered Peru. I have seen Christians in every country, except for Turkey, handing out pamphlets to try to get new members for their church.

From The Big Field Trip – Istanbul, November 2009

The founder of Christianity was Jesus of Nazareth, or Christ. His parents were Mary and Joseph. The Christian holy book is called “The Holy Bible,” or just the Bible. When Christianity was born, it split off from Judaism, but the Old Testament of the Christian Bible has the same stories as the Jewish Torah. The New Testament of the Bible is about Jesus’ life and teachings. Christians believe that Jesus died on the cross to relieve all people of their sins. Jesus told about a loving God, but you can only go to heaven if you believe in God and love him. Some of Jesus’ quotes are:

“I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” This means that Christians believe in charity and not in hoarding wealth.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.” This means that Christians believe that you should love all people, including your enemies, and that you should not fight.

From The Big Field Trip – Spain, May, 2009

Christians worship God in churches. Christians go to church every Sunday. Christians believe that if you’re good in your life, love God and Jesus, and ask God for forgiveness when you sin, you will go to heaven when you die. If you’re not Christian, if you commit sins and don’t repent to God, you will go to hell.

I’ve been in a lot of churches; of the countries I’ve been to, Peru, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, England and Bulgaria have been mostly Christian. Bulgaria is Eastern Orthodox Christian. Eastern Orthodox Christians don’t believe that Mary (Jesus’ mother) was holy. During Eastern Orthodox Church services, priests ignore the worshipers as they conduct the service. When I went to a service, I felt weird because I was being ignored, and I felt like I was intruding. There are no pews in the Eastern Orthodox Churches; worshipers light candles and place them around paintings of saints and Jesus while praying to them. Saints are special holy people who performed miracles in God’s name.

From The Big Field Trip – Bulgaria, October – November 2009

Peru, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal are Catholic countries. Catholics often pray to Mary and the saints as well as to Jesus. In Catholic churches, I feel much more welcome because the priests are addressing the people. The religious leaders of the Catholic Church are called priests. The head of the Catholic Religion is the Pope, who lives in the Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, which is in Rome. The largest cathedral in the world is St. Peter’s, which is in the Vatican City. I have been to St. Peters. I remember there was bullet proof glass everywhere to protect the sculptures. I think that Catholic cathedrals are built to impress people and give them the idea that the Church and God are very powerful.

From The Big Field Trip – Portugal, July 2009

Catholicism split into lots of different religions when the printing press was invented because many people wanted a personal relationship with god, not one through the priests.  When the printing press was invented, everyone could have a Bible. Many people started interpreting the Bible differently. New Christian religions were formed. We call them Protestant because they were formed by people protesting against the Catholic faith. The majority of American Christians are Protestant. Protestants don’t believe in worshiping saints or icons. Protestant church services are more casual than Catholic church services because they don’t have as many rituals. All Christians are united in the belief that Jesus was God’s son and that he was sent to Earth to forgive our sins.

From The Big Field Trip – Bulgaria, October – November 2009

Jainism is a very small religion. It started in India but Jains have moved all over the world as Jains have moved from India. Jains believe in 24 prophets, called Tirthankaras. They believe that these prophets conquered their inner enemies to become supreme beings, or Jina. Jains believe that any person can become a Jina through self control. Jains believe in reincarnation, but to break the cycle and become a Jina, you have to destroy the eight karmas of life.

From The Big Field Trip – India, December, 2009

Jains believe in non-violence, not stealing, speaking the truth, not being attached to material things, and not getting pleasure out of the senses. Because of their belief in non-violence, or Ahimsa, Jains don’t harm any living creatures and are vegetarian. A Jain quote is “Don’t kill any living beings. Don’t try to rule them.” They don’t eat eggs or root vegetables like potatoes, onions, and garlic, so when you go to restaurants in India, the waiters serve the onions on the side. Every packaged food product in India has a square with either a red dot or a green dot. The red dot means it’s “veg.” and the red dot means it’s “non veg.” In India, eggs are not considered vegetarian, so cakes have a red dot on them.

Some Jain priests wear masks on their faces, so they don’t breathe in any insects. Jain monks don’t stay in one place; they move around. Some Jain monks go around naked. They eat less and less and less until they stop eating and they die of starvation. Their only possessions are bowls to collect their alms and brooms to sweep in front of them so they don’t step on any living creatures. Most Jains do not become priests, but they do believe in self-sacrifice.

There is often conflict between religions. Many people believe that they are following the right religion, and everyone else is wrong. However, this is not always the case. In India, there once was a Mogul ruler named Akbar. He had three wives; one was Christian, one Muslim and one Hindu. We went to his palace in Fatehpur Sikri; it was magnificent. He had a palace built for all three of his queens. The first one was huge, built from red sandstone, for his Hindu queen. The second was smaller, but was by a beautiful pond and had some of the most intricate carvings I’ve ever seen; it was for the Muslim queen. The third was medium sized, and had mirrors and glass (which were very expensive) all over it. It was for Akbar’s Christian queen. In Akbar’s throne room there were intricately carved symbols from all three of three of the religions. He tried to create an empire where everyone could practice their religion freely.

However, Akbar’s grandson, Aurangzeb, was a very religious Muslim who was intolerant of other faiths, the opposite of his grand father. He destroyed religious Hindu sites and temples all over India, and built mosques over them. There was a recent bombing of a mosque south of Delhi; the Hindus who bombed the mosque claimed it was built over a religious Hindu sight, destroyed by Aurangzeb. When we visited important Hindu and Muslim sites around India, there were always many police to protect the monuments and visitors religious violence.

I’ve met people from many religions on this trip. None of those people were mean to me, and they didn’t judge me on my religion. They shared their religions with me, but didn’t force me to convert. Some practices seemed bizarre at first, and some seemed natural. However, I didn’t tell someone that their religion was wrong; I respected their beliefs. I don’t think any religion is better than another. This trip has taught me to respect all the religions. I think this is because I’ve met people I respect from all the religions, from my Brahmin friends in India who treated me like an old friend, to Alper in Turkey who taught us Turkish for free. Religions can be good when they give people hope and inspire them to show compassion to people. They can be bad when they make people fear or hate people of other religions. People should go out and meet people of different faiths. They’ll find that there is nothing bad about those people. They are a lot more like you than you think. If everybody did this then there would be less violence and more peace in the world.

