We arrived at Iracambi, after a full day of highway travel from Rio w/ Robin & Binka, to a warm welcome from 2007 guides, Virgilio and Gustavo. It was good to meet new friends/volunteers.
Kristen, who replaced Jemma as Volunteer Coordinator, spent time in Brazil as a child. She also lived in a boarding school in Canon City, Colorado. She arrived at Iracambi in November and will be here through May, planning graduate school. Jemma, now VirgilioÕs bride, is in London working on personal papers. Volunteers include Bryan (New Brunswick, Canada, five minutes from the Maine border), Renaud (Brittany area of France, just graduated with IT degree and taking 5 months off before looking for a job), and Valerie (Brussels, Belgium who will attend law school in DC in the fall). This is an eclectic bunch of people.
Renaud named the new Center cat, Agatha – a take on the French or Portuguese word for cat, de gato.
We have housing at the volunteer center, four bedrooms and a common room for Internet access, with two bathrooms and hand laundry area at the back of the building. Our bedroom has two twin beds and some shelves for stowing our gear - cozy but workable.
Volunteers and staff share the evening cooking responsibilities. A variety of percussion instruments (pots and wooden spoons) serve as a call to dinner. Renaud and Marcelo (Community affairs coordinator) prepared tonightÕs meal. They seemed delighted at the fresh vegetables and fruit that we brought with us, purchased at the greengrocer along the highway, located by the ÒFinger of GodÓ rock.
Saturday, April 18
Gustavo invited us to attend the all day meeting in San Pedro. Members of five communities attended to discuss government grants for conservation projects. We understood little of the actual language, yet understand the ÒjestÓ of what took place. Some of the men were obviously held in high regard. Only one woman really took an active role. Other women were in the kitchen preparing lunch and drinks and food for the breaks. Near the end of the day a government official appeared on the scene and dynamics changed dramatically, resulting in a third meeting being scheduled. Gustavo was appreciative. ÒFirst we dreamed and now he will help us take action.Ó It was good to have some interaction with members of the community. The meeting was in a school building, now in use as a community center.
Some young men came to pick up an appliance, perhaps a cooler of some sort. The wheels did not turn well. Roger, frustrated at those just watching, helped pick it up and load it in the back of a small pick-up. The older man we had been observing all day, paused to ask Roger his age. (We guessed the gentlemen to be about 80 and were surprised we were to learn he is 6 years younger than Roger. Perhaps not having teeth made him look older.) The meeting closed in a special manner, worth noting for intercultural reasons. The oldest and youngest men at the meeting spoke a few words as everyone stood. It was not a prayer but a form of blessing.
Two gentlemen went back to Iracambi with us to spend the rest of the weekend. Fausto, a young man, rode in the Land Rover with us. Silverio, an older gentleman, drove a small cycle. They are companairos in adventure activities. Fausto told us he did rock climbing. He is taking a refresher English course, having had two years of study in high school. Silverio proudly related that his children speak English fluently and have first aid skills. They come to Iracambi regularly and are a part of the plan for developing adventure tourism.
Roger got up at 4:00 to go to a sunrise hike with Valerie, Fausto, Silverio, and Virgilio. He got back around noon, sweaty and tiredÉbut glad to have participated.
I did laundry most of the day, one little bucket at a time. Bryan adjusted the showerÕs water pipe so the water would heat electrically. The device is pressure driven.
Kristen took us on a tour of the Center grounds. Seven thousand trees were planted this past year, some in areas needing reforestation, others to re-introduce trees in areas where they previously thrived.
We had the option of moving to a little house (to be shared with Toni, the Spanish agronomist), but preferred to stay in the main Center building. Toni was painting when we reached his home. Roger returned later and purchased a couple of his great, animal paper macheÕ masks and an oil painting; all works are of the Iracambi area. (We want to discuss ideas with Robin and Binka using his designs as fund-raisers, perhaps with some compensation sharing. We do not know what agreements might have been previously made.) Roger thinks having Toni come to Colorado on an arts and culture grant would be a good idea. Binka wholeheartedly agreed.
Roger took his turn at preparing the dinner meal (chicken and veggie curry, rice, watermelon). As at home, I did the dishes. Renaud set us up with Skype. We called the LeBreton home and had a brief conversation with Robin as a test.
Kristen, Virgilio, Roger and I had a long, productive, meeting this morning, beginning with a description of POA and how this relates to possibilities for the Iracambi ecotourism projects. I stressed the relationships that POA bring with two-directional reach, signified by the logo arrows. Virgilio managed to communicate w/ us well, though he occasionally needed Kristen to translate. This relationship building is primary to the Colorado committee. We stressed we do not know for sure the goals of the MG committee; Carolina is the chair. Iracambi eco-tourism has two mains goals, bringing environmental awareness while protecting the Atlantic rainforest and providing alternative income sources for the local community. The Colorado tour will provide experiences not usually available to tourists. Roger and I stressed that three entities here are defining goals; time will tell how they intersect. For example, ColoradoÕs tour might be a one-time event while the Iracambi project is long-term and on going.
Eco-tourism in the Iracambi area might include: home-stays, attendees might not be Brazilians (many of whom are not interested in the rural areas), and marketing at the POA convention in DC in November. He and Gustavo have had an Iracambi proposal accepted for Brazilian government funds, along with another NGO, CEPEC. Now three communities are involved. Plans are to eventually include all of eleven in the region. Monies have been approved for 1½ years, beginning in June or July. Two early tasks are bringing media to see and promote the area and second to bring travel agencies and tour companies.
