Even here up north we have carnival. Monday 23 January carnival in Belém started with the introduction of King Momo 2012.

King Momo is a character in Greek mythology, who became a symbol of Carnival. He is considered the owner of Carnival. It is he who controls the revelry. He has a mocking, delusional and sarcastic personality.

In Greek mythology, Momo (Complaint) was one of the children that the goddess Nyx, the personification of the night, had without a father, or with Erebus.

Momo is the son of the sleep and the night, and eventually was expelled from Olympus – home of the gods – because he had such fun mocking the other deities.

Well, he is not the most attractive personality during carnival, and particularly not photogenic. Fortunately during the official opening of the carnival in Belém do Pará, there were other people to admire.

It also was the night that the queens of the several social clubs presented themselves to the public. The first performance in a range of shows, which have to lead to the election of the Rainha das Rainhas (The Queen of the Queens).

Photos: Bruno Cecim (O Liberal)

Local races, colours, flavours and welcoming people. Belém is said to be more than simply “The Gateway to the Amazon”. Just a stroll through the historic centre (see my previous article), for example, might give the impression that the “City of Mango Trees” is a real jewel and reveals beautiful historic landscapes that contrast with an exuberant nature.
The contrast is there indeed. Walk outside the city centre and you see the shocking contrast. The slums.

Half of the inhabitants of the metropolitan region of Belém live in slums. 1,131,268 people are living under subhuman conditions.

General wisdom says that healthy cities are crucial to economic development and people’s welfare. And if a government is serious about the welfare of its people it has to build communities that allow its members a reasonable and human housing.
So, what happened to the low-income people of Belém during the glorious 396 years of the city’s existence?

31/12/1834 – João Batista Gonçalves Campos masterminding the Cabanagem revolt. Cabanagem (1835-1840) was an uprising in which blacks, mestizos and Indians rebelled against the political elite and took power in the then province of Grand-Pará (Brazil). Among the causes of the revolt are the extreme poverty of coastal communities and political irrelevance to which the province was relegated after the independence of Brazil. The popular revolt had the participation of elements of the middle and upper class of the region, among which stand out the names of Father João Batista Gonçalves Campos and journalist Vicente Ferreira Lavor (“Papagaio”). The photo gives a view of the city of Belém at the time of the conflict. As you can see nothing has changed.

The answer is simple: Nothing. No local government, neither in the past nor in the present has given a damn about the favelas and its inhabitants.
Ahh, the city centre and upper- and middle class neighbourhoods have been upgraded frequently, leaving the favelas sinking further in the mud. Literally.

Hailing the milestone that Brazil reached the sixth spot in the ranking of world economies, Guido Mantega, the Brazilian Finance Minister, declared that it still will take some 10 to 20 years before the Brazilians will reach the same standard of living as Europeans. Saying this, he must have had in mind the ghettos of England or the banlieus of Paris. In case he was trying to refer to human-worth living neighbourhoods, he must have known that that will take, for Pará anyway, at least another 50 years. If ever!
If the local politicians can ever stop and bury their mentality of personal greed and corruption. For the less-fortunate nothing changed in Pará since the Cabanagem-revolt.

The columnist of the “Estado do São Paulo”, Celso Ming wrote, correctly, that the volume of the GDP is relative and does not reflect the quality of life of the country. And that can be seen in the photos.

The next text is partly quoted from an editorial of the Belém daily newspaper O Liberal. A piece that reinforces the view expressed here about the daily tragedy that reaches over one million Belenenses. Read: “As vozes das favelas” (The voices of the Slums).

Belém includes no less than 89% of all inhabitants of the State of Pará who live in substandard, subhuman, technically called, clusters, but we all know them by the word slums. Belém is the absolute champion, as Greater Belém or the Metropolitan Area, includes Marituba (number one of the list) with 77,2% or 83.368 inhabitants living in favelas, and Ananindeua  (number two of the list) with 288.611 inhabitants or 61,2% living in favelas. And “finally” Belém itself (number four on the list) with 758.524 inhabitants or 54,5% of its population living in favelas.

It looks like a dry quantification out of a survey. But it reflects the absolute failure or inexistence of satisfactory public policies to upgrade all these people from subhuman conditions.
The recent survey on favelas (slums or subhuman or substandard agglomerates) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) scares and shocks when the sheer quantity gives rise to the human component involved.

To say that in a slum live 30,000 to 50,000 people, doesn’t reveal and give essence to the conditions under which these men, women and children live.

Scaling this one or that one as the largest slum of a city, state or country doesn’t have that much impact as long as we don’t hear the story of the villagers, the ones that live in these communities.

Shantytowns are born spontaneously, but not quite. Those who end up in one, don’t have a choice, they don’t end up there out of their own free will.