When I walked down a street in Sofia, somebody stopped me in my tracks and said something to me that I did not understand. He was speaking n Bulgarian. It made me feel uncomfortable. I wish I could have said that I did not speak Bulgarian, but I couldn’t even say that.

When we were on the airplane from London to Bulgaria, I was terrified. What was I going to say to the woman beside me who was speaking in Bulgarian to me?  Luckily she was from London and spoke English too. When she said, “Oh, do you speak Bulgarian?” I said “No. Do you?”

She said, “A little bit. What’s your name?”

I said, “Bella. What’s yours?”

She said, “Niki.”

Then I felt brave, happy, and excited too, because she was going to teach me Bulgarian. She taught me how to say “hello” in Bulgarian. She said say “zdra-ve-te”, and I did. I’ve been in Bulgaria for six weeks now, and I’m still not good at speaking Bulgarian, but I’m getting the hang of it.

When you’re traveling you should learn some basic words because they will come in handy. I think it’s important to learn numbers, letters, and words like “hello”, “good-bye”, and “I don’t understand”.  I also think it is important to know how to say “thank you”. In Bulgarian thank you is “blah-goo-dar-ya”, but you can also say “merci”.  In Spanish thank you is “gracias”, in Portuguese it’s “obrigada (o)”, in Arabic it’s “chokran” ???? and in French it’s “merci”.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009

In Bulgaria it is important to know the head signals too. Shaking your head  from side to side means “yes” and nodding up and down means “no.” Learning this is very difficult. Once someone asked me if I understood Bulgarian, and I shook my head. So he kept on talking in Bulgarian.

When I got to Bulgaria, I did not know how to speak any Bulgarian except for what I learned from Niki. The hardest part about learning Bulgarian is they write very differently than we do. My name is spelled like this in Bulgarian ????e??!

I learned languages in many different ways. Mom has been speaking Spanish to me since I was born, so in Peru I was fine speaking in Spanish. My understanding of Spanish helped me learn Portuguese in Brazil and Portugal because these two languages are very alike. When we went to Brazil, my family and I took Portuguese lessons. Cyrus and I took one lesson before Mama and Papa took another lesson. We took lessons from a professional young lady. Inãe was very patient and very nice. I even learned by reading books and listening to people on the sidewalks chattering to each other.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

I learned Arabic and French in Tunisia. I took lessons from a young lady named Fadoua, who taught us French. Sometimes she taught us arts and crafts because she was in college studying art. Yousef was a friend of ours from Tunisia who took us to the Sahara Desert. He spoke Arabic, French, English, and Italian, and taught us some Arabic.

From Bulgaria

I am learning the Cyrillic alphabet in Bulgaria. I listen to Bulgarian language podcasts with my family. My mom taught me how to say “goodbye”. You stay it like this “do-veezh-de-ne”. Both of my brothers have shirts that have the Cyrillic alphabet written on them. Mom quizzes us on the Bulgarian alphabet and animal names every day. I read signs on the streets. Ventzi, our Bulgarian teacher, has taught us names of animals. Bird is “petitza”. Now I can go to the grocery store and say “pet mlyako molya”. (They will give me five cartons of milk). There is still a lot more that I need to learn, but at least now I know how to say “ne razbirum Bulgarski”, which means “I don’t understand Bulgarian”. That gets me out of a lot of difficult situations.

From Bulgaria

I still have many languages to study, from Turkish to Hindi to Thai. I’ve got an adventure in front of me and lots to learn.  In the past year that we’ve been traveling I’ve felt scared of learning each new language, but now I know that I can learn to say some basic words and that will help me to communicate with people in tricky situations. Now I feel brave and excited to learn new languages.

We had been going on a tour all day. We were somewhere outside of Lencois, Brazil. We had been to Devil’s Hole, a pool so deep that its water looked black. If you held the water in your hands, it was brown. The pool wasn’t that big but it was hundreds of feet deep and there was a huge, steep waterfall feeding water into the pool. It had a steep zip line going into Devil’s Pool. People were flinging themselves off the waterfall and into space, and, instead of falling, they were yanked along by the zip line, like helpless kittens being kidnapped by an owl in a strong wind. There was no way I was going on that thing. I swam in the pool instead. I swam under the waterfall, which was a mistake because it pushed me underwater. It was fun, I did it again. Then we got into our guide’s car and continued our tour of Chapada Diamantina National Park.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

It was a really fun, adventurous day. I fed monkeys and ate many mangoes from the trees. I got within three feet of a viper with poison so deadly it could kill an adult in two hours. Its mouth was full of frog, but still. I got close to enough take good pictures, only backing off when my mom told me to. You don’t see one of those every day! I stuffed myself with Brazilian food from a buffet, which was delicious.  We went into a cave that looked like it was on the moon. There were no plants at all. My parents had to sign a slip that said it wasn’t their fault if anyone died. The cave was awesome! It had loads of stalactites and lots of alien insects like huge millipedes, blind grasshoppers, and tarantulas. I got as many close-up photos as I could, including a great one with Bella and a millipede. 

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Then we walked until we came to a crystal lake. It was very clear so we were going to snorkel. Then I heard the zip. It was another zip line. I could either climb down a 40 foot cliff or fly down the zip line, which cost 5 Reals (about 3 dollars). It went across the lake, almost, and landed in it. I decided to do it with my dad. It seemed like it would be fun. We paid and the owner strapped us to the zip line. I had on a harness, which was connected by a carabineer to a rope which was connected to the zip line (which made the zzzzzzzzz sound).

