Hi folks, I’m here to tell about my last trip to Mucugê – Bahia, a small city in Chapada Diamantina. I’d gone there uncountable times when I was a child, passing my school vacations. But in those days I couldn’t know all the beautiful places and the nature that Mucugê has. Despite of I couldn’t remember more things about the city, it always been in my heart as sweet and familiar place. Where the houses have an old architecture preserved, the street are made of rocks, everything is small and cute, moreover the people is simple and receptive. Now I’ve had another opportunity to live several sensations with a project named “Bearing for the Chapadão” organized by COOPEC (Educational Cooperative of Caetité) especially by the Biology teacher Elizangela for the students of the second year of High School.
As an English teacher I thought that would be a chance to know better my students and enjoy this experience because this is the first and the last year as their teacher. We began our travel on Saturday, September 21st, and left Caetité at 1 a.m. with a big enthusiasm arriving in Mucugê at least at 6 a.m. when we went to put our suitcases in the hotel. From there we could see the first of the wonders of Mucugê: it shelters the famous Byzantine Cemetery that is well in the entrance of the city. The cemetery was created in 1847 by Europeans that lived in the area (it explain the Gothic style of the graves) and since this, it is the only cemetery of the city. For being so beautiful and a testimony of the history of the area of the Chapada Diamantina, he was tumbled by the National Historical Patrimony in the decade of 1980.
The first thing we visited was the "Enchanted Pool" that is the most wonderful thing I’d ever seen. It is in a grotto and when I saw it I had the sensation of be looking just a blue light, but I couldn't imagine that the light was in the water provoked by the presence of calcareous, that with the incidence of the solar rays reflects the blue color. The entire group was fascinated with that show of the nature.
From the “Enchanted Pool” we left to the river Mucugê where we had lunch under a bridge, refreshing us in the dark water, it looks like a ‘river of coke’. Walking there we can’t see the fund of the river, we can’t know if it is shallow or deep and we step all the time on the rocks. It was so funny and the students played and laughed a lot. From this walk we went to a project named “Sempre Viva”. This is the name of a small flower natural of Mucugê (Syngonanthus mucugensis giulietti) that was threatened of extinction due to illegal extraction. The “Sempre Viva” is curious because even after it has been picked it continues reacting with the climatic conditions and air humidity. The project wants to preserve and provide to the local population the possibility to market this flower that is of great commercial value.
From the “Project Sempre Viva” we went to the waterfalls of Tiburtino and Piabinhas. The trial is long but we could see different kinds of flowers, cactus, lots of native plants and besides this the waterfalls are fresh and delicious. It’s really a good walk to do and a great opportunity to integrate with the nature, especially if we are in a joy and pleasure group as we were.
On Sunday we still had breath to back to the Project “Sempre Viva” to watch an interesting lecture about the area, the economy, agriculture, researches and the concern with the maintainable development. After this we visited the Museum of Garimpo, where we could know the history of the extraction of diamonds in Mucugê. The trial to this museum is also wonderful, because it’s a high area and we could see a chain of mountains. It’s all green and spectacular!!!
Guys, it’s in fact a cultural and ‘green’ expedition! If you don’t know Chapada Diamantina and the small and homelike city of Mucugê, take your tennis, a camera and a coat (cause in Mucugê always dawns cold) and go live this adventure!!! It’s unforgettable!!!
