Cooling off in Rio Vermelho in Goias, Brazil

The Rio Vermelho runs right through the center of Cidade Goias (also known as Goias Velho). During the rainy season, the river is full of a reddish mud – thus giving it its name the Red River. However, as soon as the skies clear and the rain ceases in early April, the river begins to run clear.

By mid-May, you can see right to the bottom of the Rio Vermelho. There is a bridge in the center of Cidade Goias – you can stand on it and watch fish swim by. The fish seem to have learned that people often throw goodies down for them and congregate in a pool right below the bridge.

If you follow the river upstream, you will come to the Fonte da Carioca – a popular bathing spot for townspeople and visitors alike. Fonte da Carioca is a small waterfall that pours down into a shallow pool. It is perfect for cooling off on a hot day in Cidade Goias – which happens to be just about every day.

We usually take the girls to Fonte da Carioca after lunch. They enjoy walking on the rocks of the small waterfall, swimming in the shallow pool, and looking for baby fish. As we are in the dry season, you can see the fish swimming by. Fortunately, they are not very easy to catch. Fishing in the Rio Vermelho is a federal crime, and we wouldn’t want our daughters to be arrested for violating the law.

Downstream, the river leads to the city park. The city park has a trail where residents walk the 1km path each dawn and dusk.

The Rio Vermelho is definitely one of the highlights of Cidade Goias.

Walking around the Park in Goiás Velho

Nearly every evening, here in Cidade Goiás, I take my three kids to the park at the end of the Centro Historico. This park is a great place – at dawn and at dusk. The rest of the day it is empty because the sun glares down and the lack of shade makes it uncomfortable and hot. However, around 5:30pm each evening, residents descend on the park for their evening stroll or jog. Most people, including me, walk around the 1km trail. There are just a few people that actually run.

The trail is made of gray bricks and winds along the river and then circles back around the periphery of the park. The park itself has a playground, a skateboard ramp, and a bar. The playground and skate ramp are small, but serve as a point where kids from the town can meet up and play. The middle of the park is empty, making it a good place for little ones to learn how to ride a bike.

For me, it is great that the kids have a place to play while I do my evening exercise. This means that we all can get out of the house and get some fresh air while I unwind from the day.

The bar sometimes has a trampoline and, for R$2 (US$1), the kids can jump to their hearts’ content for ten minutes. The bar also sells tasty meat skewers, and sometimes I let the kids convince me to buy some for them. Most times, however, the kids sit on the skate ramp and play games with the other kids at the park.

As for me, I usually walk about 3 miles. One of these days I’d like to be able to run those three miles, and I sometimes work toward that goal by jogging part of the way. However, the most important part of the evening walks for me is the chance to think and reflect and get any stress out of my system. The fact that I get to walk next to a bubbling river amidst verdant pastures and trees makes this all the more relaxing.

I also think it is great that my three daughters see me and others exercising each day. At their age, they get plenty of exercise running around all day. However, it is important for them to learn the importance of exercise and to see how exercise can be incorporated into one’s daily routine.

A dead cat, duck droppings and a trip to the doctor: Just another day in Goias, Brazil

My husband, Nando, left four days ago to go visit a friend and to see some of the amazing natural beauty to be found in Brazil. I, in turn, get to stay home and bond with my three daughters. So far, so good. Except today was particularly exhausting.

We got out of bed late – a quarter to 7 this morning – just the time we are supposed to be leaving the house to get the kids to school. About 45 minutes later, we were all out of the door – except for Tatiana who has been complaining of a stomach ache. I finally relented and allowed her to stay home from school today.

The girls’ school is a twenty minute walk from our house. And, Raymi, my six-year old daughter is not a big fan of walking. Two blocks away from our house, she began to complain. We went back and forth with her complaining and me asking her to allow me to enjoy the joyous morning in peace. Finally, Soraya, my nine-year-old daughter came up with the idea that we play a guessing game. That calmed the kids down until we got to school. Then, it was my turn to walk back. I enjoy this walk back, especially the part where I walk near the river and can enjoy the dense forest and often see an exotic bird such as a toucan or a parrot flying overhead.