Citizens who choose to live in slums are herded over there, because they have not even minimum living conditions elsewhere.

These subhuman agglomerates are a real and predictable response to social demands that largely fail to be overcome, not because of a lack of individual efforts, but because the Government is non-existent on concrete actions to reduce these degrading situations. That’s why there is such a huge housing deficit.

The result is what we observe from the figures of the IBGE: thousands, millions of people settling in slums because otherwise, they would live literally on the streets, underneath the mango trees, the marquees, the bridges. They would occupy and live in the abandoned – public or private – buildings.

But do not tell that to this huge contingent of people, living under the bridge or the marquee is so different than living in a slum.

People living in a slum are facing the effects of lack of essential services. They can’t rely on sewerage (there is no), first aid posts (there are none), water supply (there isn’t).

They have to live with stinking water coming through the door and into their dwellings.

They are forced to face violence all day, every day.

“We live here because there is no other way, but I can’t wait to go to a better place. I am very afraid that my children slip, or catch a disease due to this water”, a resident of Terra Firme told the reporter of O Liberal.

“Here at home, we put everyone inside around six o’clock in the afternoon. No one else comes after that time, especially not the children. [...] They live trapped inside the house, only leaving to go to school. The truth is that we live isolated, we are stranded. And when it rains, the situation is even worse: overflowing water from the canal and the house itself is flooded”, adds another.

“We sleep in fear. At night, many houses are raided and we only hear the screams. [...] I was born and raised here, but I can’t wait to get a better place to live. We can’t wait for the politicians, they only come here during election time or when a complaint comes on TV”, says a resident of the lowlands of Condor, another slum in Belèm.

These are the voices of the slums.

These are the voices that proclaim the dismay of those who are fettered, including electioneering demagogy.

These are the voices of those who are the prisoners of reality and degradation that are far beyond the numbers, far beyond the quantification.

The federal government allocated BRL 54 million (USD 30 million) so that Belém could urbanise the Vila da Barca neighborhood, the largest district on stilts in Latin America. The resources sent from 2003, should be used to remodel the slum with 626 houses of good quality. The Comptroller General's Office found that there were built less than 100 housing units - for the unit cost of BRL 397,000 (USD 221,000). There, with that money, you can build a mansion. The people themselves could easily have built 15 to 20 houses for each unit. Text Leonel Rocha - Photo Sérgio Marques/Agência O Globo

Tagged: Ananindeua, Belém do Pará, Brazil, Cabanagem, economy, favelas, Grand-Pará, Guido Mantega, housing policy, IBGE, Marituba, Pará, shantytowns, slums, subhuman agglomerates, urbanisation, Vila da Barca ]]> http://brazilinhotpants.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/the-other-side-of-the-coin-the-voices-of-the-slums/feed/ 0 brazilinhotpants 120127-favelas de belem 4 540x405 100dpi 120127-Belém_by_Spix_&_Martius_excerto 540x406 100dpi 120127-Concentração de favelas em Belém 540x338 100dpi 120127-belem 540x361 100dpi 120127-Belèm01 540x405 100dpi 120127-Belèm03 540x359 100dpi 120127-Favela Bom Futuro em Belém 540x286 100dpi 120127-favelas de belem 2 540x350 100dpi 120127-favelas de belem 3 540x375 100dpi 120127-favelas de belem 4 540x405 100dpi 120127-Vila-da-Barca 540x361 100dpi http://brazilinhotpants.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/belem-do-para-396-years/ http://brazilinhotpants.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/belem-do-para-396-years/#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:13:13 +0000 Anton Steeman http://brazilinhotpants.wordpress.com/?p=1100 ]]>

Belém is considered the “gateway” to and the most attractive capital of the Amazon.

Belém do Pará, the capital of the state of Pará, lies approximately 100 km upriver from the Atlantic Ocean, on the Pará River, which is part of the greater Amazon River system, separated from the larger part of the Amazon delta by Ilha de Marajó. With an estimated population of 1,402,056 – 2,249,405 in its metropolitan area – it is the 11th most populous city in Brazil as well as the 16th by economic relevance.

Belém was founded in 1616 by the Kingdom of Portugal, and was the first European colony on the Amazon but did not become part of Brazil until 1775.

This month it commemorates 396 years of its foundation, and is increasingly preferred by tourists for its cultural diversity, its streets, the green islands and the creativity of its people, all characteristics that best sum up the Amazon. A closer look by roaming the streets of its first settlement, Cidade Velha (Old Town), can reveal a little of the architectural and cultural hybridity of Belém do Pará.