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzip! Splash, went my dad. My turn. Gulp. I walked to the edge of the plank, looked down at the dizzying drop, then jumped.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, went the line. I was flying!  I held on tight to the rope, being yanked all over (or so it seemed). My heart was in my throat and then my strength seemed to leave me. I couldn’t hold on any longer so I braced myself and then let go of the rope, expecting to fall into the shallow water a long way down. Nothing happened. I felt a huge jolt, but I was still moving through the air.  I looked up to see that I was connected to the zip line. Of course! Then something yanked my feet back. Ker-splash! I hit the water. I got up and unhooked myself. “I want to do that again!” I told my dad. 

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

That was one of many times I was nervous about doing something, then realized it was OK and/or fun when I “let go of the rope”.  Whether it’s talking to someone in a foreign language or walking around town by myself, I find out its OK.

Chili peppers were being cultivated in Peru more than 6,000 years ago. From the coast birds brought the seeds inland. Chilis are not spicy to birds, slugs, snails, and frogs. Birds eat the chilis and the seeds go through their digestive system unharmed. The chilis have a chemical called capsicum which slows digestive systems.  Most mammals crush the chili’s seeds when eating them, so they can not germinate. This is why chilis have the defense of spiciness to most animals. It’s sort of ironic that chilies are spread around the world by humans, who are not intended to eat them. 

Shopska salad                                         From Bulgaria

 Chili peppers are valued because they are high in vitamin C, they add spiciness and flavor, and they are addictive (with enough capsicum, your heart beats faster, making chilis addictive). Would you rather have a pot of beans or a pot of beans with chili peppers? Somewhere along the line a mutation occured which turned off the spiciness in the pepper, creating the sweet pepper. Both kinds of peppers were being cultivated in the Americas for thousands of years before they travelled around the globe.

The chili pepper (and sweet pepper) explosion all started back in the early 1500’s, the beginning of the Age of Exploration. When European ships sailed to the Americas (Peru, Mexico, Brazil etc.) they brought new discoveries back to Europe. These included potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes, corn, and chocolate!  Among these new commodities were peppers. The Portuguese are said to have first brought peppers back from the Americas.  

From Bulgaria

Chili peppers first traveled from the Iberian Peninsula around the coast of Africa.

The Travel of Chilis around the World by Cyrus Kirkman

Anyway, chilis went around Africa to India and then – BOOM! At that time everyone wanted to trade with India, so when chili peppers got there they spread all over. They spread to China and Thailand to the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The chili peppers went through Bulgaria to get to Hungary when the Ottoman Turks ruled much of Eastern Europe. Traders brought them to Tunisia in Northern Africa (it would be hard to bring them through the Sahara). Within 50 years of their arrival in Spain, they were being cultivated in kitchen gardens all over the world.

From Bulgaria

Chili peppers actually first spread throughout Europe as an ornamental houseplant; they are quite nice looking. In Bulgaria I saw three different colors of chili peppers on one small plant; they looked like lights on a Christmas tree. They were purple, red, and yellow. However, in Bulgaria today chili peppers and sweet peppers are included in almost every traditional dish that I’ve tasted so far. In Bulgarian outdoor markets, I’ve seen stalls overflowing with peppers of all colors, shapes, and sizes. About half of the produce here is peppers.

From Bulgaria

In the cuisine of every country we’ve visited, chili peppers were included. We’ve learned how to make lots of chili dishes. From stuffed peppers in Peru to harissa (a spicy chili paste) in Tunisia. We saw colorful, dried chili peppers hanging from stallsin Tunisian souks (markets), similar to the ristras we hang back in Santa Fe. We smelled the overpowering aroma of Peruvian chili peppers simmering in water and vinegar (to reduce their heat).  We bought fish and shrimp in a smelly Brazilian seafood market to make moqueca, a spicy seafood stew (see our photo below).  We roasted Spanish padrón peppers on the grill and sprinkled them with sea salt. We bought many Bulgarian pepper seeds to plant when we get home. I can still remember the smells, noises and sights. In Turkey, India, Thailand, and Vietnam (the countries we are going to next) chili peppers will be in many traditional dishes. Here are some recipes we’ve tried in the places we’ve been to so far…

Peruvian stuffed peppers

http://peruvian-cuisine.blogspot.com/2009/03/hot-delicious-and-very-unique.html

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Brazilian Moqueca (seafoodstew) above.

http://brazilian-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/moqueca_fish_stew

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, March, 2009

Tunisian Harissa Sauce

10 dried whole red spicy chilis, stems and seeds removed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground caraway
Water

Cover the chilis with hot water and let them sit for 15 minutes until they soften. Place the chilisand remaining ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth using the chili water to thin it. The sauce should have the consistency of a thick paste. Serve with bread and mayonnaise. In Tunisia, they topped harissa with canned tuna and olives, but I prefer to keep those off.

Bulgarian Stuffed Peppers

http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/appetizers/r/friedpeppers.htm

From Bulgaria

Bulgarian Pork Kapama

Ingredients for 6 servings:

1 kg pork

6 Tb. oil

2 onions

 1 carrot

1/2 celery

4-5 dried red peppers

2-3 tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 ts. red pepper (paprika)

1 ts. ground black pepper

1 Tb. chopped parsley

 salt

1. Cut up meat in large pieces. Boil in salted water, stirring with a wooden spoon until the liquid is evaporated. Then add 3 Tb. oil.

2. Fry meat, stirring all the time.

3. In oil, lightly brown consecutively and transfer to casserole dish: finely chopped onion, diced carrot, diced celery, chopped red peppers (blanched and skin peeled off), and tomatoes (skinned and coarsely grated).

4. Season with red and black pepper, chopped parsley and salt to taste.

5. Cover with warm water, add 3 Tb.oil and cover with lid (or aluminum foil).

6. Bake in a moderate oven. Take the casserole out every 15 minutes and stir. Cook for 2  to 2.5 hours, then serve warm.

From Bulgaria

Chili peppers are a great food. They can put a little spice in your dish, substitute for black pepper, lift your spirits, reduce spoilage of food and much more. They are almost everywhere, and in a certain way they have taken over the world.

Tunisia slideshow from Jason Kirkman on Vimeo.