There will be an eco-tourism link provided on the Iracambi website, which Virgilio has written. Robin is the Webmaster. Another eco-tourism website provides a link, without charge http://www.eco-index.org The assumption is individuals looking for an eco-tourism adventure will search the web and discover Iracambi. (IracambiÕs audience will not be the middle-aged ladies in high heels!)
We also discussed our schedule for our stay. Virgilio developed a nice schedule that was approved by POA for my travel grant, which needs modification. For example, the schools have some holiday this week. We will go to Graminha each Tuesday and Guracada on Thursday. (As of this afternoon, this has already been changed so Roger and I can accompany Robin, Valerie, and Bryan on a dayÕs drive around the area to see potential mining sites.) Wednesday night we will be a community meeting to plan a calendar for eco-tourism. (This meeting was cancelled.) Roger and I mentioned BinkaÕs idea to develop a photo calendar. Virgilio said it would not sell here; they are given away free. Using a combination of RogerÕs photos and copies/photos of ToniÕs paintings, we think there would be a market in the US, especially at the POA convention. We will conduct English lessons for the community here at the Center on Saturday. Kristen has experience teaching ESL in Korea, while I bring new enthusiasm. Another day Roger and Virgilio will drive the route planned for the five-day trek. (This also had to be changed, dur to car problems.) In addition to accomplishing the goals of our POA sponsorship, I will work at pulling weeds in the Center gardens. Roger has drinking water duty and we both will help with tree chores.
Carminha, the cook, came by horseback to prepare lunch: rice, beans, cooked pumpkin, and tomato salad. Roger gave her the photo print taken of her in 2007.
Before lunch, a spider bit Toni. He cautiously shook the boot upside down before donning it, but the spider stayed put. There was concern and confusion since Robin and Binka could not be reached for advice and the first-aid kit seemed inadequate. Eventually, Marcos came in a truck to transport Toni to the free clinic in town. Marcelo went with along. They came back hours later. This spiderÕs bite is painful but not deadly. On the way to the clinic, they picked some plants, which when applied reduced the pain considerably. We were much relieved and learned some important truths that Kristen will incorporate into her material and report. Spiders in the region may be painful, but not deadly. Snakebites are rare. Some are deadly, but there is a 12-hour window to seek treatment. This information lessons the anxiety level.
Anthony, from London, arrived after dark, tired and grateful to be here. He connected with Gustavo, so had a ride for the last stretch. (I cannot imagine how these young people make it, courageously trekking around the world.) Trained as a science teacher, secondary school, Anthony is on leave, feeling like he is losing his passion for teaching, though not for science.
Robin took a group of us for a two-hour tour of the area. Valerie, who has been working on an informative brochure about mining in the area for locals, was the person whose needs motivated the tour. Robin invited Roger and me. Bryan, Renaud, and Anthony also joined, we all piled in the Land Rover. It was very interesting, to see some new areas, to learn about the agricultural history of the region. Robin is a good teacher and mechanic.
The word for the day: sustain (support, keep going, maintain). We drove through and around the hills, seeing numerous examples of soil degradation, caused by overgrazing, tree harvest without concern for surroundings, or areas where coffee was planted and failed to thrive. Such negligence takes years for restoration. Remnants of burned wood were along the road. Stubborn rocks are heated by fires over and around them, followed by dousing them with water (afternoon showers). These temperature extremes cause rocks to crack into smaller pieces, easier to remove from the middle of the road. Robin (a lawyer, educated at Oxford, farmer and researcher and preservationist) told numerous stories of the neighbors, their feuds over water use, and more. He is frustrated when neighbors rob his fishponds.
The Iracambi name is based on words meaning Òland of milk and honeyÓ – it really fits.
This is the day the Lord hath made, I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! Well, it is easier to rejoice when your feet are dry. But, this morning was still wonderful and memorable.
It started out as an early morning mist...which turned into a light rain...which turned into real rain. However, the work crew (eight volunteers) reported for duty and followed Toni into the area that needed maintenance. This meant using sharp hoes to clear away the grass that grows faster than the baby trees. Reforestation is one of the prime goals of Iracambi. Native trees are grown from seeds and then transplanted and maintained. Everyone helps! I had teased Roger about bringing his bright yellow rain jacket (purchased for sailing). He was smart, and I got soaked. We were told buying rubber boots was probably not necessary as the rainy season was over. This is a far cry from the warm sunshine in which I weeded gardens yesterday. So, I am thankful for dry socks and dry jeans and a dry place in which to write these notes. The day remained cool and wet, with the rain only letting off for slight moments. Everyone kind of stayed inside, resting, reading, or doing laundry (which, of course, will not dry). Bob, a young man from Holland here for a college internship, arrived around noon, having walked most of the way to Iracambi. He traded with Toni and fixed dinner, using peppers from BryanÕs garden to season the fried potatoes and onions. It was delicious; I ate too much and had bedtime heartburn. Thursday, April 23 I woke up around 6:00, stayed in bed for a short while, and then took a mercifully warm shower in preparation for the day. (Thank you Bryan for fixing the water connection!!) After a quick breakfast, I was ready to leave at 7:30 to visit the schools with Kristen and Virgilio. The purpose of our visit was to make introductions and schedule the English classes for next week. Virgilio invited community people along the way to come to SaturdayÕs class. We were gone for four hours and I got really, really tired of walking. Graminha – 12 students, teacher (Simone) and cook (Helena). First lesson – Ògood-bye.Ó Class will be next Thursday at 10:50, a 45-minute walk from the Center. Baracada – 4 students, teacher (Marciley) and cook (Eva). First lesson – ÒcoolÓ and Òthank you.Ó Class will be on Tuesdays at 10:30, a one-hour+ walk from the Center. A cute little boy proudly whispered to his teacher that his cousin knows how to say Òthank youÓ! Roger went to Vicosa for the day with Marcelo, who attends the Federal University, working on his Masters degree. Toni went with them. Roger bought meat for consumption by the group and a red/vino colored sweater for me to ward off the cool nighttime temperatures. Lovely sunshine; I rinsed out a final bucket of wash and hung the damp clothes to dry. CarminhaÕs sisters clean the Center. The younger one, Vania, said she wanted to come to the English class on Saturday and bring her husband along. (She did; he did not.)