Back at home, Tatiana was reading a book on the sofa. I had told her that television and the computer were off limits so long as her sisters were in school. That worked for a while, but eventually she convinced me to allow her to play math games on the computer. Anything for me to be able to get my work done.

You see, by the time I got the kids to school, walked back, and had a cup of coffee, it was 8:15 am. And, I have to leave the house at 11:15am to go back and pick them up. With three short hours in the morning, I really need to concentrate to get anything done. Tatiana was fairly cooperative and I was able to get in two solid hours of work before I had to run out the door to pick up the kids from school.

Once we got home, I speedily cooked the kids’ lunch – rice, sausage, and salad - and then told them I had to leave for a few minutes to try and get my asthma medicine. I ran out of my medicine and the pharmacy does not have the particular medicine I need. So, I figured I should see a doctor and get a prescription for a brand they sell here in Brazil. That involved jumping through a few more loopholes than I anticipated.

First, I went to the hospital on the corner. They told me that I needed to go to the medical center at Praça João Francisco. Unfortunately, I heard São Francisco and took a mototaxi to the Municipal Pharmacy. There, they said they did not have the medicine I wanted. The attendant told me I was welcome to wait for the doctor, but that he did not recommend me doing so. The doctor is 87 years old and is not very up to date on things. I asked him where I should go, and he also told me to go to João Francisco. This time, I made it to the right place.

When I got there, there was a fairly long line. While in line, I noticed that everyone else had all sorts of documentation with them – ID cards, insurance cards, and proof of residence. I had nothing. But, I waited in line anyway, hopeful that something would come out of it. When it was finally my turn, I told the lady I did not have anything. She understood this to mean that I did not have an appointment and asked me to wait for a bit. She said that she would see if there was any room left after she took care of the people who had appointments. My chances of seeing a doctor looked pretty bleak, so I made my way for the door. But, as I was doing so, the receptionist called me back in and suggested I wait. She indicated that my chances for seeing the doctor were fairly high.

When it was finally my turn, she asked for my ID. I explained that I had lost my ID and my medicine, but needed a prescription for my asthma medicine. She shook her head, but said she would ask the doctor what she could do. A few minutes later, a doctor appeared and we explained my situation. She told me to wait a few more minutes. Not too long afterwards, I finally got to go through the door everyone else was going through. I was taken to a room where the prescribing doctor sat.

I explained what medicine I needed. He took out a big book, found it, and wrote me a prescription! Victory! I went outside to the pharmacy across the street and asked for the medicine. They did not have it, but said they would order it and deliver it to my house by 10am the next day. Good enough.

I got another mototaxi home and found the kids playing peacefully in the house. I had called them a few times, and all seemed to be in order each time I called. I told the kids to get ready for their play date. One of their schoolmates had invited them to come over to swim. So, we walked the two blocks over to their friends’ house.

On the way, we noticed a new development in the river. The river is full of fish. The water is fairly clear, so you can look in it and see all sorts of fish swimming around. That was pretty cool.

Once we got to their friends’ house, the kids jumped in the pool and I sat down to chat with the kids’ grandmother. She told me the problems she was having with the kids, and how the kids’ mother and father had been abusers of crack and of each other. I found it interesting how open she was with me, and offered my sympathies. At any rate, all seems to be resolved as the parents are divorced and the mother has successfully gone through rehab. After about an hour, I told the grandmother that I needed to go home and check on things as I had left the windows open.

When I got home, I realized that I had also left the back door open. And, the two ducks and chicken had gotten inside. If you don’t already know, I will tell you that ducks go poop A LOT. Gross. Two buckets of water and a good scrubbing later, the kitchen floor was clean. I was tired and wanted to relax, but felt obliged to go back and check on the kids.

