On location in Juruena

Heading or Juruena

We were up bright and early Wednesday morning as we prepared to head off to our final destination of Juruena. As if the journey was not going to be testing enough, Fr. Paudie and Liam headed out on an early morning walk at 6.00am to inspect the terrain that lay ahead!! With breakfast on board it was time to go. On this occasion we had to split for the journey. Fr. Sean Deegan brought all our luggage in his truck along with four passangers which left two to travel via the local bus. Mary and Liam volunteered to travel the more authentic way!!!

Age before beauty Liam!!

Mary gives Liam a helping hand onto the bus

The End of the Road!!

We set off from the town of Castanhiera but as soon as we reached the edge of the village, we ran out of road!! Thankfully the trail was dry and beautuful morning sunshine bid us farewell. Little did we know what lay ahead as the terrain unfolded and, as if to make us feel right at home, the rain came down in buckets!


The journey from Castanhiera to Juruena is 120km approx. It is hard to believe that in the year 2012 and in a country than is going to host both the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016 that there is no proper road structure throughout the country. The dirt trail is as wide as a normal road and is used by all forms of traffic. Apart form a light aircraft or helecopter, this is the only way that normal business is kept going. All the usual necessities and services such as post, fuel, food, etc have to be transported by road. It just takes a heck of a long time to make these deliveries.

The journey traverses rivers and streams every few miles. Just as there is no tarmac road structure, neither is there a concrete bridge stucture. All the bridges are make of a hardwood timber and are constructed in all shapes and sizes depending on the water flow underneath. During the rain season - which is just starting now - these rivers and streams can rise quite high and will on occasion totally submerge these wooden structures.


We are next after this car!




During these times, Juruena and all the other towns up here are cut off from the outside world. I suppose if you are traversing these bridges all the time, you get used to it but it requires accurate driving as the ramp for the wheels is quite narrow. The bridge will be quite wide in comparrison to the size of a vehicle but the tyre / wheel path is just suffucuent for the job!!





Sean's 4x4 put to the test!


We had a stop about half way to Juruena. Mary and Liam had a tale or two to tell about their experience on the bus!! The best way I can describe it is to imagine as if you are travelling along a wide cow path at home in Ireland. Then drive along that at 30 / 40 km per hour for 120km. As bumpy as it may be in a car, just thinnk of what it might be like in a bus or if you are the driver of a 40ft fuel tanker or double trailor cattle truck.   Regularly, if the rain is heavy, the larger trucks will get stuck in the mud and may have to be pulled out or wait untill the road dries out a bit as was the case on Wednesday. Just after our pit stop, the heavens opened and the dusty trail became a mud bath in minutes. The 4 wheel drive on the jeep was soon put to the test and traction control became a neccessity for survival. On occasion trucks have been known to shed their load as they slip backwards and capsise into the embankment at that side of the trail. More often a truck will get stuck in the middle of the road not being able to go forwards or backwards and block the road for hours. Thankfully our only dely in that regard was a 40ft truck that got caught near the top of a hill but had to reverse back down and try again!

Rough Terrain along the Way.

 The weight of the heavy trucks sink into the clay soil at all times but even more so in the rain. The second half of our journey was an effort to avoid these large pot holes and tyre trenches. Despite travelling in a 4 x 4 we still ended up needing minor repair work on route as one of the protection bars for the fuel tank broke and trailed the ground. We slowly made our way to the nearest Fasenza (ranch) for assistance. These ranches are totally self-sufficennt in mechanical repairs for all their own farm machinery. Our minor surgery was no problem to them and they had us sorted relatively quickly. We were able to park up in one of their large storage sheds as by not the rain was teaming down. Even a few seconds in the rain left you soaked to the skin. There was absolutely no chance of doing roadside repair under such conditions. We discovered later that the bus had also required a pit stop for minor repairs. In this case the bus driver was able to sort the problem himself...No doubt our Liam would have come to the rescue if necesary!!
Four hours after leaving Castinhera and a week after leaving Ireland, we arrived at our final destination of Juruena. It was a long journey in many respects but memorable stories and experiences along the way to remember. The final leg of the trip certainly left an indellible memory for all of us.

Arrival in Juruena

I would doubt that the triumphal entry of Jesus to Jerusalem could match the welcome for Fr. Paudie as he arrived back to Juruena. We were all overwhelmed by the hospitality and welcome that we each received but there was no mistaking the “favourite boy”!! Their pastor had returned after three months back home in Ireland but the home-coming here left us in no doubt about the love and affection with which Fr. Paudie is held here in Juruena. It equally and rightly deserves the title “home”.