Friday, April 24
Two hours of weeding gardens followed by a nap filled my morning. This fulfills my obligation to the Center schedule. (The weeding, not the nap.)
After lunch, another meeting took place, for Virgilio and Roger to discuss the upcoming treks. (Valerie and Kristen translated and joined the discussion about tourism projects. I discovered that there is an expectation for me to help design a brochure. I showed them the old Iracambi brochure that was given to us in 2007. Gustavo said there are two other brochures that exist. He showed me the pdf copies in his laptop. Iracambi develops a new brochure for each project, due to different needs. I requested copies for reference.
We are learning some of the subtle (or indirect) Brazilian ways of communicating. We are not clear if they still think it is a good idea for Roger to go on this strenuous trek, even though Silverio expressly invited Roger to come along. They want to take someone who has never been in addition to his taking photos of the trails. We asked about emergency notification systems, et al. Binka also seems to be expressing some caution. Thankfully, we will see her and Robin face-to-face tomorrow and can get a better idea of what is appropriate.
After dinner, house parties were scheduled. This is almost like a progressive dinner, but planned for fun not food. Marcelo and Kristen went into town to buy beer and wine. I gave her $R20 to help with the costs. I used some of the card-stock that we brought to make a simple birthday card for Marcelo. We wrote greetings in English, Portuguese, French, and Dutch. Bob played a variety of music on his laptop. Virgilio and Renaud picked up the beat with pots and pans and bamboo sticks. Then the party moved to the Center, where we taught the hokey-pokey (another English lesson) and played musical chairs. We bid them goodnight when they moved back to the dining hall to play Charades. (Apparently, most did not go to bed before 3:00 AM. Although Marcelo and Gustavo left after dinner and did not join the partying at all.)
Saturday, April 25
Today was my first ESL class this morning, a huge event!! Four students attended class. Roger helped as did Valerie. She speaks several languages fluently and served as our interpreter. (This is a pretty good student/teacher ratio.) We began with introductions (meeting people and telling them your name) then lots of "ÕgoodÕs like "good morning, good afternoon, good night, goodbye..." there IS a long list of them. It got to be fun. Then we studied body parts. The "head, shoulders...." song seemed fun. And others (from England and Canada) could not help but come over and join us. Valerie and Roger did as much of the teaching as I did. He is just too talented and experienced to not help. (He also took lots of photos.) And, Valerie had good helpful suggestions. When I complimented and thanked her, she attributed this to having learned so many languages herself. Students and other Iracambi volunteers also seemed to enjoy looking through my vocabulary picture books. These helped w/ studying the body parts and provided another hands-on dimension to the class. We'll have classes the next two Saturdays while here and then someone else assume the duties. In addition to some learning, community members should feel welcome coming to the Iracambi center for an event scheduled just for them.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I will teach classes at each of the local elementary schools. During introductions on Thursday, I taught some simple words to the delighted students: good-bye, thank you, and cool. (The Portuguese word for cool is legal') It is odd. I am already grieving that we cannot stay longer. The accommodations are somewhat primitive/basic but there are lots of water and Internet connections!! I AM grateful.
Word for the day – conhecimento – knowledge
Sunday, April 26
We enjoyed a pleasant evening with Robin and Binka in their beautiful home: tea with milk on the front porch, followed by wine watching the evening sky darken, followed by the recorded Easter sermon by Peter Gomes, of Harvard. His main points: Easter is about life and about you, not only about death and Jesus, get over it, get on with it, and which do you prefer, a fantastic truth or a plausible lie? (Amazing to realize the connections with UNCÕs James Keaten.) We had a long, spirited visit over dinner about the Iracambi eco-tourism project and more.
Roger got out early to take photographs of the area while Binka and I ate breakfast on the front porch, admiring the morning mists. She invited me to proofread her manuscript, a book written about IracambiÕs beginning. The history is personal, heart-wrenching at times, and very real.
Virgilio walked over for a long meeting about tourism and plans for the week. He and Roger will take RobinÕs Land Rover (with its newly repaired clutch) and travel tomorrow to the Serra do Brigadeiro park. Robin counseled them to Òkeep the mountain on your leftÓ and take/record numerous GPS readings. Roger decided not to do the three-day trek, concerned about physical efforts, et al. The compromise: we (he, Binka & I) will go to Belisario on Sunday where a horse event will take place, bringing the hikers back to the Center for lunch.
It was decided that a ÒbrochureÓ could be downloaded from a website page, instead of being printed, as there is not money budgeted by Iracambi for such extra expense. They soon will have a USA phone # to use. Also can add a link to send e-mails requesting more information. A form to complete is not appropriate at this time. As we discussed options, it became apparent that working on a brochure that will not be printed is redundant when the web page could be converted to pdf and printed out anyway. Business cards are cheaper to print and can be distributed when contacts are made.
