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Brazil, Part Two

June - September 2018
I am exploring the states of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Mato Grosso Read more
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  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    12

    Itatiaia, State of Rio de Janeiro

    July 22, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I am doing my usual Portuguese study in this small city of Itatiaia, halfway between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It consists of: vocabulary review, including a NEW PAGE, page 52, with some of the new words from this trip; a newspaper with a sample exam for public secondary school teachers of Portuguese; and countless conversations every day. My new mission for conversation: improve my accent. Because I look so foreign and speak “carefully” rather than “carefreely,” people have trouble understanding me. Probably they have rarely heard a foreigner speaking Portuguese, as Itatiaia is not a big tourist hub, even with Brazil’s first national park nearby. So, on goes the practice!Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two

    Studying Thai in Três Lagoas

    August 5, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    I have actually been studying Thai since March of this year. First I studied three different sources to learn the Thai alphabet: ThaiPod101’s Twenty-five lessons, then my teacher Kruu Wee’s own PDF explanation, and finally the book “Learn To Read Thai in 10 Days.” It was difficult to learn an alphabet where the vowels “decorate” the consonants on all four sides, instead of following the consonant dutifully. With repetition, it’s getting easier.

    Every day, my study routine is thus:
    1. Write all of the 44 consonants in their groups: High/Middle/Low. Then write the numbers 1-10.
    2. Re-memorize 15 pages of notes from my 6-week study stint last March-April, 2017.
    3. Read and memorize the material from Kruu Wee’s own course, which has very useful conversation patterns.

    It usually takes one hour to do this, if I manage to stay focused.

    HOWEVER, I just found out that Kruu Wee is ready to teach again (she just had baby Henry about 6 months ago) so I will really turn on the steam to learn to speak. Even though Thai has five tones, the Thai people I have met so far have understood what I am saying, even if I mangle the tones! (Chinese people could not do that, for some reason: the tone had to be exact.) This is very encouraging, but even so, I am strict with myself about the accurate tonal pronunciation. I have to admit that for four months, I have been doing the big NO-NO for me of effective language-learning: not speaking to native speakers. I commit that I shall schedule a lesson with Kruu Wee tomorrow, and สวัสดีค่ะภาษาไทย!! (Hello Thai!)    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    2

    Coxim, Mato Grosso do Sul Part One

    August 23, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The map shows differently, but this post takes place 220 miles south, in the town of Coxim (pronounced “ko-shíng”). It is famous for its fishing along the Taquari River, as well as its local folklore and history; every town feels very important—even the center of the universe—once one is there. It gets no mention in the guidebooks I use.

    I stayed in an inexpensive pousada right on the river; Juliana and her “namorado,” boyfriend, kept the never-updated rooms clean and simple. My first night I saw a cockroach the size of a mouse and a spider the size of an apricot, but fleeing terrified, they never appeared again. I took an eleven-mile walk the next morning on the “Estrada Para o Pantanal,” a dirt road where I saw six toucans, seven owls, and some very odd road-runner-like birds. I also stumbled on the Coxim Shooting Club. The members meet once a month or so, do competitive target shooting, and have a jolly huge barbecue lunch afterwards. I walked the long way back—utterly exhausting in the 95-degree heat.

    I loved staying in the small town, as I could calmly walk around and chat with the residents. I developed such a country accent! I found the library, and Niuva the librarian-cum-primary school teacher, Jaque did my eyebrows, and the owner of a bake shop chatted about her fear of everything. My pousada hosts took me to see a Christo Redentor overlooking the Taquari, and even cooked up a big feast for all the guests on my last night. The signature dish was “correiro,” “truck driver,” a mix of fried bacon and beef mixed with rice. My best “find” was an eccentric Andorran immigrant, who built his own museum/park/apartments/ranch house compound. In the park he placed his own sculpted life-size figures of famous town citizens. In the museum, students from the nearby university (who rented his apartments) curate his collection of 19th century porcelain, silver, paintings, and other objects. He also runs an online newspaper, “The Newspaper of the North Pantanal.”

