From Alberto, April 23, 2000
Saude!

After we left Campina Grande, we went to Caruaru. There Bill and I stayed together with our host family, Mom, Dad (Rosa and Haoldo Bernardino) and their two young daughters.  We had a lot of fun together - singing, making bracelets and enjoying each others' company.  Mom is Jewish and so is raising her daughters  Jewish which is a real challenge in Caruaru where there is no Jewish community.

Oh, there is so much to tell.  But right now it is so hot here in Recife that I am having a hard time thinking.  Also, I do not remember where I left off last time.  Did I mention the Forro museum in Caruaru?  Simply amazing?  I think I have already written about that, so I will go on. 

The day after the forro museum, we went to a nearby town (after a quick trip to an Antarctica distributor and a tour of the facility) Fazenda Nova and there spent the day awaiting the big passion play that evening.  The play takes place in Nova Jerusalem which is right outside of Fazenda Nova (new farm).  We were hosted by Ivaldo Brasileiro V. Filho who's family owns the distributorship and who has a house which he uses during the week of Semanta Santa so he can go visit the passion play many times.  I think he had been there about 5 times by the time we arrived. 

There were crafts and typical fair items for sale up and down the main street - hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy, cheese on a stick which was roasted on a fire, and it was hot hot hot outside.  About 95 degrees Fahrenheit and no breeze.  At least there was no humidity.  also, much music was in the air.

When we arrived in Fazenda Nova after a 45 minute drive from Caruaru (the Capitol of Forro) we had a lunch and then drove to the place where the passion play takes place.  It is a huge area which has been hosting the passion play for the past 33 years.  The 50th anniversary of the play is this year, but I guess it took place somewhere else for the first 17 years.

It is held in an area which holds about 15,000 people, - there are about 9 different "stages" and 100 actors and 500 extras take part in the 2-hour long production.  So, the area is huge.  I should have pictures of it right now, but will send when I get them.

So, we walked the grounds which feature these incredible stages with natural palm trees and cacti and a backdrop of mountains with lots of green vegetation.  I later learned that it is hardly ever green here and that it is very desert like, but that the rain we experienced had brought the green.  The clouds were also very gray and dark and changing rapidly so it was even more impressive that evening as the sun was setting and the play beginning. 

Johanna and I got a chance to walk the fairway and look at the crafts and sit and drink guarana while the others crashed due to the heat.

Later, we walked to the play which was incredible. The thousands of people moving from stage to stage was a little scary, but we moved slowly and stayed a bit away from the action.  There are speakers all over the place and the music and words of the actors is heard no matter where you are standing.  Just the fact that 10,000 people could be moved from place was impressive. 

Then, the moon rose and I watched as players from a previous scene stole away into the night in a different direction from the crowds.  It was spooky and fascinating at the same time.  The play is the story of Jesus and I don't know it very well but my catholic raised teammates were more familiar. Costumes, horses, smoke, fire, special effects, lasers, all were used well and the play just kept on coming.  I could write for a while about this event, but I must move on as the beach is calling.

We are in Recife now and I am having a hard time remembering back a few days.  So, I will write about Recife and my day yesterday.

Right now we have a couple days free and are staying in a small hotel near the beach in Boa Viagem. 

Our first night, Helson and Fortuna who own the hotel we are staying in (Hotel do Mar), took us out to a restaurant on a street in old Recife (Recife Antiga). The restaurant itself wasn't spectacular, but the street scene was interesting.  A very old street, which used to be the street of the Jews back in the 1600s and which is now being continuously refurbished, street performers, bands all over the place, and we were seated next to the oldest synagogue of the Americas which is currently closed for renovations. It was a lovely evening.

Yesterday we got up, ate breakfast, had a team meeting about our group dynamics and logistics for the rest of the trip and then I took off for Olinda on my own.

One of the things that I love about traveling alone is that I am not afraid to go into doors marked "do not enter".  Even if there is not a sign, perhaps you know what I mean.  Anyway, Olinda is incredible and full of marvelous churches.  In one convent I found myself wandering here and there and eventually found my way into a private room where the priest probably relaxes and makes himself up.  The room was completely built of the wood "jacaranda" and was incredible deep maroon in color.  Also, there was a beautiful garden out the back.

The churches are filled with incredible tile paintings, ceiling paintings and incredible views of Recife and the coastline for miles in all directions. The water here is aquamarine and it's incredibly hot and sunny so walking through the ancient streets of this town took me all day.  I could have stayed into the evening as I was really enjoying just wandering the cobblestone streets, stopping in doorways, talking to people, entering museums (my favorite was one dedicated to carnival with huge puppets - I hope to get pictures of that one). 

I had lunch at a lovely place in a garden and met Johnny who's a blues musician who splits his time between Brazil and the U.S. making music along the way.  It was great to meet you, Johnny and I hope we get to play sometime in Brazil!  Jam on!

So, last night I checked out the beach again - the views down the beach are incredible, great scenery and lovely light as the sun sets. 

Last night (500 years anniversary of Brazil was yesterday!) we were taken out to dinner at a nice hotel nearby and I ate the best steak I've eaten in my life.  It was just incredible.  Afterwards we drove to the same district in old Recife we were in the night before, but this time things were really rocking. 

There was an incredible band - playing a mix of forro, frevo, samba and love songs which is well known here in Recife.  I dance and shook to their music for about an hour and then a batucada band marched down the street followed by carnival - people in costume, dancing, call and response music, for about 45 minutes, very chaotic and then they continued on their way through the streets.  It was very lively and exciting.  Colorful costumes, smiling faces, driving drummers, cowbells, much percussion. 

Now, it is just hot and the middle of the day and I think it's time for the beach.  Palm trees, sun sun sun sun sun and more sun.  It's hard to be outside in this heat.

Our group portion of this trip is winding down and we are one week away from splitting up.  I am looking forward to traveling on my own some and also look forward to this week being shown Recife and the surroundings.  It is an incredible place and our hosts have already been gracious and wonderful in showing us around.

More to follow.  On another day.  Hopefully, I'll remember more and share more details. Like how the various controversies here are playing out, the smell of the very polluted rivers here, garbage on the beach, some of the not so nice stuff, but for now, it's all being washed away by the sweat pouring down my chest and I'm inside a pretty cool room on the second floor of Helson's apartment overlooking the beach.  The aquamarine color of the water, the reef protecting us from sharks and the small waves looking like they are in slow motion.

I think the other day I finally arrived in Brazil.  It took me about 3 weeks, but that's not unusual.  Now, the US feels very far away and I'm glad to finally be here.

Ciao for now.

Alberto