I made my way back over there and found the kids still splashing around in the pool. The grandmother had made them popcorn and hot chocolate. We sat down and chatted some more. I found out that she is a widow. Her husband died when she was just 28, leaving her with an infant and two toddlers. That did not sound fun. And, now, she is living through a whole new crisis with her daughter and grandkids back home.

When the sun began to go down, it was time to go home. We thanked the grandmother for the invitation and went back to our house. I put a movie on for the kids and, finally, got a chance to relax with a glass of Chilean red wine.

Except for I didn’t exactly get to relax yet. The neighbor called me and I went outside to find Manchas, our puppy, munching on the bones of a dead cat. Gross. This dead cat has been slowly decomposing outside of our house for a few days. I keep thinking that someone is going to clean it up. I don’t have the stomach for it. However, seeing Manchas munching on it, I finally decided that I had to do something. So, I got a big yellow plastic bag, held my breath, and put the cat’s corpse inside it. Gross. I still feel nauseous.

Now, however, I can forget about it and all the other things that happened today and relax with my wine and cheese. That is, if I can find something to entertain the kids while I do that!

Faricoccos in Cidade de Goiás – A spectacular procession

On the Wednesday of Holy Week at 11:59pm, the city of Goiás hosts the re-enactment of the night Jesus Christ was pursued by the Romans. Forty men dress up in colorful robes and hoods, carry torches and walk barefoot in a spectacular procession through the city.

The idea of wearing colorful robes and hoods was brought to the city of Goiás by a Spanish priest, João Perestrello de Vasconcelos Spinola, in 1745. Thus, the farricocos and the Fogaréu Procession precede the Ku Klux Klan by more than a century. Nevertheless, their outfits are unfortunately quite similar to those worn by the KKK.

Cidade Goiás (also known as Goiás Velho) is usually a very quiet and peaceful city. However, during Holy Week, the city fills with tourists who come to witness one of the oldest processions in Brazil. On Wednesday evening, we took our daughters - Tatiana, Soraya, and Raymi – to the Plaza Coreto to see all of the excitement.

When we arrived at the Plaza Coreto at dusk, vendors were setting up a market on the street, the plaza was filled with tables full of people drinking beer and soda and eating ice cream. I sat down with the girls to have a drink. Soon, however, they insisted on going to the market.

We saw a vendor selling miniature black and white farricoco puppets. The girls asked for one. It seemed like a decent idea for a toy and a souvenir for the evening, but I suggested that they purchase the black ones. I didn’t want the girls to purchase a little KKK puppet. Tatiana and Soraya – my nine year old twins - each bought black ones. Raymi – my six year old daughter - spent some time trying to decide what she wanted. When she finally decided she wanted a puppet as well, there were only white ones left. That is how Raymi got her own little KKK farricoco puppet. I thought to myself – at least the eyes light up red so that it seems more like the representation of a devil.

It turns out that the symbolism of the farricocos is actually quite sinister. They, after all, are the bad guys in the story as they are the ones hunting down Jesus to crucify him. This background helps to explain a bit this unique custom.

That evening, the girls played in the plaza with their puppets for a while. Eventually, however, they got tired and we made our way home. I had my doubts that the kids would make it until midnight to watch the procession. And, they didn’t. They all fell sound asleep around 10pm.

My husband, Fernando, and I left the house around 11pm and went again to Plaza Coreto. This time, the Plaza was completely full of people. We had a drink in one of the bars and decided to make our way back to the Igreja do Rosario. The procession begins at Plaza Coreto, but this is not the best place to see it. The Plaza is too full of people and it is hard to see the procession with all of the multitude.

The procession goes from the Plaza Coreto down to the bridge over the Rio Vermelho and pauses at the Igreja do Rosario for a bit before returning to the Plaza Coreto. Fernando and I made our way back to the Igreja do Rosario and waited for the procession.