We talked of having a booth at the POA convention in DC in November. Binka and Robin are planning to go to Costa Rica. She would also like to go to DC. Perhaps a trip to the University of Northern Colorado in between can be worked out. She has already heard from Helen OÕKeefe about the possibility of lecturing there and always has standing invitations to lecture in other places. DC booth possibilities include a photo display and posters. The web pages can be printed in limited supply, a cost that Robin said could be absorbed. We also could have laptops displaying rotating photos, et al in the three POA languages.
Virgilio said equipment is in supply for 15 adventure-type tourism participants. Roger and I plan to leave our sleeping bags behind in Iracambi for such use.
Virgilio has questions about how to make marketing contacts in the US. I will ÒintroduceÓ him to Leah Klass, who if not able to personally help him, can introduce him to others. (This was done and they are already corresponding.) There is an alliance website in existence to promote eco-tourism (Eco-index). Virgilio asked me to review the paragraph that he has written. These locations are mainly in Central America.
We discussed the idea of tours visiting the heart of Brazil, Minas Gerais: beginning in Rio, on to Belo Horizonte (Salon de Contro), with stops on the Royal Road, Ouro Preto, and then to Iracambi. Extensions to the Amazon region are similar to the ideas of visitors to Colorado, extending a stay to the USA in Disneyworld. The Brazilian government is becoming aware of and wanting to promote attractions in the interior of the country, not just on the beaches.
We discussed involving other POA Chapters, similar to the concept just followed with MG dancers going to Wyoming (partnered with Goais). We could send a blanket e-mail to Brazilian Chapter Presidents and their USA counterparts, inviting them to consider the Iracambi as an extension to other trips. The e-mail addresses are on the POA website. We should involve and inform the folks in DC of our ideas and be sensitive to the MG tourism committee plans and intentions. Binka relayed a conversation with Steve Vetter about more crossovers between chapters and her understanding of his support of the concept.
Lastly, we discussed plans for LuziaÕs visit to Iracambi: Robin will take the bus to Belo Horizonte for meetings the week of their visit. (Baldonado may speak for EPMIG at one of the sessions.) Robin can ride back with Luzia helping with the drive and navigation, arriving for lunch at the Casa de Barro on Friday. Next will be a Land Rover ride, Center tour, followed by a horse drawn cart ride around the region, then transport back to the Casa for dinner. (Roger and I will move over Friday morning and spend our last two nights there with other guests.) Virgilio, on horseback will accompany the two carts. (If the locals will not ÒcompÓ the carts, Roger will pay for them - $R10@.) Saturday I conduct my last English class at the Center. (There were supposed to be 16 energetic students staying the weekend, but cancelled, due to MotherÕs Day.) On Saturday, guests will be taken to the Center by Land Rover (it takes Roger and me 50 minutes to hike, through mud, over the log bridge) for a more tours of classrooms, medicinal plant trail, ending in the nursery area, with lunch at the open-air dining hall. Carminha usually does not cook on weekends, but can if there are more than 20 people eating. (This illustrates the expenses Robin & Binka incurred for this event.) They can be shown the Banana House, where tourist guests will stay and where Roger and I stayed with the Shaws & Croppers in 2007. Time permitting, Robin will give another lecture tour. Luzia indicates she wants to leave for BH by 4:00 since this is almost a five-hour drive.
Roger, Kristen, and I walked to the Buracada school; it took over an hour, each way. All five students were waiting with excitement. They had already had lunch and were ready to learn. We practiced introductions. ÒGoodÓ was the word for the day, even though two words are used in Portuguese (boa and bom): good morning, good afternoon, good-byeÉ The youngest student is 5 and three are around 10 years old, the equivalent of third grade. They already knew the Òhead, shouldersÉÓ song, only in Portuguese. It is such a temptation to try and teach too much.
The teacher got new notebooks for each of them in which to copy their English lessons. The younger ones took much more time to do so, of course. Kristen was essential in translating each instruction. I gave chocolates for a reward. Roger and I took individual photos. We took a group photo to share with LauraÕs 3rd grade class in Colorado. The teacher was given some work sheets, as well as the photo of LauraÕs class with their letters, plus card stock paper on which to have the children write letters.
Gustavo and Anthony dug holes for trees for the Graminha School. We will photograph each student by his/her tree during tomorrowÕs planting. Gustavo will teach the students about their trees, with information supplied by Toni.
An interesting discussion took place at the weekly volunteer meeting. Marcelo is concerned about grocery purchases, from outside the Iracambi community area, especially meat products. There was a lively exchange of ideas about what it takes to produce cows for beef consumption, free-range chickens, and other local produce. Roger had purchased meat/carne in Vicoso last week, to provide food Òfor the troops.Ó Renaud and Valerie brought things home with them from Mauraie. Apparently, this does not really fit the philosophy of the Center as far as living on local products and not overly supporting the cattle trade that has led to so much soil degradation. (The fruitful information s/b added to the volunteer introduction material.)
Bryan is leaving this Thursday to return home to Canada where he will spend the rest of the summer working on a farm and teaching English to the Mexican migrant workers. He is an amazing young man, living out his beliefs and gaining loads of experiences to enrich his formal college studies, beginning in September.