    Touch/click on the first photo to see the rest. Then see the rest of the photos on the following footprint.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    1

    Coxim, Part 2

    August 24, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 35 °C

    Running around Coxim, seeing people and having long chats in Portuguese. This was slow travel at its very best!

    Coxim has a native poet, Gerardo Melo Mourão, and a composer Sérgio Reis. The famous song they collaborated on is called “Pé de Cedro,” “At the Foot of the Cedro Tree.” It is wonderfully nostalgic, and bears listening to, at this link, which follows the words with appropriate pictures!

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fyh0POqZNTE

    Just near the guitar in the first picture is a “museum” of the town—really just a collection of stuff. My favorite thing was a photo of an alligator being cut out of an anaconda, but I didn’t include it in my photos. For real gore and frights, see YouTube videos of various creatures being cut out of giant snakes—including an Indonesian woman. (I couldn’t watch much of that one.)

    My Posada Pantanal hosts were sweet to me. I actually asked them to take me to mass with them (I am a pan-religious tourist) which made them so happy that they took me up to see the town’s Christo Redentor as well. The mass was standard, except for some musical accompaniment, but the mural I stared at for an hour was, well, compelling. The views from the Christo on the hill were very beautiful.

    It seems that getting eyebrows done is part of every Brazilian woman’s beauty routine. I wanted someone fussing over me, so I went to a beauty supply shop to get a brow makeover. I bought the product as well, for about $5.00. I loved the experience and the chat.

    And the library! I am always comfortable in any library, in complete silence, surrounded by friends—i.e., the books. Touch/click on the first photo to see the rest.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two

    Cuiabá, Capital of Mato Grosso

    August 26, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    I have enjoyed everyone I've met here in my three days in Cuiabá. The city, however, does not like ME! Two days it was over 96 degrees—no surprise, as it’s famous for being scorching—and I have to say that it is just not walkable. Why? I guess that in the last twenty years, as it’s been fast-developing, the automobile has just taken over, and no one walks unless they have to.

    On the evening of the second day, a series of thunderstorms dumped rain on the southern part of the state, and a cold front passed through. So the third day I went to take advantage of the coolness to visit the Parque Mae Bonifacia, a large swath of green in the city. Despite the fact that the “trails” were mostly asphalt, and the main allée was an actual road, the growth was pleasantly thick. Freshened by the rain, everything smelled like freshly-cut herbs, and the bird life was active.

    On the way back, I not only found a market to buy vegetables—o joy o rapture—but also a perfect café in which to study for a few hours. Back at Hotel Getúllio, the young women who ran the hotel convenience store/cafe let me have the run of the kitchen to prepare some carrots and have a good chat as well.

    The morning of my departure, my friend Jota met me at the door of the hotel, and took me on a mini city tour. How right I was about the importance of having a car! In Jota’s truck, Cuiabá became inviting. We went to a lovely walkway along the Cuiabá River, and then to a very large market, filled with Sunday shoppers. I thank Jota for his time, his generosity, and his ability to slide my attitude over to positive. Cuiabá and I are now connected.

    Please remember to tap on the first picture, and then the rest will appear.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    1

    Chapada dos Guimarães:Heaven near Cuiabá

    August 30, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    On Sunday, August 27, my friend Jota took me to the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, which is very close to the national park of the same name. On the way, we had a wonderful view of the “cerrado,” which is the main biome of midwest Brazil—its rich vegetation only surpassed in variety by the Amazonian regions. Chapada (similar to a “mesa,” or tableland) dos Guimarães National Park is set in the middle of this vegetation: the wind-carved sandstone “table” partially resembles the lands of Utah and Arizona in the United States, only it’s covered in green. Dramatic views are seen from “Morro de Vento,” “Hill of the Wind,” on a private property. On the geodesic center of South America, I show the view via a video of a paraglider, seen in the photo section.

    I stayed in the sweet Posada São José, run by an equally sweet family from São Paulo. Five hundred feet higher than Cuiabá, Chapada is cooler, the air is clean, and there is little reflected heat from asphalt and buildings because there is little of each! Although the population is officially 17,000 inhabitants, it is definitely small, friendly, and hospitable. For two days, I explored the town on foot. I met a journalist who is taking time off to run a Snow White-themed shop called “Chocolate Vila,” while she also ghost-writes a memoir for a town citizen. At the local English school for adults, “Wizard,” I took a lesson to improve my Portuguese pronunciation. I befriended a lovely criollo horse, and a couple of the town policemen. And on August 29, my friend James from London arrived to tour the park with me. For that, please wait for the next entry.