Another striking feature is the Portuguese influence showcased in the Feliz Lusitania Complex, with the Casa das Onze Janelas (House of Eleven Windows), the Museum of Sacred Art and the Church of St. Alexander, the Metropolitan Cathedral and Forte do Presépio, which besides representing the foundation of the city, holds relics of the first inhabitants of the Amazon: the Indians.

Visiting Ver-o-Peso, the largest open air market in the country, the tourist’s attention is drawn to the English architecture present in the Praça do Relógio (Clock Square), the Mercado de Carne (Meat Market) and the Mercado de Ferro (Iron Market), one of the main symbols of the city. The Ver-o-Peso market, sells a variety of fruits and delicacies of the Amazon, and is also the scene of encounters between different cultures. In the middle of Ver-o-Peso, the Solar da Beira, depicts the refinement of the time of the founding of Belém, as well as all the architecture around the site.

The most impressive leisure complex, gastronomy and tourism in the region, Estação das Docas, was erected after the decline of the port of Belém, transforming simple iron sheds, long ago imported from Europe. For lunch, sunset or night, that’s where Belém upper class is, to taste the breeze coming from the Guajará Bay, with the exhilarating joy of the place or the menu, excellent quality and flavour of Pará’s culinary escapades.

The Mangal das Gracas is an example of how the state capital unites modernity and environmental preservation. The space constructed on the river Guamá, preserves much of the mangrove vegetation and puts the visitor in contact with certain species of birds and other wildlife in the region. At the site the tourist has a view at the Museu da Navegação (Navy Museum) and a 40 meters high belvedere from where you have a privileged view of the city and the islands of Belém.

The green nature of Belém can be seen in the Botanical Garden Bosque Rodrigues Alves, in the Museum Emílio Goeldi and in Amazon Biopark.

Note: Photos courtesy: Bruno Magno/ORM

Next stop tomorrow: The other side of the coin.

Samba dancer of Rosas de Ouro - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Each year TV Globo recordes a presentation of the samba schools weeks before the real carnival season starts. Next Sunday, 8 Jan., the samba schools of Rio will perform as run up and final test at the Marquês de Sapucaí, better known as the Sambôdromo.
That’s quite interesting as the Sambôdromo is under construction. The pre-carnival session is arranged somewhere between construction material, machines, and workers who spend day and night to get the work done in time for carnival. Inauguration is scheduled for 12 February this year.
Maybe I have photo shoots of this pre-carnival event next week.

In São Paulo the samba bands, dancers and samba queens of São Paulo’s samba schools took last week 2 days to the Credicard Hall at the South Side of São Paulo. Both nights have been recorded by TV Globo.

Samba dancer of Vila Maria - Photo Raul Zito-G1

The performances are a short version of the carnival spectacle to be expected this year.

Banner bearer of Vai-Vai, the champion of last year - Photo Raul Zito-G1

The samba schools participating in the TV recording are the same which will parade during the carnival festivities in the Sambódromo do Anhembi in the northern part of São Paulo, later in February this year. They are: Camisa Verde e Branco, Pérola Negra, Mocidade Alegre, Águia de Ouro, Unidos de Vila Maria, Gaviões da Fiel and Tom Maior.

Samba dancers of Gaviões da Fiel - Photo Raul Zito-G1

The second day, members of the Special Group of Samba Schools performed. This group consists of Dragões da Real, Império de Casa Verde, X-9 Paulistana, Vai-Vai, Rosas de Ouro, Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi and Mancha Verde.

Samba dancers of Gaviões da Fiel - Photo Raul Zito-G1

The samba queens of the drum-bands all said that they combine daily workouts with a balanced diet to be in perfect form for carnival. Enjoy the photos.

Samba dancers of Gaviões da Fiel - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba dancers of Dragões da Real - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba dancer of Via-Vai, the champion of Carnival 2011 - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba dancer of Império de Casa Verde - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Muses of Rosas de Ouro - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba dancers of Vila Maria - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Dancers of Mocidade Alegre - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Dancers of Império de Casa Verde - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Dancers of Império de Casa Verde - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba school Camisa Verde e Branco - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba dancer of Águia de Ouro - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Samba school Acadêmicos do Tucuruvi - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Baiana singer of Vai-Vai - Photo Raul Zito-G1

Dancers of Vai-Vai, champion of Carnival 2011 - Photo Raul Zito-G1

If you want to see the original photo series click here.

But what means BRL 77,00 (USD 43.00) extra a month? It might be little, but it gives the people with the lowest wages some extra to spend. More importantly there are two other facts which will influence the economic development of Brazil tremendously. Or so it is said.

Number one. With the adjustment the minimum wage goes from BRL 545 (USD 303) to BRL 622 (USD 346). 48 million people who live from a minimum wage are benefited and have seen a cumulative gain of 65% above inflation since 2002, according to Dieese (The Brazilian Institute for Statistics).