Around 12:30am, it arrived. It was quite a site to see. Dozens of robed men carrying torches followed by hundred of people also carrying torches walked up the hill to the Igreja do Rosario. The farricocos stopped on the church steps where there was a brief presentation where the M.C. asked them who they were looking for and they responded “Jesus Christ.” The rows of men in colorful robes and hoods holding their torches was spectacular to witness.

From the Igreja do Rosario, the procession made its way down our street. We stood in our doorway on Rua Senador Eugenio de Jardim and watched the procession again from there. This time, we had the best view and watched the farricocos and then all of the people with torches walk by. By that time, it was after 1am, and we went inside to rest.

This posting is part of the for the Lonely Planet Blogsherpa Travel Carnival, hosted at http://www.latortugaviajera.com/. 

Life in Goiás Velho

After a month in Goiás Velho, we are finally settled in. We live in an old house in the historic center of Goiás Velho. The town is quite charming. The streets are made of old stones and date back hundreds of years. There is a river running through the center of town with old wooden bridges that traverse it. During the day, there are few cars and more than a couple of horses with carts. It often feels as if we have gone back in time. Except for, of course, I have my laptop and Internet connection!

The kids like here as well. They go to a wonderful school – Vila Esperança – that is on gorgeous grounds and is colorfully decorated with comfy cushions and rugs. Plus, it has a focus on dance, capoeira, and music that is great for the children. This was a very welcome break after that strict Catholic school in Santo Domingo.

I asked my nine year old daughter Tatiana what she liked best about our house in Goiás Velho, Brazil, and her response was “our pets.” Normally, we don’t have household animals, because we travel too often. However, in Goiás Velho, a friend agreed to lend us his puppy while we are here. We’ll have to give it back when we leave, so hopefully that will go over okay. My husband Nando also picked up a few ducks and chickens at the market. When we leave, I am sure we will not have any problem getting someone to take in some plump poultry. Their destiny as pets, however, will be short lived, I am sure.

Soraya – Tatiana’s twin sister’s – response to my question about her favorite thing was the garden. Behind our house, we have a large, messy yard. I wouldn’t exactly call it a garden, but it certainly provides space to run around. It also has a fantastic outdoor shower that is the perfect remedy for Goiás Velho’s hot afternoons. I asked Soraya what she liked about the garden, and she said the fact that the animals live in it. Tatiana and Soraya are real animal lovers.

When I asked Raymi, my six year old daughter, what her favorite thing was, she said “the hammock.” We have a lovely, huge, colorful hammock that the girls use to swing on. Recently, they realized that they also can swing and jump off of it onto the air mattress. They have a game where they swing each other and dump each other onto the air mattress.

Goiás Velho also has many interesting things for the kids outside the house. On many a hot afternoon, we walk a few blocks from our house to a small waterfall where the kids can take a dip in the river. The cool water is very refreshing after a long day. And, the waterfall is set in a verdant valley. It is a most relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Other afternoons, we go to the Plaza, where they have an ice cream stand in the middle. In addition, there are often plenty of children around with whom the children can play. Now that we have the dog – his name is Manchitas by the way – we can take him to the park. That way, even if there are no other kids, the girls can have fun playing with Manchitas.

As we are near to Holy Week, there is no shortage of processions in Goiás Velho. We live just a few doors down from Igreja do Rosario – a prominent historic church. So far, there have been two large processions that start there and go right by our house. And, they will continue for the rest of Holy Week. Tatiana in particular finds the processions fascinating. I imagine she will admire even more those later in the week – which will be even bigger and fancier.

Goiás Velho is a small town, so there is not much of a night life. However, there is one restaurant that serves snacks and beers on its patio on weekend nights that we like to go to. The advantage of this restaurant is that it is located right next to a playground. And, on weekend nights, a gentleman sets up a trampoline that the girls can jump on and hopefully burn off their energy. Last time we went, the girls were excited to have been out at night with us. Nando and I we were glad to have been able to have a beer in peace.

When we first arrived in Goiás, I had the impression that people were less friendly than in other parts of Brazil. When I said “hi” as we walked by, I got more than a couple of blank stares. However, now that we have been here for over a month, those same people smile broadly and say hello first as we walk by. It took less time than I thought for folks to open up.