Our planet has lots of different biomes, the fresh water biome, marine biome, desert biome, tundra biome, forest biome and grassland biome. A biome is an area with similar climate and species. For instance, both the Sahara desert and the Gobi desert are part of the desert biome. They are different continents and some different species, but similar climate. The living species in both deserts are well adapted to dry climate.  On my trip around the world, I have been to many of these different biomes, and my study is centered on the three that I find the most interesting. I have visited the blistering winds of the Sahara desert in Tunisia (the desert biome), the fish filled ocean of the tropical Atlantic in Brazil (the marine biome) and the mighty tree filled South American cloud forest in Peru (the forest biome). I have also studied the animals in these different biomes and the ways they have adapted to their habitat. Many species are competing against each other, and the species that is better adapted to their habitat will rise and the other will fall. In my studies, I also unexpectedly found that some species have found a way to cooperate with other species in order to have a better chance of survival.

 Coral reefs are usually found between 10° and 25°C (50° to 77°F). According to the dictionary, a coral reef is a formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals. The creatures that live among the coral reefs can range from sharks to microscopic plankton to whales.  

 Coral reefs are usually found between 10° and 25°C (50° to 77°F). According to the dictionary, a coral reef is a formation, at or near the surface of tropical waters, formed by skeletal deposits of corals. The creatures that live among the coral reefs can range from sharks to microscopic plankton to whales.  

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Corals are “polyps.”  The first Polyp is a small, 1 cm circumference animal. But it multiplies. Soon one polyp is two, and then two become four. The only problem is that polyps grow slowly, so it could take 30 years for the circumference of a coral to grow over a foot. They get carbon dioxide and calcium that is dissolved in the water, and absorb them to make a shell-like cup that they can retreat into. When the polyps die, they leave behind their shells, and other polyps grow over them, making a living skin around the dead coral or limestone. Polyps eat algae by shooting a harpoon-like spear to grab the algae. Then, like a fishing pole, they reel the algae in by a fiber that in connected to the “harpoon.” They reel it into a small chamber, their stomach, to eat the algae.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Coral offers protection to small fish from bigger fish, although some predators have a very good strategy for getting the small fish out of the cracks and crevices of the coral. In Indonesia there are sea snakes that are too slow to catch the fish while they are swimming, but they can wiggle into the coral to corner the fish and eat them. The big fish and the sea snakes work together. First the big fish scare the smaller fish into the coral. Then the snakes can capture the small fish in the cracks of the coral. If any fish escape unnoticed from the sea snakes, they run (more like swim) right into the waiting big fish. I think that it is amazing that the fish and sea snakes work together that way.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Shrimp and gobies in Red Sea coral reefs also cooperate. While the gobies (small fish) watch for predators, the shrimp shovel sand out of the tunnel they share. The shrimp are mostly blind so they can’t see the predators. The shrimp keep track of the gobies by periodically putting antennae on them to make sure they are there. When the gobies dive into the tunnel, they warn the shrimp that predators are coming. The gobies are glad to have a tunnel for protection that they don’t have to dig themselves, so it works out for the two of them.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

Some interesting adaptations of coral reef species include the squirrel fish that is nocturnal and has big eyes to see better in the dark. There are also some lobsters and crabs that are nocturnal. Not many sea creatures are nocturnal so this is an advantage because there are both less competition and fewer predators. The flounder, a flat fish, is camouflaged to blend into the sand. Limpets, oysters, barnacles etc. are armored against the waves and are anchored to rocks and coral as to not be swept away by the waves. They also can be in the sunshine and out of the water for long periods of time when it is low tide. Gobies (fish) can jump from pool to pool until they reach the ocean.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

My favorite sea creature is the radical mimic octopus. The mimic octopus “mimics” sea predators such as the sea snake and the lionfish by changing its attitude and shape.  This scares other predators away.

Some types of urchin bunch together to avoid predators that don’t mind the urchin’s spikes.  The blue triggerfish blows urchins over so they can eat the softer part inside.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

The bright colors of coral reef fish seems more like a curse than an adaptation. Wouldn’t you want to bring the least amount of attention to yourself as possible? Actually, the bright fish blend into the type of coral their species lives in. The saw-tooth blennies and other species of fish attack the eyes of their prey, so some fish have stripes over their eyes and dots to trick those predators. Some fish change color to communicate with other fish.

Anemones are poisonous, so not many fish can get near their tentacles without getting hurt, although the anemone fish can. Anemone fish live in anemones and clean the anemones off. In turn, the anemones protect the fish. Anemone fish also scare the anemone’s predators away.

Some coral reef fish store an oil inside of themselves as to not sink into the depths of the ocean and can float without swimming. All species of coral reef creatures have adaptations to their unique habitat.

Did you know that without parrot fish many coral reefs would be dead? The parrot fish eats seaweed like a cow in a field of grass, and if there is too much seaweed in a coral reef ecosystem the seaweed would suffocate the coral  (although too little seaweed is bad also because seaweed is one of the main producers in the coral reef biome). Coral reefs depend on parrot fish the same way sea snakes depend on big fish, and big fish depend on the sea snakes, and shrimp depend on gobies, and gobies depend on shrimp. All coral reef species are interdependent.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

When we went to Brazil, we had snorkeling gear and snorkeled in the Atlantic Ocean a lot. There was a great variety of tropical fish there. There were lots of different species of coral and sea creatures. I saw puffer fish, colorful eels, octopi and even a four foot long sea turtle. When I first went snorkeling, it was very cloudy and I couldn’t see very well, but when the sun came out, it was like someone opened a curtain. It was very clear, just like above water. There was a whole world under water at this crowded beach and no one knew it except me.