    To see the photos, please click on the first one, and the rest will appear in order.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    1

    Chapada dos Guimarães National Park

    August 31, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    The terrain of Chapada dos Guimarães National Park used to be under a large sea. When the waters receded, a seventy-eight mile long tableland of sandstone was left, to be carved by the wind and rain to its current shape. My fellow traveler friend James and I, accompanied by our guide “Guerreiro” ( a nickname meaning “Warrior”) explored the park for two days. On the first day, we were on the “sea floor,” which is traversed by the Rio Claro, a lovely meandering stream during this dry season.

    On the second day, we were on top of the “chapada,” the tableland, where we received a history of the area, an explanation of some of the plants of the “cerrado,” and panoramas of the region. Waves of prospectors for gold came from São Paulo via the rivers; miners for diamonds came later via a narrow path dug out on the cliffs of the chapada. Today, the prospectors have been replaced by the ever-advancing cattle ranchers. In the state of Mato Grosso, they are allowed to “desmatar,” defoliate, the cerrado up to forty percent of the land that they purchase from the government. Here in Brazil, this is called “conservation.” I am glad to be here now, in 2018, before the “conservation” is complete.

    There are 11,627 species of native plants that have already been catalogued in the cerrado, along with a tremendous diversity of habitats which host 199 species of mammals, 837 bird species, 1200 species of fish, 180 species of reptiles, and 150 species of amphibians. As always for me, the destruction of such richness—no matter where in the world it occurs—causes enormous sadness and the sense of unstoppable tragedy. Enough said.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    1

    Pantanal North: Alligators!

    September 4, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    James and I came down from Cuiabá to the small city of Poconé, where we stayed at Kilometer Zero of the Transpantaneira Highway. We took two tours of the area. The first was hosted by the Pousada Rio Clara, 35 kilometers/15 miles away. We first took a two-hour boat ride, and had lunch. Although the “alligator gets fish on a stick” series shown in the photos below was definitely gimmicky, it was an excellent way to see the animal up close! The trick was repeated with a heron, who swooped down to catch the piranha.
    In the afternoon, we went for a walk through a Pantanal “higher ground” forest. I was fascinated by all aspects of the vegetation in its dry season. Overall, the animal life was more plentiful and easier to view than in the southern Pantanal.    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    1

    Pantanal do Norte: Jaguar!

    September 4, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After our first excursion at Rio Claro, James and I opted for a 14-hour extravaganza all the way to Porto Jofre, 146 miles from Poconé and our pousada, in the center of the southern Pantanal. Our guide Domingas was born and raised around there. What a pistol! Pure firecracker! She picked us up at 4:00 AM sharp in her own van, and did all the driving. She has no office to pay for, and no website to manage. She gets clients from the pousadas, and through friends, Facebook, and word of mouth. Domingas in two words: a master.

    It was unseasonably cold, and I shivered in a blanket brought from the hotel. At around 6:30 AM, we stopped to watch the sunrise and eat breakfast. Domingas flagged down road repair trucks to offer drivers breakfast as well. At around 8:00 AM, we arrived at the hamlet of Porto Jofre, and few minutes later we were in a small motorboat on the Cuiabá River. Because of the cold, the chances of seeing many jaguars were limited. However, for hours we trolled the riverbank, Domingas and Carlos the Boatman teaming up as we motored in and out of the jaguar habitat.

    Despite their single-minded search along the riverbank, James and I found other things of interest: capybaras, the “regular” rich birdlife of the Pantanal, a lusher vegetation than the territory of the day before, and splendid skies. Around 11 AM, Domingas spotted our “prey,” a gigantic male spotted jaguar, which Carlos estimated to weigh around 132 pounds, 60 kilos. All hell broke loose: birds started screaming, and a male capybara on a sand bank let out a continuous honking bark of warning. Fear. We watched and followed in the boat, as the jaguar walked along the riverbank to a certain point. Then he entered the water, and calmly swam to the other side of the river. It turned out he was returning to his kill of the day before: a 160-pound alligator, killed by a deep bite wound on the top of it’s head.