Today I accompanied Anthony, Valerie, and Gustavo to the Graminha School for the first of two tree plantings here and at Buracada. Marcos took us, along with a wheelbarrow and two crates of trees (fifteen all together, seven different kinds – avocado/abacateiro, palm, goiaba, inga, ameixa, pitanga, & adrago/dragonÕs blood). He then went to Buracada to transport the students along with their teacher and cook. While they participated in the planting and the group photos, Gustavo requested individual photos with their own trees. Before planting, Gustavo provided a lecture, telling about the trees, their size, and potential use or fruit. I took RogerÕs video camera to capture the fun and excitement of the event. We had lunch afterwards, with a delicious peanut candy/cookie. Most of the children brushed their teeth after lunch. Conversation included talk of VirgilioÕs instruction to pick up trash along the road on their way to and from school. Simone said the area is much cleaner now. The students from Buracada remembered much of what was taught yesterday and happily participated in English greetings. Kristen and I will teach at Graminha tomorrow, beginning an hour earlier due to SimoneÕs bus schedule.
Back to Graminha, we went, for their first English class. TodayÕs team was three, Kristen, and Roger (aka Papa Noel), and me. We walked and arrived promptly at 9:00, as requested, though the class did not begin until closer to 9:30. The children were having their meal and Simone, the teacher, was handling some paperwork. We followed much of the same format as before at Buracada. There are more children at Graminha, which required adaptation. The oldest boy, Joao, was great to help the younger ones. They had been studying the body and had life-sized drawings in the courtyard, to which we referred when singing our song. We took a group photo and also individual photos, asking each child to write down their name.
The down hill walk home was not so pleasant as each Roger and I took a tumble. We discussed taking the longer way around next week. An additional 15 or 20 minutes is not much compared to the time it would take to recuperate from a broken bone. (This stay is not without some risk.)
This eveningÕs co-op/groupo meeting was interesting. We walked from the Center past the plant nursery and up a very steep hill to the home of Sergio and Monica and their 11-month-old daughter. This five-family group holds regular meetings. They supply food items for Iracambi, and in the case of Alice and LuziaÕs visit, horse-cart rides. Everyone is related in some way except for Everaldo. Renaud spoke of his desire to extend his stay in the region beyond June, and reside with a local family. One member from each family then presented their case for having him stay with them. It was fun for us to sort through the families and options and think about whom we would want to stay with. (He later chose Jonie and Vonia as his hosts.) The group for the weekend adventure tourism trek was at the Center when we returned, ready to leave early in the morning, under VirgilioÕs direction. Valerie and Renaud will go with them.
This is a holiday, WorkerÕs Day – not sure if this relates to labor unions or is similar to the USA Labor Day. In any case, stores and schools are closed and that is why the adventure trek was scheduled. Almost everyone remaining here slept in. Vania will substitute for Carminha today, who will be cooking for the trekkers on Sunday. I wrote out a vocabulary list for her in preparation for SaturdayÕs class. She seemed pleased and sincere in her desire to learn English.
Saturday, May 2
It was quiet today. First, many people are gone and second, the power went off around noon. The latter gave us the excuse to have deep conversations and do some reading. Toni, the artist and chief agronomist, cooked supper by candlelight. We also had a fire to help light the dining area and provide some much appreciated heat on a cool evening.
Roger and I walked to Casa de Barro. I read BinkaÕs manuscript while Roger visited with Robin and took photos. We left around 10:30 to go to Belizario to pick up the trekkers. Roger got great photos of Itajuru Peak for the eco-tourism website page.
Lots of horses and happy people were seen along the way, participating in the cavalcade. Robin and Binka divided the trekkers into two Land Rovers for transportation back to the Center for lunch. Virgilio collected evaluation forms from participants: mainly from Muaraie and Visocsa. Two from BH, friends of Valerie, took Robin back with them for his Monday meeting.
Today is VirgilioÕs birthday. I made a card for everyone to sign. Roger and I gave him a T-shirt from the University of Northern Colorado.
Roger and I walked to the road to meet Binka and the three of us took a trek to the base of Itajuru Peak, passing by many of the sites that will be visited during the proposed two-day trek. It was interesting to see the places, described in the material. We left the Land Rover and walked for several hours in the state park, until reaching the trailhead path. Along the way, we admired the views, flora, and fauna. We visited the grave of the young boy who lived wild and died in the mountain area. People buried him and maintain his grave, lovingly. He was a type of Brazilian Mowgli, who talked to no one and milked cows or stole eggs from the farmers. Apparently, no one knows his origin, or perhaps his family has declined to claim him. Binka told stories and pointed out interesting places such as the fresh spring where water is collected for herbal medicines. Water running freshly over the rocks gives it special qualities. Toffee, the dog, went probably three times the distance, as he traversed over and around us. Roger was offered the job of turning the vehicle around on the narrow road. He enjoyed doing that and gratefully accepted the job of driving back to the Center!
As we passed by on the way home, Senhor Jesus was grinding corn in his 100-year-old mill, perfectly timed. He came out when we stopped and said he remembered us from our 2007 visit.
Students at Buracada were waiting for Kristen and me. Their teacher is welcoming and quick to pick up on the subtleties of learning, such as ÒdÓ sounds at the end of words like bad, sad, red, or good. We reviewed last weekÕs lesson and introduced new concepts: gestures for good or bad to help them remember the words. We taught the Happy Birthday song (US version) to celebrate MarcosÕ 10th birthday. Marciley baked a chocolate cake for him. To support the lesson, Kristen and I distributed little gift bags based on the colors of the rainbowÉorange balls, blue balloons, red penÉ They seemed to love this. An exciting moment occurred when BrunaÕs picture was discovered on the back of the POA brochure (copy attached to report). Then another girl recognized her sister. The photo was taken during our 2007 visit to Iracambi as an example of POA projects. The teacher and cook were given bags, containing among other things, lipstick. It was a pleasant morning. Kristen had a meeting with Binka at Casa do Barro; I walked back to the Center alone, another new experience.