Sadly, coral reefs are being destroyed worldwide. Some scientists believe that in 2050, only 1% of coral reefs will be in good condition. This is because oil, gas and pesticides are being spilled into the oceans and killing the corals and sea creatures. Also, people are over-collecting coral and many corals are extinct or endangered. Parrot fish are also endangered because their habitat is disappearing and lion fish are coming into their habitat. Lion fish eat lots of other fish, including parrot fish. Without parrot fish, many reefs will be destroyed. Erosion is also bad for coral reefs because it can bury coral and suffocate it. Mangroves are good for coral reefs because they hold back erosion. Sadly, mangroves are being cut down all over the world. Boats are also destroying coral reefs because coral is very sensitive and if you drop an anchor on coral, you will destroy it.  It could take a hundred years for the coral to grow back. Propellers can also harm coral. Global sea temperatures are increasing due to global warming, and coral is very temperature sensitive. As temperatures are increasing, corals are dying. Some coral reef areas are being protected. I hope that they are saved in time so other people can enjoy my colorful experience.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, December, 2008

The desert is one of the harshest biomes in the world.  Deserts can be hot, sunny and dry like the Sahara desert or cold and icy like Antarctica. That’s right, Antarctica is a desert. In fact, it is the biggest desert in the world, and is also the continent that receives the least amount of precipitation (snow, rain, hail, sleet) in the world.  The sun melts the ice, so Antarctica is only seven million square miles in the summer, but it stretches about fourteen million square miles in the winter. The Sahara is the 2^nd largest desert in the world. It stretches all across northern Africa, over three million, two hundred fifty thousand square miles.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

The temperature in the Sahara desert can be as high as one hundred thirty-six degrees Fahrenheit in the day and as low as thirteen degrees at night. Despite the harsh conditions of the Sahara (sand storms, drought, extreme heat etc.), it houses over two million people.

Ten thousand five hundred years ago the Sahara was just as hot and dry as today but from then to five thousand five hundred years ago it was green and populated.  Ten thousand five hundred years ago rains turned the Sahara into a livable place for humans, elephants, rhinos, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and thirty different species of fish more than 6 feet long. People from the crammed Nile valley populated the area which is now the Sahara. They lived there for five hundred years until it stopped raining so much. As it turned back into a desert, many people went back to the Nile valley, but some stayed there and their decedents still live there today. They are known as Berbers. They are well adapted to the conditions of the Sahara.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

Plants in the Sahara also have to be very well adapted to the heat and drought. Euphorbia is the Saharan equivalent to cacti. They save water they get from rare rainstorms in their stems or leaves that have evolved into spines to retain moisture. They aren’t really cacti. The only true cacti are found in the Americas. Euphorbia is more like ice plant or aloe. Saharan grasses have shallow roots, so when rain comes they can absorb as much water as possible. Drought is the number one problem for plants in the Sahara because it only gets about four inches of rain per year, about the same amount the southern U.S. gets in one thunderstorm.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

The animals in the Sahara also have to be well adapted to the heat, sun and dryness. The sand cat has wide paws to keep it from sinking into the sand and also has fur to keep it warm on the cold nights. The long tailed scorpion lives in the south of the Sahara and is eight inches long, making it the largest scorpion in the world. It hides under rocks in the day to escape the heat and hunts in the night. The myth that the ostrich buries its head in the sand comes from the fact that when it hides it puts it’s head on the sand as to avoid being seen from predators. The ostrich lives in the Sahara and is 2^nd fastest animal in the world after the cheetah, which also can be found in the Sahara desert.

The camel stores fat in its hump, not water, and is the only animal that can turn fat into water. Camels can drink 30 gallons of water in 10 minutes! This is important because there might be competition in between the animals of the desert and an animal needs to drink lots of water before other animals arrive. We rode camels in the Northern Sahara, and when we came to some water for them to drink, boy were they thirsty! They slurped thirstily for a few minutes and then didn’t drink again after that.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

When we went to the Sahara desert in Tunisia, we once came to a concrete tub filled with water and from it lead a plastic pipe. When our guide turned a valve on the pipe, water came gushing out. The camels drank and the tub filled up and overflowed. Soon the water made a small ravine, (which shows how well the sand resists erosion), and all of a sudden, two toads came out of the sand and got swept away in the water. These toads bury themselves in the sand, and when water comes they have a drink and a swim.

Sadly, the Saharan animals are dying because of humans.  Tortoises are being killed for their shells and snakes and scorpions to be sold to tourists. Roads are bad for the animals because they get run over, especially tortoises. It is bad when people bring their livestock to a certain area to graze and stay there because the animals can wipe out all the plants there. When the goats and camels take too many leaves off one plant the plant dies. If plants in an area it is hard for plants to start growing there again because plants hold back wind erosion. If farmers keep moving with their herd, it is better for the plants.

People are also using a lot of water and are making it a lot harder for aquatic animals in the desert. The Saharan gazelle is being hunted and only a dozen or so remain in the wild in the northern Sahara.

The Saharan animals are dying but the Sahara is growing. Scientists believe this desert is moving north toward Europe. In 2003 a massive heat wave took fifteen thousand lives in France and three thousand in Italy with temperatures over 100° F. The temperature of the hottest two weeks in Europe could become the coldest and the highest temperature would be unbearable. If the Sahara does move to Europe, many people will have to travel to other parts of the world because of water loss like the people five thousand five hundred years ago moved to the Nile valley.

From The Big Field Trip – Tunisia, April, 2009

Cloud forests are one of the liveliest ecosystems in the world. They are also one of the most threatened.

The last biome that I will tell you about is the Peruvian cloud forest. The elevation where a cloud forest is usually situated is between two thousand and three thousand meters (six thousand six hundred to nine thousand nine hundred feet) above sea level. They are in the clouds, which is why they are called “cloud” forests and they get most of their water from the clouds and the rest from the rain. There are over seven hundred different species of trees in the cloud forest, several hundred species of ferns (some large enough to be considered trees) and thousands of different types of other plants.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

Enormous numbers of epiphytes (moss, orchids, ferns, bromeliads etc.) live on the trunks and branches of trees in the cloud forest. Epiphytes are plants that live on other plants, normally trees although some plants have ways of keeping them off. Epiphytes get their nutrients from grabbing water drops from the clouds.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

            There are many animals and insects in the cloud forest such as the cock of the rock, a rare, beautiful, endangered bird. The cock of the rock is also the national bird of Peru. There were also many types of shiny, colorful beetles. The monkeys that live in the rain forest swing and leap through the trees to avoid predators that may be on the ground.