    Domingas signaled through radio walkie-talkies to other guides doing the same stalking as us, so three boats followed the jaguar’s efforts. First, he tried to drag the alligator corpse up the steep bank. Too heavy, and he slipped down. Then he dragged it in the river to a flatter part of the riverbank. No success there either. Finally, he hauled it behind some foliage, and commenced to eat. Domingas told us he would return with his mate for two to three days to continue eating. At that point, we returned to the Porto Jofre pousada from where we had set out, and ate OUR lunch.

    What a triumph to see that magnificent animal in his native habitat! He calmly carried out what he did to survive—completely unperturbed by us gawkers. And he was quite frightening. All of the guides I had in the Pantanal told me they were much more afraid of “onças” than they were of any other creature. That group now includes me!    Read more

  • Speak, WorldBrazil, Part Two
    2
    22

    Ótima visita! The Jackpot!

    September 8, 2018 in Brazil ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    To end my second trip in Brazil, I had the ultimate good fortune of being invited to stay with José Luis Vieira, AKA “Jota.” How did I meet him? He used the videos of my violin teaching on YouTube, made a comment via my now-defunct website, I wrote back, and for a year we exchanged messages every so often. After meeting in Chapada dos Guimarães at the end of August, he sent me a formal invitation to stay with him, and have a “Portuguese immersion visit.” My dream! Because my Portuguese is practiced with strangers, and the longest conversation I can hope to have is under an hour, I was excited—SO HAPPY—to accept his generous invitation.

    Jota’s land is called a “sitio,” a house in the country. He bought the property twenty-eight kilometers/seventeen miles from Cuiabá, on a dirt road off the main route to Chapada dos Guimarães. It is half a hectare, fifty by one hundred meters, or one and a quarter acres in area. I call it “the ultimate bachelor pad.” Jota was born in the rural town of Ituverava, in São Paulo State, and grew up in a country life. However, his career as a policeman and then chief of police in and around Cuiabá kept him in towns until his retirement a few years ago. On his country estate, there is a generous four-bedroom house with a large country kitchen; outbuildings include a small employee’s apartment and a storage unit for animal feed and equipment. Jota has populated his haven with many breeds of cats, dogs, chickens, ducks, geese, cattle, turtles and peacocks. He cares for them morning and night. I don’t dare describe the daily upkeep of so many varieties of creatures, as it would be thousands of words. I’ll just say that it is extremely complex. To Jota, though, it is his twice-daily journey through affectionate and interesting encounters with his very large family.

    With all these animals, drama occurs. A newly-hatched duckling tripped and stumbled as it tried to reach food, water and its mother. When we saw it ten minutes later, a cat was half-finished eating it. Unbeknownst to Jota, his aged rescue dog (from a mall parking lot, starving and covered with fire ants) had been impregnated by her son. One puppy was born, and as its mother had no milk, Jota fed it with a syringe. It survived three days, and when Jota took it outside for burial, the mother cried and howled for days as she tried to locate her lost puppy. I found a dead hen, expired in the severe heat of the day. And so it goes.

    We also had sessions with violins. Jota is involved in a free program of violin lessons given by students at the government university in Cuiabá. He reached a high level of playing in two years by practicing at least an hour every day. However, a stroke in June that left him most of his speech, memory, and motor skills, unfortunately wiped out most of his work on the violin. Persistent efforts are bringing back pieces, intonation, and bowing, but it’s a lot of work. Bravo to Jota’s courage and hard work.

    Every day, we had expeditions to Cuiabá: to buy agricultural supplies and groceries, to have lunch, and also to do some sightseeing. We went in Jota’s pickup truck, windows open for “natural” air conditioning, roaring back and forth sometimes twice a day. Not only did Jota share his love of Cuiabá and its surroundings, but he also spoke to me continually in Brazilian Portuguese. Could I ask for anything more?    Read more

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