Number two. To those earning a minimum wage the increase of BRL 77 might seem small, for the country’s economy this adjustment will mean a ‘stimulus’ or ‘extra purchase power’ of BRL 47 billion (USD 26 billion). The increase might look small but it still represents quite some extra food on the table.

Economist Edward Rino explains that more money in the workman’s pocket means a greater volume of purchases. “If you look at the number of people who receive a minimum wage, actives as well as retirees, the adjustment will result in a very high financial increase of our economy and this is encouraging the federal authorities to state that the economy growths up to 5% in 2012, a figure I don’t believe in”.

And he might be right. The forecast for growth of the Brazilian economy in 2012 fell again. A weekly survey conducted by the Central Bank together with market analysts of Institute Focus shows that the expected expansion of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – an index that measures the volume and evolution of the economy – fell from 3.40% to 3.30%. A month ago, the market expected a stronger economic growth of 3.48% this year.

For the past year the numbers dropped again. According to the survey, the median of expectations for GDP growth in 2011 fell from 2.90% to 2.87%, down from 3.09% recorded four weeks before.

In line with the weaker economy, projections for the performance of the industrial sector also worsened. For 2011, the expected expansion of the segment fell from 0.82% to 0.78%. A month ago, the market bet on industrial advance of 0.94% last year. For 2012, the numbers have not changed and kept the analysts forecast growth of 3.43% against 3.46% a month ago.

Facing a stagnating world trade and consequently a decrease in exports of commodities (the only item Brazil really exports), it is not a bad idea of President Dilma Rousseff to stimulate the internal purchasing power by increasing the minimum wage. BRL 47 billion might not seem a lot for a country the size of Brazil, but it is money directly and immediately flowing back into industrial activity. There is one danger however. Inflation!

Although official figures relate an inflation of roughly 6%, reality is quite different. Shoppers, particularly the ones visiting supermarkets for their daily food supplies, are confronted with shameless price increases of 10 to 15%, sometimes implemented each month in a row. That fact eliminates the intention of the government to add some extra wealth to the less fortunate.

In São Paulo a driver tried to descend a flight of steps with his car and of course got stuck between the walls.

Photo: Eliezer dos Santos/VC no G1

After exiting his car through the window, he declared that he didn’t recognise the road as a cul-de-sac and thought that the stairs were just the continuation of the road.

The story doesn’t tell whether it was a male or female driver, but in any case a Brazilian.

The streets of Belém, Brazil, the city where I live, showed Christmas decorations made from recycled material, like PET bottles. The illumination was inaugurated on the 16th of December - Photos Reuters

Happy New Year.

Inspired by the spirit of Christmas, Rosana Ferreira dressed as Mamãe Noel.

It is the end of the year and many are celebrating these holidays. I like to top this year with a light-hearted item. Running up to Carnival in February, we will see some more serious articles regarding live in Brazil. I hope that visitors of this blog not solely restrict their interest to the scantily clad Brazilian beauties, I offer my readers every now and then. Brazilian life has much more to offer. But for the end of the year enjoy Miss Bumbum 2011.

There is no country in the world with a beauty contest where the bumbum (female derriere) is centre piece, except Brazil. Everywhere in the world the feminist movements would be fired up, screaming hell and damnation. Not in Brazil. Of course also here a growing number of lunatic humourless hypocrites are fighting what the Brazilian and his counterpart enjoy.

It is not a mere surprise that Brazil is known, among other reasons more or less noble, as the country with the beautiful female butts. Besides the genetical characteristics of the Brazilian female body, the history of Brazilian show business has always been marked by girls who dared and proudly raised the banner of “Queen of the Bumbum”.

In addition to genetics, along came a fashion detail – of course small – to provide power to the symbolism around the “national passion”. Created in France in 1946, the bikini became popular in Brazil in the late 50′s. The small two-piece outfit was a hit among tv and film celebrities who showed off on the beaches of Copacabana and not long after the mini-pieces of cloth were flashed all along the Brazilian coast, covering only small parts of the girls, evolving into the (in)famous “fio-dental”.

Take a look at carnival within a few months. Carnival is coming and so the adoration of the bumbum. The bumbum, for the male Brazilian, that is, is not simply a female butt, behind, backside, bum, buttocks, it is and always will be the most adorable part of the female body. He doesn’t see it as just the fleshy part of the female body that she sits on, it is elevated to be the national passion. Bumbum is a pet name, nothing degrading, only admiration.
And she knows it and appreciates the attention that part of her body receives.

