"I can't believe you're wanting to do this by Skype... on a weekend," Miles teased to the Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot Animalian that was presently on the screen.
"Well, it's a weekend, which means there's no school, and since I'm good for food at the moment, I have no need to go outside," Lexia answered, "so, I'd prefer to stay comfortable INSIDE. Remember, my species is from Central America. We typically don't go out in cold weather."
To a great degree, Miles understood that. Lyre/Animalia generally wasn't a spot that got super cold, at least not on a regular basis, but they were far enough north that it could happen. And in recent weeks some cold snaps had gone through that even southern California, which typically was warm all year round saw some snow and ice. For Miles, this wasn't too much of an issue as he presently had his winter layer of fur in, and his species of Jackrabbit did live in the area naturally. Lexia, however, was an uplifted Parrot Animalian, and from a species that typically didn't range any further north than Mexico's northern regions on its eastern coast and was even further south on its western coast. It was something that was enough for Lexia to go south to Vilcabamba for Christmas break, but since WSA wasn't going to let her vacation down there from mid-December to the end of March, she did have to return at the end of Christmas break.
"Makes you wish Christmas break was longer than it was, right?" Miles asked.
"Let me tell you about it..." Lexia began.
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The warmth at Vilcabamba was pleasant and well welcomed for Lexia, particularly as Lyre was starting to get hit by a bit of a pre-Christmas cold snap that was particularly sharp. It wasn't something that Lexia ever remembered experiencing even before she was uplifted. Help from Horizon and payments for participating on Animalia Ambassadoria had allowed her to buy clothing and jackets that helped with the insulation and would mean she would not have to worry about freezing to death, but that didn't mean she preferred being in a cold climate. Thus, with WSA out for Christmas break, Lexia was more than happy to come some place warm, and Vilcabamba was a great spot. Not to mention that as a colony in Brazil, she might be able to provide some coverage on their Christmas for Animalia Ambassadoria.
For the most part, when not providing coverage for the coming Christmas programs for Animalia Ambassadoria, Lexia enjoyed several of the more traditional tourist aspects that came out of Vilcabamba. Looking over some of the caves that had been dug out by tribes in the region years before the Portuguese colonized Brazil and noting some of the tree top apartments that had also been built among the trees that were near the main hotel grounds that served as the central part of Vilcabamba. It was something that quite enjoyable for Lexia, though it also provided for some interesting encounters as she looked around, including with a couple of Macaw Animalians who lived in the tree-top apartments all year round.
"You don't go into the city that Vilcabamba works with?" Lexia asked.
"We try not to," the first answered, "now, we do have to go in and buy food from time to time, and that's a part of doing business. But at present there has been a fair amount of frustration... or rather sore feelings at the past election. The former president has complained over his loss and in ways not unlike the former American president. And we simply don't want to get involved in all the arguments that are bound to come from politics."
"I didn't see anything strange in the town when my flight landed," Lexia commented.
"We've seen the news reports from America, and we know where the kind of craziness that the former president's rhetoric can go," the second replied, "so, it's easier just to stay here."
"That makes sense, I suppose," Lexia answered, "and thank you."
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"And I did largely avoid trouble," Lexia answered, "flying through the jungle was interesting, as it let me get a sight at some of the wildlife and all that. In some ways... it was a strange experience for me, given that until last summer and fall... I would have been like them, except in Central America than Brazil."
Miles nodded, remembering that Lexia had been uplifted to heal some injuries sustained as a result of being caught in the illicit animal trade and then driven into the United States. She joined Animalia afterward, largely as she had no place to go back to and as "evidence" against the criminals that had caught and smuggled her, she was safer from retribution in the US. Of course, some of what Lexia commented on unnerved him a little, as while Lexia returned to Lyre/Animalia on January 2 to get ready for the resumption of WSA's school year, Brazil had its own outbreak of violence at its capital for the reasons the two Macaws that Lexia had talked to had listed. It was something that made Miles eternally grateful that Lexia had made it back safely.
"Did you have a camera, for snapshots?" Miles wondered.
"I have a few," Lexia answered, "I'll bring them when we have our next session for Animalia Ambassadoria."
"That'll be great," Miles smiled.