Overall, Goiás Velho was a great choice as a family-friendly place to spend our three months in Goiás, Brazil.

One adventure after another with the family in rural Brazil: Milking the cows, Feeding the chickens, and a Waterfall

Our weekend trip to Fatima's farm outside of Itapuranga in Goias, Brazil turned out to be one adventure after another. This time, I took the whole family to the farm – Tatiana and Soraya had had been asking all week when we would be able to go.

We arrived around 6pm Friday evening. The girls were excited to see the calves and chickens. The first thing they tried to do was to pet the calves. That turned out to be more difficult than it looked. Tatiana, Soraya and Raymi got in the corral with the calves. But, each time they got close to a calf, it would run away. Finally, all of the calves had run out of the corral, and no one got to pet one.

Next up were the chickens. After many attempts, Soraya managed to catch a hen, and the girls took turns holding it. When they let it free, Raymi showed the girls where the corn on the cob was, and they de-grained a couple of cobs for the chickens.

Meanwhile, it was getting dark, and Fernando decided to start a campfire. Fernando and Braulio, Fatima's son, busied themselves bringing and cutting wood, and the girls helped by adding dry corn husks to the fire. By the time the fire was ready, it was time to eat dinner.

Dinner consisted of rice, beans, a little bit of free-range chicken, and inhame – a tuber vegetable. Tatiana and Soraya served themselves at least three plates of rice and beans. The food was hearty and tasty. After dinner, we had a little rapadura – concentrated sugar cane - and went outside by the campfire where Nando was playing his flute.

We relaxed by the fire for a while, but soon the girls wanted to play again. This time, Evandro had the idea of them playing with the wheelbarrow. Braulio gave the girls several turns each in the wheelbarrow before it was time to go to bed.

I woke up on Saturday morning at 6am, and the girls were already up and about. When I got out of bed, I found all three girls in the cattle pen, helping Braulio and Sebastiao milk the cows. Braulio showed them how to pull on the cows' udders to make the milk come out. They were able to do it, but not nearly as fast as Braulio. After milking the cows, Raymi and I went into town with Evandro to buy bread and some meat for lunch. Afterwards, we took the milk from the cows to the depository where they sell the milk each day.

After breakfast, Tatiana and Soraya finally got what they wanted most – to ride the horse. Evandro got the horse saddled up for them, and they took turns riding it around and around the house until finally it was time to let the horse eat some grass.

While the girls were riding the horse, Evandro took Raymi and me out behind the house where he cut a piece of sugar cane and squeezed the juice out of it with a small metal mill. We strained the juice and drank it. It tasted even better with limes from the tree – all natural lemonade.

After our morning adventures on the farm, it was time for a bit more adventure. Evandro drove us to Dominique's farm, which is about a 30 minute drive down a dirt road through several other small farms. Dominique's farm is more of a hacienda than a farm. She has several lakes where she raises fish, many pineapple and papaya trees, and a herd of goats for milk and cheese.

Dominique's hacienda also has a magnificent waterfall on the premises. The main purpose of our visit was to jump in the waterfall. Unfortunately, just as we got there, it began to downpour heavily. We waited the rain out at one of the small farmhouses where several men were cleaning fish to take to the market. Seeing all of the fish and lakes, the girls asked if they could also fish.

One of the workers gave them two fishing poles, and Tatiana and Soraya went down to the lake to fish. Soraya managed to catch a big fish. But, it was a little too big and she ended up falling backwards into the lake trying to get it out. Fortunately, the lake was not deep at all. But, she was full of mud and had to be rinsed off in the shower.

After their fishing adventure, we walked over to the waterfall. It was about a 15-minute walk down a muddy trail overgrown with vegetation. Each of us fell in the mud a few times, but managed to make it to the waterfall. It was beautiful. As usual, I was scared of slipping on the rocks, and, of course, I fell – right on my behind. So did everyone, but we managed to make it to one of the pools where we cooled off and cleaned up. The sun had come out enough to dry off the big rocks, and I relaxed on one of the boulders while the girls continued to swim and splash around. It was getting late, however, so we didn't stay too long.