Oh, don’t make a mistake. The Brazilian female is well emancipated. She, without any doubt, rules the Brazilian world, in economics, in politics, in education and whatever you want. Only, there is one difference with the rest of the world. The Brazilian woman never ever forgot her femininity. She is emancipated, without doubt, but never forgot to show her female attractions, and behave with femininity. She is the epitome of the real emancipated woman and not the caricatural and narrow-minded feminist. She refuses to be transformed into a pseudo-macho, a de-feminized creature, a bitch.

And so we ended up with the annual contest of Miss Bumbum.

In early December, the bumbum of Rosana Ferreira, representative for the federal state of Ceará, was chosen the most beautiful in Brazil by the readers of the magazine “Sexy”. Besides the award of BRL 5,000 (USD 2,780), the winner was guaranteed a test for a photo shoot for the cover of the Christmas issue of the magazine, which hit the newsstands the 26th of December. Maybe too late as a Christmas Present.

Graciella Carvalho from Maranhão

Of the 27 candidates, each federal state had a representative, who started the race, 15 were selected for the final. The second place was for Graciella Carvalho from Maranhão, and third place for Mariana Freitas from Acre.

In an interview after winning the contest, the blonde said she isn’t thinking about posing naked for any magazine. “Not even for good money,” said the girl. But barely was she crowned “Miss Bumbum 2011″, or Rosana Ferreira signed a contract to pose nude and to grace the cover of the next issue of “Sexy” magazine.

Mariana Freitas from Acre

If you want to see all 15 finalists, go to “15 finalistas” or “15 candidatas” and enjoy.

I have stated before that manufactured goods in Brazil, specifically consumer goods at all levels, have a much lower quality standard, than similar products made in Europe or the USA. Brazil is in many ways still a lawless Wild West market, where manufacturers can dump any product for any price. Even products made by multinationals, as Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Unilever and many others, have in Brazil often a lower quality and more dubious artificial and chemical additives, than products in Europe marketed under the same brand name.

And it is the same with the automotive industry. A new round of tests under the safety assessment program for new cars, organized by the Latin NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme), found that the most popular models sold and made in Brazil have a high risk of fatal injury to drivers and passengers, in the event of a frontal collision.

Seven basic models of the country’s top automakers – Volkswagen, Fiat, General Motors, Ford and Peugeot – were classified with a “one” on a scale from zero (lowest) to five (highest quality standard in terms of safety). This means that the safety of the best sold cars in the country is equivalent to that of European cars 20 years ago, concludes the Latin NCAP, which is a joint initiative of the International Automobile Federation, the Global New Car Assessment Programme, and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and other research institutions.

Among the models which failed the tests are the Gol Trend (Volkswagen), the New Uno and Palio ELX (Fiat), Celta and Corsa Classic (General Motors), KA (Ford) and the Peugeot 207. All models were without airbags. According to the Latin NCAP, the test results “clearly show the benefits of the airbag”.
Among the car models with airbag tested by the program, the lowest score was 3. The Toyota Corolla with two airbags, for example, achieved grade 4, while the Chevrolet Meriva GL with the same equipment, scored a 3.

“The airbag is a supplementary restraint system and must be used together with the seat belt and not as an alternative to it”, the study warns. The Latin NCAP reports that the airbag is, since 1990, a safety standard for Ford cars in the USA. And that the use of lateral airbags was introduced by Volvo in 1995. The cost of producing an air bag unit, according to the study, is USD 50.

But the situation is even worse for the Brazilian consumer. The tests proved another more serious problem in the national models, besides the absence of airbags. The tests showed that the bodies of the Made-in-Brazil cars are fragile, unable to withstand strong impacts, and have dangerous structures that present serious risks of injury and even mortal risks to its passengers, especially the area around the head of the driver. These weak structural points essentially are there to protect passengers and prevent injuries.

And look what the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea) has as comment. The same old, and short-sighted, answer you get all over the world where multinationals are dominating the market.
Asked to comment on the results of the new round of Latin NCAP tests, the National Association of Vehicle Manufacturers (Anfavea) reported that the vehicles produced in Brazil meet all legal requirements for safety and emissions of pollutants existing in the country.
Nice answer: we follow the law. In a country where consumer protection is almost lawless and if there are laws protecting the consumer, toothless, industry never considered that ethics, morality and social responsibility should inevitably belong to the characteristics of the industrial world. Multinationals have to be part of the economic and social development of a country in which they operate.
The Anfavea answer is a shame.

In two articles I will spend some words on the Transpacific Highway, which have to merge ones with the Estrada Interoceânica, which will connect Brazil, with Chile, Bolivia, Peru and via Lima with the rest of the South American countries like Columbia, Ecuador and Venezuela.
The first article is a travel report from Pablo Pereira, reporter with the journal Estado de S. Paulo. All photos are made by Epitacio Pessoa, photo-journalist with Estado de S. Paulo.
The second article (in a few days) will relate more technical and practical facts and figures about the bus trip.