Roger stayed at Iracambi, to participate in the group activity, maintaining 200+ trees today.
The walk was tiring for me, so I rested a bit after lunch, then went back to work, pulling weeds and clearing grass around the Center fire pit. It becomes overgrown quickly.
Several volunteers decided to have a fruit diet for several days, in reaction to their weight gains. Meals often focus on fried food, with lots of rice and beans. Fresh fruit is available, sometimes as close as picking it off a nearby tree. Roger found a bag of popcorn and popped a batch after dinner. The salty taste was familiar and delicious.
This was a day off work for me; I accepted BinkaÕs invitation to travel to Muriae. Marcelo took me to Casa de Barro since he and Binka had a morning meeting with the accountant. This gave me the opportunity to finish reading her manuscript, with two pages of notes and observations.
During BinkaÕs appointment, I wandered around the town square shops (bought green Brazilian flip-flops and mugs to leave at the Center). On my own, I even managed to buy a glass of passion fruit juice, without sugar. At the moment I decided to try to buy some ÒnativeÓ jewelry being vended in the square, I looked up and recognized one of the young men that had participated in the hiking trek, Alexander (know as Neg, short for negro). It was a joyful and timely reunion. (He teaches English to a group of 11-year-olds in town, taking a break from college.) His friend, Robinson, made the jewelry. Binka and I had another juice break before the drive back to Iracambi. The people in the shop remembered me and my awful Portuguese!
Thursday, May 7
Kristen had coordinators meetings to attend and Roger went to the plantation with Bob to photography his work, documenting the tree growth project, so Valerie went with me to Graminha School for class. The students made a lovely paper flower for me to express their appreciation (you are a flower in our garden). They loved their gift bags. I/we continued the idea of gift bag items representing colors and words learned, to reinforce the lessons. One of the youngest boys correctly guessed the first orange item and everyone cheered! Helena, the cook, recognized her daughterÕs photo on the back of the POA brochure – another connection!!
Roger prepared supper, sautŽed chicken and made flour burritos with guacamole. Marcelo had never eaten a burrito. The volunteers appreciated RogerÕs creativity.
Friday, May 8
The volunteers surprised Roger and me with a lovely hot breakfast buffet and card to thank us and acknowledge our time together at Iracambi. (Gustavo confessed he had never eaten such a fancy, hot breakfast for breakfast, only at later times in the day). It was an emotional time. Kristen, Valerie, Anthony, and Renaud will take a bus and spend the weekend in Mariana and Ouro Preto, touring the historical sites. These volunteers are allowed some great opportunities to see the region in addition to their work at Iracambi.
TodayÕs tree planting was at Buracada School with students bussed over from Graminha. Lots of photos were taken to document the happy occasion. Gustavo announced that Roger and Betty Brown were purchasing Iracambi t-shirts for the students in both local schools. They voted to get GREEN shirts (happily voting in English!). We jokingly asked if the 18 passengers in the Land Rover passengers were all wearing seatbelts.
Valerie (Belgium) and Anthony (England helped with the planting. The teachers both expressed desires to keep in touch by e-mail. Doing so will support the ESL program and allow me to send copies of photos taken during our interactions.
Luzia and a friend, Roberto, arrived around 2:00; they got off to a late start then took a wrong turn. Virgilio had to cancel the horse cart tour scheduled for 1:30. This is a learning experience for all of us. The tour, if planned for Saturday, could have happened. After a late lunch, we had a tour of the Center facilities, with a nature walk, ending at the Iracambi nursery. To supplement interesting discussions about the tourism possibilities, Luzia showed us the MG brochure design, a work in progress. Binka and I showed her the work I had been doing for Iracambi tours.
Saturday, May 9
Luzia accompanied me to the Center for the last ESL class. Since we all stayed at Casa de Barro, Roger was given the privilege of driving the blue truck, to save us the walk.
We took photos of the Ponte Luzia (LuziaÕs bridge, re-constructed in honor of her visit to the Iracambi). Virgilio entitled my bag of gifts a Òmagic bag.Ó After class, Robin took us on a driving tour of the area to help Luzia understand the concepts and inspiration for Iracambi. We continue to be impressed with the dedication of Robin and Binka. Carminha prepared lunch so Roberto and Luzia could experience eating in the dining hall. Binka and Luzia discussed possibilities for the arts and culture anniversary celebration that Iracambi will have in August or September. We anticipate POA grant funds are available to help with entertainersÕ travel expenses (not salaries), for example Roberto and Danielle.
Sadly we said goodbye to our friends and to this beautiful setting. We desire to share with words and photos what we hold in our hearts to validate our time here and the trust placed in us with the grant award. (BH is indeed about a 4½ hour drive from Iracambi, with much traffic.)
Sunday, May 10
Luzia took us to an open-air concert presented by the Minas Gerais Philharmonic Orchestra. This park (Parque das Mangabeiras) is located near the PopeÕs Park with views of the city below. Red long-stemmed roses were given to the women; it was fun to watch the families. Compositions were by Brazilians (Carlos Gomes and Nepomuceno) and by Europeans (Smetana, Borodin, Dvorak, and Rimsky-Korsakov). She made a delicious MotherÕs Day lunch and we met her son, Flavio, who now lives in BH.
