John of God
and the
Casa de Dom Inacio
Food
Three buffet meals are included in your Pousada price. They are served at 7am, noon, and 6-7pm. Fruits, vegetables, chicken, beef, rice, pasta, bread, coffee, and tea. There is always more food than you can eat. Fish is a rarity because it is so far inland. Bottled water and drinks are extra. (We drink only blessed water from the Casa).
You may eat at some of the other Pousadas for R5-R15. Keep track of the meals not eaten at your pousada (check with your pousada to see if this is allowed) and have it deducted as a skipped meal from your total bill. Let your pousada owner know when you plan on skipping a meal so they can keep track. Amazonas, Don Ingrid and Jardim dos Anjos, Irma Sol, and possibly others, do not offer this option.
The food at your pousada may be SALTY. Your ankles and feet may swell. Stay away from the saltiest foods. Eat lots of fruit. Drink 2 liters of water a day. We took Hawthorne Berries (herb for edema) on 2nd trip and did fine.
Healing Soup
On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday healing soup (vegetables and noodles) is served after the morning session at the Casa de Dom Inacio between 10 and noon. Note: Some think this is enough to eat and skip their noon buffet. However, they find that sitting in the current rooms takes a lot of energy and the soup wasn’t enough. You need to eat when the buffets are served. Food is available at the Pousadas only at the prescribed meal times.
Eateries
Budget Lunch If you are staying at one of the pousadas that do not serve lunch and dinner, or you are looking for good food at bargain prices, then Restarante do Marcelo is the place to have lunch. Somewhat limited buffet, but always fresh. Marcelo does a lot of business, and the reason is good food at a bargain price, only R4. That's right, only R4 (less that US $2.50) for almost the same food as the pousadas. Restarante do Marcelo is located across the highway and to the left, towards Brasilia approximately 2 blocks. You will pass two other eating places on the way but you will know Marcelo's by the yellow tables on the sidewalk. It is usually busy, so go early.
Frutti's (Ulton's) Cafe Ulton speaks English. They serve delicious smoothies, sandwiches, breakfast, and deserts. This is a wonderful place to meet people. There is a back patio with more tables and hammocks.
On Fridays at 7pm, with reservations only, they serve a vegetarian meal.
There is a community bulletin board to post notes if you want to share a taxi back to the airport, notes about house rentals, etc.
Ulton has 2 phone booths where you can make direct calls home. The phones are connected to a computer which will note the length of call and cost. He also will change money from dollars to reals.
Pizzaria located across from Frutti's, serves pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and ice cream.
Moitara Cafe (East of the Pousada Furlan) serves sandwiches, snacks, salads, ice cream from R4 to R18. Beautiful view over the valley, use of swimming pool for R5.
Cafe Central Incredible organic food (even the beef) and the lentil burgers are amazing. Grianne (from Ireland) and her husband Joao serve dinner. Closed on Wednesdays. They are located a block down the street from Pencil Light bookstore. Some Saturday evenings there is live entertainment.
There are some new restaurants that are not listed here, just ask around
if you want something besides pousada food.
Snacks
Snacks are available at the Casa de Dom Inacio on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday only. Fruit popsicles, fresh squeezed juice, pasteries, cocoa milk, etc.
Snacks are also avaliable at several of the small corner markets.
Pousada Dom Ingrid has 12 flavors of ice cream (R1.50 for cup or cone).
The Pizzaria also has ice cream.
Weather
Abadiania has a tropical climate, it is usually warm during the day, but the evenings are cool. The rainy season is October through April, the dry season is May through September. It is either warm and wet, or warm and dry.
During the rainy season, it will usually be sunny in the morning and the rain showers will come in the mid afternoon or evening. An umbrella or poncho is adequate protection from the rain if you are going to be walking about.
The rainy season brings mosquitoes. Wear long sleeved cotton shirts and pants to protect yourself. Use insect repellent on your pillow and sheet and spray the wall above your head. Or purchase before your trip a 220v insect repellant plug.
The night time temperatures are cooler during the dry season and you may need something warm, such as a sweatshirt, if you are going to be out during the evening hours.
Clothes
White clothes are worn at the Casa de Dom Inacio Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday (white being of a higher vibration is easier for the Spirits to work on you and opens energy fields). Bring 2-3 sets of very loose, light weight white clothes as you will be sitting 2-3 hours meditating in a warm room. In current rooms you sit in close proximity to others.
Any other clothes should be light colored and light weight. You will find dark clothes uncomfortable in the healing energy of the area and the heat of the country.
This is a spiritual environment, shorts and tank tops are not appropriate attire, but walking shorts are OK. A sweatshirt kept us warm on the airplane and was nice for breezy evenings.
Shoes
Bring casual, comfortable shoes. You will be walking on red dirt/rocky roads as well as paved streets. During the rainy season it can be muddy. Athletic shoes, thongs, flaps, or sandals all work well. You will be taking your shoes off when sitting in the current rooms. The rooms are warm, putting your bare feet on the cool tile floor is comforting.
Laundry
It is best to take small bottle of liquid soap to use for showering and to wash clothes. We washed one or two items a night in the sink. Allow 3 days to dry during the wet season.
Laundry is available at all Pousadas at R1-R2 per item. It may take several days to dry and hope you get back what you gave. All laundry is ironed including underwear!
Toilet Sanitation
Do not flush any paper in the toilet, the sewer systems cannot handle it. Place all toilet paper in the trash can next to the toilet. You empty your own trash.
If your toilet smells, you can purchase Liquido Sanitario and a small brush
in Abadiania at the general store, located at Avenida Frontal and the main
highway (see pousada map), for less than R4.
Communication with Home
Telephone
See Internet
Internet
Every year more of the pousadas add either a computer with Internet for guests, or they have Wi-Fi.
There are two new Internet Shops that have opened in the last year and this has caused the prices to be much lower than in the past. They all seem to be charging about R1 per hour, and offer the same services, such as, Skype, color printing, scanning, and CD burning.
The Internet Shop
Located on Avenida Frontal, next to Frutti's. (bright yellow building)
ITC Internet
Located across Avenida Frontal from Fruitti's on a side street.
Internet Store
It is located on Avenida
Frontal about a half block from the highway on the north side of the street.
They seem to be open 7 days until 8-9 in the evening.
Internet Shop It's located across the highway. Ask around about the location.
Electrical Outlets
The electrical outlets in Brazil have a different voltage and configuration than those in the USA, and may require an adapter (220v). Most cell phone, computer, and camera chargers will work on voltages from 100 to 240, and therefore do not require a voltage converter. Some pousadas have the round pin type wall sockets, an adapter for these can purchased ahead of time or they are readily available in Abadiania.
The following website shows you what you need to buy. The adapters are usually available at travel stores.