The original travel report (in Portuguese) you can find at “Olhar sobre o Mundo”.

The longest bus route in South America is 5,917 km and connects the bus terminal Tietê in São Paulo, with the district of San Isidro in Lima, Peru. The overland journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a centennial dream of integration of the two countries, exists of a complex of roads that crosses five Brazilian states and seven departments in Peru during a voyage of four days.

Bus crosses the Parana River between the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul 03/08/2011. Photo Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Some weeks ago, reporters of the journal Estado de São Paulo followed the adventures of 18 passengers who faced the 96-hour trip aboard a bus of the Peruvian company Expreso Ormeño. The “double decker” bus, which has room for 44 passengers, stops only for refuelling, food and hygiene – each time with a maximum of 40 minutes.

Passengers of Expreso Ormeño during the trip. 04/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

The departure for the capital of Peru happens in box 31 at Tietê, at 8 hours, once every 15 days. The ticket costs BRL 468 (USD 260). The São Paulo-Lima line is operated since November 2010 by Ormeño, an international road transport company with bus routes from Peru to Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina and Venezuela.

Bridge over the Parana River between the states of São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul 03/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

The first stop after a 6 hours ride, at 14.00hrs is in Maracaí, along the Raposo Tavares highway, near Ourinhos, for refuelling and lunch. At this point the first inconveniences of the long journey begin to appear. The next stop to stretch your legs will only happen in Cáceres (Mato Grosso) the morning of the second day. It’s time to take the first – and comforting – bath.

Mato Grosso do Sul 03/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

For BRL 3.00 (USD 1,65) passengers can enjoy seven minutes in a hot water bath controlled by an employee of the gas station. With shouting, he coordinates the water flow of the showers, in series, on both the male and female side. “Number one you are on. But you have to wait one minute for the water to get there. Number two, can I connect you?” shouts the boy at the door of the shower stalls.

Mato Grosso do Sul 03/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Then again hours of pastures, cattle and forest range in the distance, following the bus to stop in Pontes e Lacerda for lunch at 14h. On the menu, rice, fried chicken, spaghetti and salad. Soon after, the warning: the next stop only the next day, at around 07.00hrs in a roadside bar in Nova California, at the border of Rondônia with Acre.

BR070, in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul 04/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Bad road surface of the BR364, in the state of Mato Grosso. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

But first, in the middle of the night, a surprise: the crossing of the Rio Madeira, in the BR 364, near Abunã, must be made by boat. Everyone has to descend the bus to let it pass empty, with the people seated next to the vehicle. Later, after an hour on the Rio Branco Highway, the last frontier: Assis Brasil (Brazilian side) and Iñapari (Peru).

Passengers of the Expreso Ormeño walking to the ferry for the crossing of the Rio Madeira. 04/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

BR317 in the state of Acre. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

A forced stop. Without ID, the passenger Christopher Hernan Pacheco, 15, is barred by the Brazilian Federal Police, and causes an enforced break of three hours on the trip. After a call to São Paulo, where his family lives, the federal agents are convinced that everything is alright. Peruvian with Brazilian citizenship, the boy returns to his country after four years. He is eager to see his homeland. After a few meters through customs, he kills his longing for an Inca Kola, a popular soda drink in Peru.

Interoceanic Highway that connects Puerto Maldonado to Lima. 05/08/2011. Photo Epitacio Pessoa / AE

At this point begins the Interoceanic Highway (Estrada or Rodoviário Interoceânica(o)), a newly paved stretch that connects Assis Brasil in Acre, with Puerto Maldonado, the state capital of Madre de Dios in Peru. There, around 21.00hrs, the passengers have to descend the bus a second time.

Intercontinental Bridge Madre de Dios (Mother of God), in Puerto Maldonado in Peru. 05/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

The Intercontinental Bridge, about 500 meters, inaugurated last year by Peru President Alan Garcia and Brazilian President Lula, cannot be used. The supporting cables showed irregularities and the work should only be ready in September, almost one year after the political festivities. The only way is, again, appeal to the ferry – for the bus that is – and a makeshift wooden boat for the passengers. The price per person: one sol (Peruvian currency) – about BRL 0.60 (USD 0.33) – to cross the river “full of piranhas,” according to the boatman.