When we got back to Dominique's farmhouse, the men had finished cleaning the fish and were taking them to market. We bought a large – two kilo – fish from them and took it home to cook. Evandro picked a few coconuts from Dominique's farm to make coconut milk to cook the fish. Evandro made coconut milk by taking the white meat out of the coconut and putting it in the blender. I added this delectable mixture to the muqueca de peixe that I made. The fish stew was delicious with the large, meaty, fresh pintado.

After dinner, Nando sang just a couple of songs by the campfire as we were all tired and full. The next morning, however, as promised, Nando made a bamboo flute for Braulio. They have some bamboo trees on the farm, and Nando and Evandro cut one down and fashioned a flute for Braulio. That way, they will have something to remember us by until our next visit.

Another Way of Life: A Weekend on a Farm in Rural Brazil with Raymi

I spent last weekend in Itapuranga with Raymi, my six-year old daughter, while Nando went to Pirenopolis with the twins. When we met up in Goias Velho on Monday, Raymi regaled her older sisters with stories about the farm – how she had fed the chickens, rode the horse, and watched Braulio milk the cows. The twins were jealous, and wanted to go to the farm immediately. I told them they had to wait until Friday, as we would be going to school all this week. They were disappointed, but, slowly, the days have passed, and now Friday is here and we will go back to the farm this afternoon.

When we first got to the farm last Friday, Raymi didn’t like it. However, after two days there, she grew quite used to it. On Sunday morning, she woke up at the crack of dawn and went straight to the chicken coop. She found the Portuguese words to ask Fatima if she could feed the chickens. When Fatima said she could, she got a cob of corn out of storage and de-grained it for the chickens. Then, she took pictures as Braulio milked the cows.

On Sunday, we didn’t stay at the farm for breakfast, as we had promised Rosmery that we would have breakfast at her house in Itapuranga. After breakfast with Rosmery, we made our way to the Feira da Cachaça. It is a farmer’s market with people selling vegetables, milk, eggs, live chickens, meat, fruit, and a few plastic items. And, true to its name, it has a bar with cachaça in case anyone want to get their Sunday morning drink on. There were a few tipsy folks around the bar, but they were harmless.

Raymi was disappointed with the Feira da Cachaça; it was not nearly as nice as the Friday evening Feira da Lua, which has kids’ games and toys and grilled skewers. At the Feira da Lua, everyone dresses up and looks nice; not so much at the Feira da Cachaça. After the Feira, we went back to Rosmery’s house, and hung out with her for most of the day. In the evening, Evandro took us back to Fatima’s house, where we would spend our last night before moving to our new home in Goias Velho.

During our weekend at the farm, Raymi was able to see many things she hadn’t seen before. She saw Braulio milk the cows and take the milk to the depository where he sells it. She saw Fatima pick herbs from the garden to cook with. She saw people come to buy several bushes of dry corn from Fatima. She saw many trees with fruits – papayas, bananas, limes, and coconuts. She saw where the hens lay eggs and the pigs take mud baths. Seeing all of this, she will have a better idea of where food comes from, and of how people in the countryside make a living.

She also will have an idea of another way of life. At the farm, they have a television, but they don’t have computers or Internet or a DVD player. They also eat pretty much the same thing each day – rice, beans, eggs, and potatoes. For breakfast, they have coffee with milk straight from the cows. They rarely leave the farm.

Their general lack of mobility and lack of variety in their food also had me thinking. We eat different dishes every day. And, if I am missing an ingredient, I am apt to run to the supermarket and get it. In contrast, Fatima has everything she needs at the farm. Her husband goes to Itapuranga once a week on his motorcycle and buys oil, sugar, margarine, and some other things they like. But, if they run out of something, they do without.