Monday, May 11
Roger and I had a long lunch with Napoleon Baldonedo, delicious Brazilian rodezio grill. His driver, Rogerio, picked us up and returned us to LuziaÕs home. We greatly enjoyed seeing him and having the visit. Among a variety of discussion items was the horse cavalcade he started 21 years ago to celebrate MG and Brazilian history. This year 1,300 horses were in the cavalcade. We talked of our friends in DC and our mutual desire to visit more at NovemberÕs convention.
Nara N’lia Marques Nogueira picked me up at 6:00 for an interesting tour of her university (UFMG). . (We had the delight of learning during her visit to Colorado last May that we are both Communication majors.) I had the honor of attending her American Literature class, taught by Tom Burns, a man from California who did post-doctoral work at CSU in Fort Collins, Colorado. Class discussion was on works of Robert Frost, with his myriad literal and metaphorical meanings. Student insight, most of whom have never seen snow, not to mention New England, was amazing. The federal university has 60,000 students who pay no tuition, having passed strict entrance exams. Bachelor degrees require dissertations (100+ pages), published, and placed in libraries, separate for each of the departments. I was greatly impressed!
Carolina Cordeiro met us after class (10:15 PM) to drive me back to LuziaÕs home. These young women are so special and hold the future of the MG/CO partnerships in their hands. We are looking forward to our time together this coming weekend, in Serra do Cipo.
Tuesday, May 12
Roberto Poles took us to Sabara, a beautiful colonial town, with opera house second in age to Ouro PretoÕs. Steve Waechter played a concert there during a visit to Brazil. We met Danielle Lembi for a traditional lunch of Minaria food, buffet weight determines meal price. We toured the oldest church in the town, Capela N. S. do O (the lady of Oh), built in 1768.
Danielle and Roberto are making application to participate in a dance contest in Sao Paulo and another contest where winners will travel to Puerto Rico. Their experience and exposure in Colorado has been helpful to their careers, in addition to luring additional members to join the Colorado Chapter. POA travel grants provide a variety of positive results.
Dani took us to her home, near Sabara to meet her parents. Her father is a retired math high school teacher who speaks English well. We enjoyed a pleasant conversation in their home. Home visits are so valuable, not just to see how people live. In DaniÕs case, we were able to also see her eight cats and dogs. She has a desire to attend veterinary school to have another career when her days of professional dancing come to an end. Dani took us for a walk around Belo HorizonteÕs Central Market. We bought a few gifts to take back to Colorado and a lovely orchid for our hostess, Luzia. Visiting continued over another pasta dinner!
Wednesday, May 13
I interviewed Luzia for the chapter website biography profile, promising to post an attractive photograph. Interviews with other members will be conducted as time permits. (The Skype interview with Binka proved efficient and fun, therefore, not conditional on physical proximity.)
We walked to Liberty Square, a lovely park surrounded by state office buildings (a short distance from LuziaÕs home). Examples of the gems of Minas Gerais were displayed in the Museu de Mineralogia. Roger was disappointed in the size of the exhibits, expecting more from a place where mining has been and continues to be so important. (We did not discover any mention of basalt mining, threatening farms in the Iracambi region, and, did not ask about it.) A friendly young woman at the visitorÕs booth explained she would send a postcard to any place of our choosing a creative way to publicize an area! So, I addressed a card to our home,
Luzia took us downtown to the Museum of Arts and Trades. The MAO is new, a joint venture combining one manÕs collection with state funding. Angela Gutierrez, daughter of Flavio Gutierrez, created this in honor of her father and the working people of Brazil. Located in an impressive building, once the main train depot, the exhibits, with English and French translations, display thousands of tools from the pre-industrial period in addition to more recent objects, with illustrations and photographs. All are tastefully done to Òhelp the visitor reflect on the history and social relations of work in Brazil throughout the past three centuries.Ó Workers are portrayed in neutral colored materials, minimizing individuals and focusing on their tasks.
At Delba CordeiroÕs invitation, a Viver Brasil Magazine reporter conducted a phone interview with Luzia, who described POA and our work with Iracambi. Pedro, the photographer, came to DelbaÕs home to take photos. An energetic tourism committee meeting took place with Alice and Carolina in charge and Binka and Virgilio joining by Skype. Agreement was reached on a schedule and marked on a map Carolina created with Google, a figure eight route, north and south of Belo Horizonte. Delba served Brazilian pastries on hand-painted china.
Thursday, May 14
Luzia, Roger, and I met to follow-up on last nightÕs meeting to discuss issues in more detail. We appreciated having this relaxed exchange of ideas (documented in a different file).
Alice took us for a tour of the regionÕs largest newspaper, Estado de Minas, which is part of a large communication organization, Diarios Associados. They have 1,300 employees. We toured the main communication center, plus the newsroom, marketing offices, et al and also the printing warehouse. People go to work at the latter each day at 4:00, working until the wee hours. There were huge rolls of newsprint, imported from Canada, weighing almost a ton each. The tinta/ink consists of four colors: red, green, blue, and black. Alice attended college with the daughter of the publisher, called her and was able to arrange for the interesting tour. A large collection of donated art was on display. Artists contribute to an annual auction benefiting charities.
Friday, May 15
Rogerio, BaldonedoÕs driver, took us to Serra do Cipo, since Caroline and Diogo worked today. As we drove into town, we recognized Bob, the tall young man from Holland, and saw him two more times while in the area. He was taking a weekendÕs leave from Iracambi work.