Passengers of the Expreso Ormeño land the boat after crossing the river Madre de Dios in Puerto Maldonado. 05/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

“Cuidado. Esto es peligroso,” alerts Gonzalo Alayo Perez, 81, a passenger travelling from São Paulo to Lima, on entering the boat. “Exiting the bus at night and having to cross the river in a small boat like this is absurd”, says the Brazilian Creusa Amazonas, who embarked in São Paulo for a ten days sightseeing in Cuzco and Lima. Go to the other side of the river in a small boat is also one of the most delicate moments of the trip for Elza Menendez Carlos from Peru, 37, who lives in Mooca, in São Paulo, and travelled with her daughters Lilian, 12, and Suellen of 2 years.

Clandestine gold miners along the Interoceanic Highway that connects Puerto Maldonado to Lima. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

With the youngest daughter sitting in her lap, Elza warns the teenager to be careful while the boatman lifts up the nose of the wooden vessel into the dark river, lit only by a flashlight. From the boat you can see the lights of the brand new bridge. About 200 meters up the river, the ferry takes the empty bus to the other side.

Stretch from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado in Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

But the most shocking part of the trip hasn’t even started yet. For over two nights with one half day in the middle, the bus travels through the most critical area and the most beautiful as well: the Peruvian Amazon and the Andes mountain range. The “autobús” (coach, in Spanish) is winding up and down slopes of peaks, rises and falls, and turns following successive U-curves.

The bus takes a road at 4200 meters altitude, between Cuzco and Puerto Maldonado in Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Anibal Castillo, 55, with 30 years in the profession as coach driver, takes the steering wheel for the spurt into the forests of Madre de Dios. Castillo likes to drive at night. “It’s cooler”, he says. In his hands, the passengers see a piece of the Peruvian Amazon. In the middle of nowhere, late at night on the third day, towards Cuzco, there are the lights of the gold miners. Tractors take advantage of the darkness in the jungle for washing gravel in search of gold.

Andean Altiplano, between Cuzco and Puerto Maldonado in Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Suddenly, a stop. It is time for the youngest driver. Franklin McCubbin, 53, takes command over one of the most stressful stretches in the direction of historic Cuzco.

Llamas by the roadside of the Interoceânica that connects Puerto Maldonado to Lima. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

“This is the hardest part”, the three drivers agree. “There are stretches in Mato Grosso and Rondônia (BR 364) which also slow the trip”, says McCubbin. “But this here is not so much work. What it takes is to get the powerful coach to an altitude of 4,725 meters, at an average speed of 30 km/h on the Highways 26 and 3S, and then descending to the bottom of the valley until you reach Cuzco”.

Llamas by the roadside of the Interoceânica that connects Puerto Maldonado to Lima. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

The vision of the break of dawn near the mysterious city in the region of the Inca sanctuary of Machu Picchu, helps to cope with the nausea of the sharp curves. During the stop of about 40 minutes, still in the morning, the second bath of the voyage. A hot shower for 3 soles (BRL  2,00 = USD 1.10) in a house behind the city’s bus station. And then back on the road. With asphalt floors without holes, well signalised, the road is good. And there are only two tracks.

Village on the way to Abancay, Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

“No problem,” says Jacinto Napan, 55, in the solitude of his driver’s seat during his turn on the third night of the trip. Napan shifts gears, reduces or increases the engine’s power of the modern bus listening to Andean music. In off hours, he rests in the compartment behind the cabin or takes advantage of empty seats upstairs to watch movies that entertain the travellers.

Traffic on the Interoceanic Highway that connects Puerto Maldonado to Lima. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Nazca. On Saturday night, finally, begins the descent to the coast. In front of us: the plain of Nazca. Upstairs, passengers are asleep, intoxicated by the vibration of the coach and the thin air at this altitude. The moon lights up the plain which houses curious stone structures that form giant drawings of animals. The driver Napan announces the distant lights of Nazca. He explains that the highway has “viewpoints” where, during the day, you can see some of the top structures that intrigue the world.

The bus station in Cuzco. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

For almost 90 hours on board, already counting the curves of the access road to Lima, the patient driver can no longer hide his rush. On the straight stretches to Nazca, he doesn’t delay to step up the speed. It is Sunday morning.

The Interoceanic Highway that connects Cuzco to Lima, Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

The last driver change occurs near Ica, with Lima nearby. Franklin Mc Cubbin returns to the steering wheel on Highway 1. You see the lights of the Peruvian capital. In the coach, a stirring upstairs reveals the anxiety of the passengers. A line of people forms on the stairs. Arriving in San Isidro takes place at 0600hrs local time. It’s the end of the line.

A woman tends her sheep crossing the Interoceanic Highway that connects Cuzco to Lima, Peru. 06/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Browse two countries for four days and four nights sitting in a bus is a challenge that requires patience and a taste for adventure. There are long stretches up to 18 hours non-stop without hygiene or food. The next article will give the technical facts of the trip and tips for a comfortable journey. The trip certainly is worth a try. A never-to-forget experience.