One Man and his dog along with Claudia

 The excitement was palpable as the countless people from the parish called to greet the Irish contingent and their esteemed pastor and friend, Fr. Paudie. Yet despite all that excitement, there was one who stole the show in terms of welcome. It was Fr. Paudie’s dog, Guadalahara. The energy and enthusiasm she put into her greeting was described as a miracle. She is advanced in age now and was not in great health of recent weeks – so much so that it was feared she might not survive for his return back this time. As Guadalahara saw her master, it was like Lazarus awaking from the dead as she sprang to life and howled incessantly with excitement.


There is a saying here in Brazil - "The man who does not have a dog hunts with a cat!" Well, Fr. Paudie has both a cat and a dog, Guadalahare and Vale. And as you see in the pictures on the side, they get on well with each other.



Later in the afternoon we took a walk around town with Fr. Paudie. I doubt that President Michael D. Higgins will attract the same attention next Monday when he visits Brazil as our Fr. Paudie. From shops and cafe bars people came out to welcome him back. Cars, trucks and motorcycles were abandoned on the road as their owners recognised Fr. Paudie and stopped there and then to greet him. No mere shake of the hand was sufficient as each in their turn gave a warm embrace. The following morning Liam and I went for a walk around 6am with Fr. Paudie. It was the same again as people stopped in their vehicles or along the street to welcome him back.


Herbie retires to Juruena, Brazil

Even Herbie came out to greet Fr. Paudie. I bet many of you did not realise that Herbie lives here in Juruena!!

The welcome and hospitality here in Juruena is second to none. People are so welcoming and delighted that a group from Fr. Paudie’s home parish in Ireland have come to visit and spend time with them. Parishioners have been calling to the house to say hello, bring homemade dishes to sample, etc. As each activity takes place in the parish hall or catechetics centre they call over to greet us. Yesterday all the children called over before catechetics class to welcome us to Juruena.

The parish house functions like a community in itself. The parish staff and all associated with the various activities come and go at ease. There is a great sense of ownership and belonging amongst the people. The pride with which people perform their various ministries is very evident. Whether on the parish council, a catechist, a choir leader / member, finance committee, reader, Eucharistic minister, etc., their engagement in it comes across very strong. There are a lot of young adults actively involved which we do not have so much in Ireland.

Lunch upon arrival to Fr. Paudie's house in Juruen

 

Finding our Feet...

We are well settled in now in Juruena.   Despite the language barrier we are all getting along the finest.   We just follow the instructions from Fr. Paudie - a good Irish smile, a warm embrace, and a greeting in Portuguese such as  Bom dia, Good day)  Boa tarde Good afternoon) etc.   People are very welcoming of us and delighted that we have come to visit their parish.

As we are near the equator, night and day does not vary much throughout the year.   It gets bright around 5.00am in the morning and gets dark around 6.00pm in the evening.   The day here starts early with most people on the move by 7.00am.   There is no question of not knowing that the morning has arrived as the cock crows at 5.00am as regular as clockwork!!   A few mornings we have headed out for a walk at 6am as it is still somewhat cool.   It starts off relatively quiet even though businesses are open.   But by 6.45am the streets and roads fill up with people heading to work and children heading for school..   Again, the majority travel by motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot.   Motor traffic is relatively small.


Typical Motorbike Trailer

It is not unusual to see up to four of the one family on the one motorbike. Both parents will be managing a child each as they travel.   Many young boys and girls also have motorbikes.  What is unusual maybe is that everyone seems to drive easy.   There is nobody showing off or flying down the street at great speed.   Many motorcycles are adapted to carry a small trailer which might be used for deliveries, for work purposes, etc.   I suppose these trailers are put to the same use as the boot of a car.

One of the biggest changes here in Juruena in the past five years has been the arrival of electricity for almost everyone.   This has been part of the current government's policy in Brazil and has been very successful in these parts of Brazil.   Prior to this people used generators for their electricity supply or had none at all.   As we travelled the dusty road to Juruena, the new  single line electricity supply cable stood out.   That supply cable finished in a large distribution centre on the edge of town where it then takes off in many directions around town.  Just as many people at home claim that rural electrification brought the single biggest change to life in Ireland, it is having a similar effect here.   Apart from the obvious advantages of an electricity supply for a household, the spin off advantages for the town have been important.   New shops have opened up selling electrical goods such as fridges, freezers, TVs, washing machines etc.  