Hummingbirds migrate to the cloud forests and rain forests part of each year.  They are the only birds that can hover, like a helicopter, and fly backwards so they can stay in the air when drinking nectar from flowers. Their beaks are shaped long and thin so that they can insert them into trumpet shaped flowers to lick the nectar with their long tongues. Hummingbirds are also the smallest birds discovered.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

            Species of insects in the cloud forest are camouflaged like the fish in coral reefs, but color is not the only way camouflage is used. Many insects look like leaves and plants, in color, shape and texture. The most dangerous thing for one of these insects to do is move. If they do, they will probably be detected and eaten. If one of these insects moves, they will probably do it avoiding attention. The stick bug would do so as if moving in the wind. A moth that looks like a leaf will fall off a tree like a leaf getting blown off a tree in the wind.

            The spectacled bear is the largest native bear and carnivore in South America. They can grow over five feet in length and can weigh up to three hundred pounds. They are omnivorous, so they can eat both meat and plants. These bears are called “spectacled” bears because the fur around their eyes looks like glasses or spectacles. Spectacled bears are black with light brown fur around their eyes. When we were in an eco lodge in the cloud forest, our guide Hector told us that two police men shot a bear not knowing it was endangered and ate it! Hector has the bear paw claws and all hanging on his wall.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

These bears are mostly vegetarian, eating fruit, orchid bulbs, cacti and honey. Being great climbers, spectacled bears sit for sometimes days in trees waiting for fruit to ripen. Spectacled bears also might eat small rodents, birds, insects and, if hunger drives them, small cows. Farmers shoot them when they get close to their animals, which is one reason why they are endangered. Logging and clearing land for cattle grazing, destroys their habitat and food source/s.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

The cloud forests and rain forests are being destroyed for cattle grazing and coca plantations. They are logged to provide fuel for both heating and cooking and paved over for roads. Forest covered mountain sides are blown up to get at precious metals. Only three percent of cloud forests remain, and some scientists believe that in ten years from now, all the cloud forests will be utterly destroyed. Only time will tell.

            I have enjoyed all of the natural wonders of the places that I have been to. Some of the most ecosystems are the most threatened or disappearing off the face of the earth. Many species of animals and plants are extinct. In the cloud forest and rain forest, there have been many cures found in plants for human diseases. A plant that was the cure for some incurable disease might be extinct or maybe it is still out there. Most of our commercial fish (tuna, salmon etc.) have spent the young years of their life in coral reefs and mangrove swamps. Without them, there would be a low drop in the amount of fish in the world’s oceans and a high raise in the price of fish. Some of these places are being protected by governments and non-profit groups like Ecoan, but there are some things you can do to help.

From The Big Field Trip – Peru, October 2008

Finally, a list of things YOU can do to save these biomes:

v When driving in any desert, don’t drive to fast or you might hit an animal.

v NEVER think dumping waste in the desert is a good idea, there are animals out there too.

v Buy organic fruits and vegetables. Pesticides can be harmful to you and can get to the ocean, harming sea life.

v NEVER take plants from any desert.

v Never buy a pet that is caught from the wild including cloud forest and rain forest birds and tropical fish.

v Try to buy “Huatusco” coffee or another brand of coffee that is shade grown coffee and grown in the cloud forest. Shade grown means that they

planted the coffee under the trees and did not cut them down.

v If you go to any beach for vacation, be aware! Don’t touch any coral and be careful! Remember how long it took it to grow. Don’t take any animals from tide pools or coral reefs.

v Last but not least, control what you buy. Stay local. Goods produced in other countries may be cheap, but they cause lots of international damage. Don’t buy beef from Peru.  Buy local fast food. International fast food companies buy cheap beef from South America, usually raised on cleared land that used to be rain forest or cloud forest. Don’t buy endangered fish.

Websites about the cloud forest:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/spectacled-bear.html

http://www.earthwatch.org/europe/downloads/Get_Involved/Ecuador_casestudy.pdf

Websites about coral reefs:

http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=260

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/marine/coral_%20reef/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/planet-earth/planet-earth.html

http://www.marinereef.org/reports.php?reportid=4

http://books.google.com/books?id=jp4uAYEx_goC&pg=PA190&lpg=PA190&dq=coral+reef+fish+bright+colors+adaptation&source=bl&ots=YPSqOzefkx&sig=8wCLHwS5R02LP3WXctOi9su9odg&hl=en&ei=Wck7SpO7DdKZjAfy-4UY&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2

http://library.thinkquest.org/17456/camouflage3.html

Websites about the Sahara desert:

http://articles.glenns-garden.com/Art/1655/93/Plant-Life-of-the-Sahara.html

http://www.livescience.com/history/060720_sahara_rains.html

http://inchinapinch.com/hab_pgs/terres/desert/desert.htm

http://www.africanculturalcenter.org/3_2_1endangered_detail.html

The African slaves brought some of their culture with them. In Brazil, you can still see things influenced by the African culture like Candomble, a polytheistic religion, and Capoeira, a martial art.

Candomble is a polytheistic religion that is influenced by African religions and Christianity. Polytheistic means that it has many gods. One of the places it has been practiced is Salvador, Brazil. Before slavery was abolished in 1885, slaves were not allowed to practice Candomble, so they disguised it as the Catholic religion. In Brazil the Catholic priests let the Africans talk about the Bible in their native language, but the priests had no idea what the Africans were saying. This allowed them to secretly honor the African gods, called orishas.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Over two million people claim to practice Candomble today. The places where Condomble is practiced are called terreiros. They have both inside and outside spaces. When visiting the torreiros you must wear clean, white clothes. Ceremonies are led by priestesses who are called “Mothers of the Holy One”. Apart from leading the ceremonies, they also have to train future priestesses. People go to the torreiro to get their fortunes told. In Candomble, they use divination by reading seashells. People also go to the torreiros for weeks or even months to clean themselves of the dirtiness of the world and to get possessed by orishas. In some of the ceremonies, people sing chants and dance. At the end of the songs, someone will get possessed by one of the orishas. That person dances, and the others sing the chants in reverse order to get the orisha out.