I can stay in the house for a day or two relaxing or working, but I can’t imagine living on the farm and never leaving. A whole week might pass by at the farm, and Fatima won’t leave the farm or have visitors. She doesn’t seem to mind at all. They seemed quite happy to have us as visitors, and insisted we return. But, I am sure they would be fine if we didn’t.

Spending the weekend on a farm in rural Brazil, so far from everything and everyone, served as a moment of reflection for me, and a learning experience for Raymi and me.

Just Raymi and Me on the Farm

This weekend, it was just Raymi and me. My husband took the twins to Pirenopolis, and I went to Itapuranga with Raymi. I had the opportunity to travel to Itapuranga, my research site, with Evandro, who is from Itapuranga. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to be personally introduced to people in my research site. And, my husband, Nando, wanted to travel to Pirenopolis. So, we decided that I would go with Raymi and Nando would take the twins. This would be the first time that Raymi, who is six, would be separated from her eight-year old sisters, as least for as long as she can remember.

I figured I would use the weekend with Raymi as a chance to spend some alone time with her. And, Nando would have the time to be just with the twins – who often complain that he favors their younger sister. Without her around, their complaints would be moot. The twins seemed happy about the prospect of not having Raymi around.

Raymi and I set out Friday morning with Evandro for Itapuranga. To my surprise, Raymi consistently asked about her sisters during the two hour car ride – the same sisters she always fights with. Overall, the car ride went well, with Raymi quite calm in the back seat and Evandro and I chatting about the local and regional economy of Goias. We saw several Movimento Sem Terra (Landless Movement) settlements on the road on the way, and Evandro explained to me that they were settled there waiting until the government authorized their takeover of part of a hacienda.

Our first stop in Itapuranga was Evandro’s sister’s house. Fatima lives in a rustic house about 12 kilometers outside of Itapuranga – in the country. When we got to Fatima’s house, Raymi’s first question was why everything was so dirty. There were quite a few flies in the dining area; the floor was full of red dirt; and the table cloth was stained. I took a deep breath and explained to Raymi that we were at a farmer’s house, and that they had lots of things she would like.

We had seen a horse when we first walked in and I asked Raymi if she wanted to see the horse. She did, and Evandro offered to let her ride the horse. Raymi was a bit scared, but got on the horse with Evandro, and held on tight. Then, it was my turn to give her a ride on the horse, and we took a short ride to a nearby stream. Raymi seemed to be happier about being on the farm.

After our horse ride, it was time for lunch. Everything for lunch was from the farm – rice, beans, potatoes, and eggs. We both liked our lunch and cleaned our plates. During lunch, we found out we would be sleeping at the farm. Raymi was disappointed, but when she saw our room – which was nice and clean with a big bed – she cheered up.

Raymi had fun taking photos of the animals on the farm and showing pictures to our hosts. She took pictures of all of the farm animals she could find – the horse, chickens, cats, dogs, and the cows.

When we left the farm to go to Itapuranga, Raymi had lots of questions about how our hosts lived. I told her the food we were eating came from the farm, and she asked if the rice also came from the farm. I told her it did. She also wanted to know how they earned money to live. I explained that they sell milk and eggs from the farm and sometimes sell the cows. She seemed a bit appalled that they would sell a baby cow.

Now that we have spent two nights at the farm, Raymi has gotten used to farm life. On Sunday morning, she got up and went to watch Fatima’s son, Braulio, milk the cows. Then, she got some corn and de-grained it to feed the chickens. They dry out the corn and store it for the rest of the year to use as chicken feed. Braulio showed Raymi how to de-grain the corn. From there, she went to help Fatima with the wood stove. She also had fun petting the calves who were watching their mothers being milked.

It has been a different dynamic with just Raymi and me. She gets a lot more of my attention and we don’t have to negotiate her wants and needs with those of her sisters. I also find that I am buying her more things she wants – soda, ice cream, and sausages. It seems less extravagant when it’s just one kid.