I am still at Iracambi, the NGO that is situated in the fragmented Atlantic rainforest above Rio de Janeiro. Life here is slow. The mountains and dirt roads make moving around a little hard in the rainy season. The house I am living in has 4 bedrooms of 2 people each, a main room with hammocks and an old kitchen that we no longer use. It is very primitive, as it has been on the farm here for 50 years or more. The bathrooms are an addition off of the main house, and are unreliable as they are gravity fed systems. If there is a big rain in the night, you can forget about a hot shower in the morning. Oh well, it is like camping I guess.
There are some very impressive insects here. Some of the spiders that I find in the house are large, hairy, and if they aren´t poisonous, then they look scary enough to kill a person anyway. I let them be. I have not seen any snakes yet. But then you don´t normally see them before they bite you, right? I keep my eyes on the ground when I am walking around.
There are boulders on the property here. The rock is granite, and when it stops raining and I can explore them for good problems, I will let you know! There are some slab cliff faces as well. However, I have been told that they contain Bauxite, a material that they use to make Aluminum, and that you must be very certain that it will not storm while climbing them, as this element attracts lightning. I might get to climb some of these faces with a local climber. The founders of the NGO have an alliance with a botanical garden in Florida. There is a rare plant that grows on the steep cliffs in this mountain region that the garden wants. However, you have to do some climbing to get them. I might have an opportunity to be apart of the team that attempts to retrieve these plants. Once again, extreme caution.
Well, the food is amazing. Iracambi is an native word meaning "Land of Milk and Honey". The bread is amazing, the milk is full fat amazing, the vegetables are all fresh from the farm´s garden and amazing. However, for how healthy Brazilians appear, they do not eat very healthy. Everything has salt, butter, and oil in it. The fried bananas are awesome, but are dripping butter. The salads are incredible, but are loaded with oil and salt. I guess it is a cultural difference, (or is it? The last American meal I had in Chicago was fully salted and dripping grease). Brazilians do love their meat. Sausage, Steak, and Chicken are utilized alot in their cooking. Here at Iracambi we mostly have a vegetarian diet, but do get treated when they kill a chicken from the farm. Also, we order from the nearest town, Rosario da Limeira - 1 hour away by car, once a week and are able to get cookies, homemade wine, and other meats if we desire.
The land is amazing. The mountains are everywhere, and have a steep, lush terrain. I hope that the pictures do it justice. There are also clean, cold streams that cascade over boulders and create a kayakers dream as they wind through the rainforest. (Anton, I have thought of you more than once while swimming in these streams. Although, getting your play boat here might be a problem.)
My work here is good. I have completed one grant application for a forest monitoring program, and am working on a GIS grant proposal. Also, I have composed an article on the NGO to be featured on a website's "Project of the Month" that might offer some more funding opportunities. Additionally, I am helping plant seedlings and work in the fields. Forest regeneration is hard and slow work. It doesn´t take very long to cut down a forest, but it takes forever to replant it.
I miss home a bit now. The excitement has worn off, and during the day I have plenty of time to think of home. My puppy, Sadie Leigh, will turn one year old soon, and I will not be there to throw a big dog party! I guess she will just have to celebrate her 21st dog-birthday like Taylor did; right, Anna? Thanks for all of your comments. No, Anna, I have not been stolen yet, thanks for asking. I have finally uploaded some photos, so check those out when you can.
I will write again soon!
Bom dia, Mags