There are many orishas including Ogun, lord of fire, hunting, iron, politics and war. He is usually seen with tobacco and rum and a saber or a machete. Ogun is associated with St. George. Other orishas are Aganjo, god of essential growth, Eninle, god of healing and abundance, and Iemanja, goddess of the sea.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

On February 2^nd, 2009, I saw a Candomble celebration. The people were honoring Iemanja, goddess of the ocean and beauty. Iemanja is associated with Our Lady of Seafaring, a manifestation of the Virgin Mary, and both are celebrated on this day. A villager from Arraial D’Ajuda, the town in Brazil where we live, had built a small boat with a miniature sculpture of Iamanja in it. The boat was blue with white stripes. Some of the people held the boat and brought it down to fisherman’s beach. There was a huge crowd following the boat to the beach.

We collected flowers along the way because the legend is if you give Iamanja a flower, she will grant you a wish. When we got to the beach, people were crowded in a thick circle. I weaved my way through the circle to see what was going on. A priest was singing chants and throwing perfume on everyone. A few minutes later, people piled beauty products, flowers, and pieces of paper with wishes on them onto the small boat. A few people floated alongside the boat when someone put it into the sea. The people brought it to a small fisherman’s boat. The fisherman brought the boat out to sea and let it go for Iamanja. As the fisherman’s boat disappeared over the horizon, people lit candles and I built castles with sand and candles on the beach.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Capoeira

Capoeira is an African martial art brought to Brazil by African slaves. Brazilian slave owners did not allow martial arts, so the Africans disguised capoeira as a dance. Capoeira is now a world-wide sport. It can be found all over the world, however it has changed. In the 19^th century people used sharp objects like razor blades in capoeira. That is no longer practiced. In Brazil today, capoeira is considered self-defense, while in other places it is considered a sport.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Music is essential to capoeira. If the music is slow, the dancers move slowly; if the music is rapid, the dancers move fast. The most important instruments are the drum and the berimbau. The berimbau is a sort of wooden bow strung with wire or string. The berimbau has a cup-like gourd at the bottom for resonance. It is considered the oldest string instrument in the world.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

On the first day of my capoeira lessons, I met my teacher. What was striking about him was his hair- he had a dyed yellow Mohawk. My classroom has photos on the walls of people doing flips. There are also windows all around, and when I do my class, people are looking in from the street. The floor has wooden boards, and there is a wall with mirrors on it. Our teacher turns up music very loud. I just copy my teacher because the music is turned up so loud I cannot hear him. Another factor is that he speaks Portuguese and my Portuguese is limited.

In my first class there were eight people. In the first half hour we did stretching exercises. In the remaining thirty minutes I learned three kicks. On one your opponent ducks as you swing your leg past him/her. When I was dodging a kick from my teacher I stood up a little too early and he almost kicked me. In another one, you turn your waist, bring one knee as high as you can, straighten that leg, bring your leg back to the knee position (like hitting your knee with a hammer), and drop it. The third one was the same as the second one, except you don’t turn. You also do a balancing move where you put your left leg back, right leg In front, and your left arm covering your face. Then you put your left leg up, your right leg back and your right arm in front of your face.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Once, the whole class was doing that exercise in the same rhythm. It felt like I was a wave in an ocean, except when I looked in the mirror and saw that I was one step out of sync.

 I sit on the beach sipping my marcuya (passion fruit juice) and watch 2 people practice capoeira and the sound of crashing waves ringing in my ears.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                The smallest butterflies have a wingspan of only 0.62 inches. The biggest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing, has a wingspan of one foot (12 inches or 30 cm). The female Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is brown with white-cream spots and a red tuft of fur on the thorax. The male is blue with green markings and a bright yellow abdomen. The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is poisonous, and it gets its poison from a toxic plant; animals that eat a Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing get sick and vomit. Animals will remember that bright colors and markings mean that the butterfly is poisonous and will not eat it again. The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is found in a tropical rainforest in New Guinea. There are not many Queen Alexandra’s Birdwings left because people cut down the trees the butterflies eat to grow their crops.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                If you find a caterpillar on a leaf and you put it in a cage with plenty of leaves, and you come back four weeks later, you will find a beautiful butterfly. You would look around for your caterpillar, but you would only find the beautiful butterfly and a hollow chrysalis. You would figure out that the caterpillar turned into a chrysalis and the chrysalis turned into a butterfly. You would probably be amazed.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                Butterflies land on a tree or plant to decide if it is the kind of leaf that their caterpillars eat BEFORE laying their eggs. When caterpillars hatch, they eat their own eggs, which is their first meal. Most caterpillars eat leaves, but some are carnivores that eat wooly aphids. Caterpillars eat, eat, eat, eat, so they can be big butterflies and not be hungry when they’re in the chrysalis. The caterpillar turns into a chrysalis, which is a pretty, hanging, container that looks like the letter C. The unprotected chrysalis is hung up in a tree NOT ON THE GROUND. The butterfly is in the chrysalis for one week. The chrysalis cracks open, and the butterfly comes out and dries its wings in the sun. After a few hours the butterfly can fly. Some butterflies can live up to six months to one year. Some butterflies migrate in order to avoid adverse environmental conditions (like cold weather).

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                Butterflies are usually active during the day. Most butterflies eat nectar from flowers, sipping with their proboscis. Birds, wasps and other animals eat caterpillars and butterflies. Some caterpillars and butterflies blend into their environment, and some have a shade of green, but some are colorful and predators can see them easily. Bright colored caterpillars and butterflies are poisonous. They get their toxicity from the plants they eat. Butterflies can fly up to 30 mph. The poisonous ones fly only 5 mph. Some caterpillars and butterflies have eyespots that make them look like more scary animals to scare away predators.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                Butterflies have compound eyes. Hexagonal lenses cover the eye. Butterflies can see images, colors, and even ultraviolet light. Caterpillars have simple eyes and cannot see images – they can only see light and dark. The butterflies’ bodies are covered by sensory hairs that give them a sense of touch. These hairs help them detect the wind. This helps them to fly. The Johnson organ in the bottom of the antennae helps the butterfly keep its balance. Butterflies taste with their feet and hear through their wings.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                When my dad asked me what my science project was going to be about, I said, “Butterflies”. My dad said, “Sure. What do you know about butterflies?” And he said, “Fill this whole page with things you know and things you want to know.” And I did.