After a journey of 96 hours the passengers disembark in Lima, Peru. 07/08/2011. Photo: Epitacio Pessoa / AE

Smoldering Pastureland Cleared For Cattle From The Amazon Rain Forest. Rondônia State, Brazil. (Photo by Michael Nichols/National Geographic/Getty Images)

Since the beginning of the occupation of the Amazon by non-indigenous people, at least 2.6 billion trees have been cut down, estimates the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE = The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) in a study titled: “Geoestatísticas de Recursos Naturais da Amazônia Legal” (Geo-statistics of the Natural Resources of the Amazon Legal), released the 1st of June. Almost half of that loss (1.2 billion trees) occurred in the federal state of Pará. The cleared area represents 15.3% of the original vegetation of the biome.

And that was till 2002, the reference year of the study. The discussions about the new Forestry Code, approved by Congress, but still in the Senate for its final vote 6 months from now, threw open the doors for a further and rapid devastation of the Amazon rainforest. Since last January, landowners and land speculators began to clear forests in the hope to create a fait accompli in favour of amnesty for the devastators of the Amazon.

DETER, the satellite System for Detection of Deforestation in Real Time, recorded the deforestation of 5.850 square kilometres in the nine months of August last year till April this year, many by ruthlessly using the “correntão”. Stretched between two bulldozers, a huge chain fells the trees by the roots, claiming all life on the way. In the end, the trees are collected. The logs are sold, and the rest is burned.

But deforestation is not only with the correntão, as many loggers work for the timber industry. The reason is simple. The loggers are working quietly under the canopy of trees, and are only found if the inspection team in a helicopter flies low or when denounced, which is rare. If they happen to be caught, they are arrested and immediately thereafter released. So what’s the problem? A new tree will grow, within 5 years there is a new one. What the hell.

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo

To fell a tree, there’s not much preparation needed. The logger knows which way the stem will fall and orders: “It’s over there”. The noise of the chainsaw is nothing. Takes about two or three minutes. It is even hard to hear the thud of the tree falling through the branches of the others.

Brazil biomes

Since the existence of Brazil 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed. But not only the Amazon rainforest suffers from deforestation. The Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado (savannah) – two other very important biomes, with a unique biodiversity, are also seriously threatened.

The Atlantic Forest, which originally ran along the Brazilian coast from end to end, spanning 1.3 million square kilometres, has today only 7% of its original size (about 52,000 km2). The Cerrado, the second largest biome in Brazil, located in the central region of the country, originally had 2 million square kilometres of vegetation, and is now down to only 20%. Deforestation in the Cerrado is alarming, reaching 3 million hectares per year, equivalent to 2.6 football fields per minute.

The rampant deforestation puts Brazil among the world’s biggest emitter of carbon dioxide (greenhouse gas) and methane into the atmosphere. Between 60% to 75% of Brazil’s emissions come from deforestation of the rainforest.

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo

The loss of trees are concentrated in the east (Pará, Maranhão and Tocantins) and in the south (Mato Grosso and Rondônia) of the so-called Amazônia Legal. Livestock appears in the publication of IBGE as primarily responsible for the alteration of the original coverage of the earth, representing 51.7% of the deforested area. Secondary vegetation (which arises naturally after the abandonment of areas used by men) accounted for 32.1%, and agriculture, to 15.2%.

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo

In absolute terms, the devastation is concentrated in the dense rain: 60% of the removed trees were standing there. The biggest loss was recorded in Pará (1.2 billion trees), followed by Maranhão (584 million), Mato Grosso (281 million) and Rondônia (214 million). Of the still existing 17.6 billion trees in 2002, the highest concentration is in the state of Amazonas (7.4 billion), followed by Pará (5.2 billion) and Mato Grosso (1.7 billion).

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo

The Amazon region covers 5,016,136.3 km2, which represents 59% of the country. In it live around 24 million people. The Amazon biome, the most extended of the Brazilian biomes, corresponds to 1/3 of the rainforests on the planet, has the highest biodiversity, the largest genetic database, and 1/5 of the availability of drinking water worldwide.

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo

I end this article with some words written by Chris Bueno, on his blog “O Verde do Brasil”:
“In Brazil the colour green is seriously threatened. Although it is crying in the wilderness to state that you need a series of measures to preserve our environmental wealth, and raise awareness and educate both the entire population and the authorities, this statement still holds true – and is getting very urgent. Otherwise, we run the serious risk of losing all our green – even the green in our flag”.

Aerial view of an area deforested by soybean farmers in Novo Progreso, Pará, Brazil - Photo: Alberto Cesar/Greenpeace

Photo: Eliária Andrade/Ag O Globo