The Pousada de Recanto was all itÕs name promised, a place to rest with a nice large room, private balcony with hammocks, breakfast buffet of fresh fruits, breads, and cheese, a small swimming pool with sauna, and is located just off the major road, with shops and restaurants within walking distance. The breakfast kitchen serves as a small cafŽ with food available throughout the day. Less than one hour from Convins Airport, it would be a good place for the MG tour to end. It also has an outdoor meeting area that could be used for a farewell gathering.
Saturday, May 16
Carolina and Diogo carefully planned a tour to give us exposure to the area, with hundreds of waterfalls/cachoeiras – some reached by horseback or trekking, others more accessible.
The four from BH needed to attend a birthday party so left after a snack at the pousada. Carolina, Diogo, Roger, and I ate dinner at SantaÕs Pizza, where each dish (named for a saint), is cooked in wood-fired ovens. Menu and gifts items are constructed from re-cycled materials such as bottle caps and paper mache. Roger was given a menu; I purchased jewelry items for gifts.
Sunday, May 17
The tour continued.á Hike up the long, steep, amazing slavesÕ trail (Trutha dos Escravas). It felt almost holy to think of the work done by these people at great physical cost. Carolina told about the people hiding tiny bits of gold between their fingers or toes to decorate their own churches, one of which is located in Ouro Preto. The trail reaches from two points on the coast all the way to Diamantina, providing more logical connections for the POA tour.
á BridesÕ Veil falls (Cachoeira Veu da Novia) located in the YMCA camp (YACM in Brasil). This is where Carolina trained before her stint at the Y camp in Texas. It is a lovely area with campgrounds, cafŽ, wading pools, and a huge waterfall waiting at the end of a rigorous trail. Roger and Diogo dove into the pool from a high rock, after watching others safely do this. There was a lifeguard on duty. Caroline slipped on the rocks, getting into the pool, narrowly escaping injury, so I decided to just splash myself.
Because we jammed so much into the day and due to heavy traffic, we were later than planned arriving back in BH to prepare for the social. POA social gatherings are always great. Luzia arranged for a van to take us from her apartment to Roberto PolesÕ dance studio. This was a wonderful time to thank formally and to visit with the friends who had graciously assisted with our hosting, many of whom we had hosted in Greeley. Helena Lopez was introduced as the member with the longest history, having joined in 1968. Roger displayed photos of our time in the Iracambi; I described some activities. He showed photos of the bridge named in fun for Luzia and of Roberto in Sabara with his new car. These touches brought laughter and added closeness. Danielle reported on her recent trip with Roberto to Colorado A special moment was DanielleÕs description of her preconception of people of the USA, as being cold and unfriendly. She knows now we are just as welcoming and loving as Brazilians. Janaina told of plans for the Colorado soccer coachesÕ trip in June. We were glad to meet Rosanna Bastos and her daughter. A POA grant is in process for Rosanna to come to Colorado to observe handicap-accessible programs and places. She uses a crutch due to polio; her husband is an amputee. Roberto asked us to deliver t-shirts embroidered with the name of his dance studio to his Colorado hosts. (He gave a shirt to me during his first visit to Colorado.) It was fun to see his dance studio. Many guests at this function were his teachers and students, another good way to spread the word about Partners. Luzia and I took a large supply of our brochures (in Portuguese) to distribute to guests and left the reminder for him to pass out. Roberto and Dani demonstrated one of their routines; guests were given opportunities to dance. Nara could not attend the social due to school obligations but she came by with her mother before we left to express her regret and to give us a Brazilian flag. Roger and I were instructed to hang it in our guest room to welcome friends from Minas Gerais.
Monday, May 18
Octavio Morais accepted the responsibility of taking us to Tiradentes. He offered a tour closer to BH, but we felt an obligation to see the last site on the proposed MG tour; we were glad that we insisted. Octavio was knowledgeable about the area, an interesting conversationalist, and it was good to deepen our friendship, started last October when he was at CSU and Greeley. This charming town, almost three hours from BH, is worth the drive and a valuable destination on the tourism route.
We stopped in Lagoa Dourada for coffee and a traditional pastry, rocambole (a type of jelly roll cake with doce de leithe filling), buying boxes of this treat for OctavioÕs family and Luzia. We also stopped to purchase an antique jacaronda cheese table and wooden molds. First built of wood in 1702, the main church in Tiradentes has been re-built with much gold as decoration and a pipe organ. Statues were created by Francisco Antonio Lisboa, (Alei jacainho, nicknamed, the handicapped artist), who lost the use of his hands and feet. He also designed statues in Ouro Preto and did amazing work for a church in Congonhas do Campo, with statues of prophers and little houses for the Stations of the Cross, viewed during a nighttime tour on our way back to BH.
We met Wanderleia, OctavioÕs wife, for dinner. It was good to get better acquainted with her, even if it did mean a late night of packing for departure. Dinner was interrupted by the awaited phone call from Angelica Castro, of the Viver Brasil magazine. She had been diligent in trying to interview me and it was appropriate to excuse myself. Her questions were clear and concise and she seemed truly interested in Partners and in the purpose of our visit to Brazil. I anticipate the article will be helpful to the organization. She also sent an e-mail message, to which I responded, thanking her for her interest and supplying Internet addresses for both POA and Iracambi. (A copy of the article is included with this report.)
Tuesday, May 19
Luzia took us to the airport shuttle bus on her way to work. It was difficult to say Ògood-bye,Ó as it always is at the end of one of these POA opportunities. We trust we will see each other again and have the pleasure of re-living the interactions through photos and reports.