                My dad made a net with some material with small holes in it, some thread, a broom handle, and some wire, but it was too big for me to hold. So he had to hold it when we searched for butterflies. I held the jar to put the butterflies inside of. He made a cage too, out of mosquito net material.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                When my dad and I were going to catch butterflies, some neighbor kids came by and said, “What are you doing?” in Portuguese, because we are in Brazil. My dad said, “We are catching borboletas”, which means butterflies. They asked if they could help us. The kids told us where butterflies were. A boy with black hair and orange spots on his hair caught four butterflies. His hair reminded me of a monarch butterfly. A boy with blond hair caught two butterflies, and a boy with black hair caught nine butterflies. Cruz caught one moth with his hands. We caught a yellow one, an orange one, even a green one with blue and black. We caught a black one with red and yellow. We put twenty butterflies in the cage. I tried to feed them sugar water, but the little ones drowned in it, so I let them all go.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                My dad and I went to catch butterflies in the central park of Arraial D’Ajuda, which is in Brazil. We ran in the shade of the trees catching butterflies. When we were chasing butterflies, we touched a few stinging plants on our legs. It stung bad! But we caught a lot of butterflies. We measured the butterflies’ wingspan and took pictures of them. We were hoping to figure out the species for each butterfly and the family it is in. I caught a butterfly that was orange, with black lines and white dots. I was so excited because I thought I was the first one to discover it, and I wanted to name it the “Beautiful Butterfly”.  We looked on the computer for a long time, but couldn’t find it. We also caught a yellow swallowtail. When we looked it up on the computer, we found out it was called papilio cresphorte or “Giant Swallowtail”. When we were at Praia do Espelho, a beach near Arraial, we found a butterfly called the “Owl Butterfly”. It looked like it had owl eyes on its wings.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

                I see the world slightly differently now. I can imagine being a butterfly and seeing trough its eyes. I would see ultraviolet light glowing on flower petals saying, “Get your nectar here!” I would smell my mate’s scent and laugh as we chase each other. I fly away fast from birds and wasps. As I fly I feel really light, like a feather floating in the air.                

MANGROVE JOURNAL

Brackish water, mangroves all around. Mud under foot. Crabs scuttle away as I wade towards them. “Click.”  A picture taken.

Stilt-like roots rise out of water. Squish, squish, rise out of water. Hundreds of centimeter long crabs dart into their sand caves. “Click.” Another picture taken.

Light shines through the roots, and leaves snake like shadows. “Swish.” A small hawk glides overhead. “Flash.” Picture taken.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

I wade upstream. Leaves and twigs drift by. “Click.” A picture taken of small shrimp.

“Swish.” A Fish swims by. A yellow leaf reminds me of fall. As I climb up a sand bar, a snake like fish darts upstream. I follow it to find I cannot reach. Float downstream. “Ow!” Deerflies bite. I sink into water.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Crabs scuttle away. “Crash!” An ocean wave breaks. Music plays from beach barraca. I rise out of brown water and think of my adventure.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

MANGROVES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

While most trees would die within hours in the choking saltwater of the sea, mangrove trees thrive there. Mangroves help the environment and people by blocking tsunamis, creating land, helping poverty, providing habitat for fish, absorbing carbon from the air, and filtering pollution from the water. Unfortunately, mangroves forests are one of the most threatened biomes in the world.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

The earliest species of mangroves are thought to have originated in Southeast Asia. Mangrove trees’ seeds can float over water. The seeds sprout in the mangrove tree then drop into the water. Sometimes they are swept out by the tide. The seeds can travel in the water for days, weeks, months, or even a year. Mangrove seeds float horizontally. When mangrove seeds get to a sustainable habitat (they need nitrogen, phosphorus and iron) the seeds change their density so that they are vertical. If the habitat is not sustainable, the seeds can change their density and float to another place. Mangrove forests are in the warm waters of tropical oceans all over the world. Along the Atlantic coast, on both the eastern and western coasts of Africa, they stretch into India, Burma, and Southeast Asia. They are also common in New Zealand and Australia. 27% of mangroves are in Southeast Asia. Brazil has 15% of the world’s mangroves.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

While most trees would die in saltwater within hours, mangroves filter saltwater through their roots. The salt goes to the tree’s leaves which are shed once in a while. Some species of mangrove trees force the salt through their leaves. Mangroves’ roots also serve as stilts by keeping the mangrove’s trunk, branches, and leaves out of the water. The roots also hold back sediment such as leaves, mud, soil, branches, etc. People in Bangladesh planted mangrove trees and Bangladesh gained 300,000 acres of land.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Mangrove swamps provide habitat for shrimp, crabs, prawns, shellfish, snails, birds, crab-eating monkeys, fishing cats, lizards, sea turtles, tigers, and deer. Mudskippers are a type of fish that are adapted to mangrove forests. Mudskippers can jump from pool to pool when the tide goes down.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

People in Eritrea planted mangroves in the Red Sea. The Eritreans used the mangrove tree leaves to feed the livestock. Mangroves also house mullet which attract bigger, predatory fish for the fishermen to catch and sell (this helps poverty). 75% of our commercial fish need mangrove wetlands as habitat to protect them from larger fish when they are small. Mangroves help the world by taking in carbon, 100 pounds per acre per day in fact.

From The Big Field Trip – Brazil, January/February, 2009

Sadly, mangrove forests are being destroyed. They are being destroyed by shrimp farming (the #1 cause), real estate (such as high rise hotels, ports etc.), deforestation for wood (mangrove wood is very fine), and many other things. Many communities have realized how important mangroves are to the overall environment, and are replanting mangrove trees.