While the  availability of electricity has been a national project, local government is also very important in terms of improving community services.   In fact, voting for the local elections is taking place today tomorrow.   During the week we met all the candidates who are up for election.   We also met the outgoing Mayor of the town who called to meet us.  He is completing his second term of office so cannot stand for election again.   During his term of office many improvements have also taken place.   Street lighting was introduced to the main streets in the past year.   Although there is no tarmac between here and Juina, the main streets of the town have been covered during his term of office.  In response to Fr. Paudie's suggestion and persuasion, a new park and walking track has been developed.   It also now has an outdoor exercise area with equipment similar to the park in Templemore.


Newly Created Lakeside Walk in Juruena



At Work in Juruena

A major project that Fr. Paudie is involved in promoting is the sustainability of the rain forests here in the region. The parish itself has a very impressive ecological center "Chacara Sao Patricio" that we visited on Friday. Literally thousands of trees have been planted over the past few years. While tree planting is vitally important, education and the promotion of sustainability is equally important. The center is used for such purpose also. Children come to the centre on a regular basis as do adult groups. It is impossible to recall all that we saw and heard but there is every kind of tree, plant, vegetable, fruit, and herb.

 The diocese here is active in promoting natural herbal remedies for sickness and health. Many of the herbs used for these remedies are grown in the ecological centre. A clinic is run each week here in the parish for these natural herbal remedies and is very popular.

Lenisvaldo explains and Fr. Paudie translates!

As the ecological centre is located in the forest, a pathway has been developed through the natural habitat giving a first hand experience of what the Amazon Rain Forest is like.   It was just teeming with nature as we walked through it.   Again no words or camera could capture what we experienced out there.   There was a beauty, a peacefulness, a stillness, and yet surrounded by the activity of nature.

We have been working a few days at the Chacara Sao Patricio getting ready for the new growth that will shoot up as the rain falls in the coming weeks.   With very warm temperatures and lots of rain, growth will be exceptionally fast.

Working in the this extreme heat is hard enough but the bugs and insects that are feeding off us is even more disconcerting!!!   They are really having a feast of Irish blood these days.    Most days are C 30+ and gets warm quite early in the day.  That is one of the reasons why work and school starts so early.   Dinner time for most families here is 11.30am.   Everywhere shuts down from then until 4pm when it starts to cool down a little bit again.

Before........

After

Update:   We have been busy most days with various activities.   We try and get our work done early in the day as the heat is so intense and gets much too hot by noon to be outdoors in the direct heat of the sun.   As mentioned earlier, everything shuts down from 12pm-4pm anyway for siesta.   In the evening time we usually visit some points of local interest in the parish.
 

Stella gives music lessons to the children.




Stella has been quite busy with music.   She has been giving tin whistle classes each evening to children after school.   This has been quite a popular event since getting here.   She brought a box of tin whistles to there is one for everyone in the audience.    This week here in Brazil is the "week of the child" so the schools have been having all sorts of activities going on to celebrate the week.  






Stella on a Classroom Visit.




Again, Stella has been busy entertaining in some of the schools that we have been visiting.   Most schools operate two sessions of work with some busier ones having a third session in later evening.   So the first group will have school from 7.00am-11.00am; then another group will have school from 4.00pm - 7.00pm.  

We brought a number of classroom supplies with us such as copy books, coulering pensils, pens etc. which each of the schools was very happy to receive.

Photo shows Bart and Fr.Paudie on a school visit.   The children were very interested in hearing about Ireland and our visit to them.




Apart from the work at the ecological centre we have been over at the Community Centre of St. Francis of Assisi quite a bit helping to clear the site from vegetation and making space for the planting of new trees.



Many hands make light work.

 Yesterday was one of the hottest yet reaching C 42 by mid morning.   In keeping with the overall ecological spirit, no sprays are used to kill the weeds.   It is all done manually.   The implements they use are quite good for that purpose and quite an amount of ground can be cleared quickly.  

A Job Well Done!






Our here, Ice is as good as gold!!

On the way back to the house for dinner we made a stop for some refreshments and to see a small family industry, part of which was ice-making. Ap  art from using ice for drinks etc, ice is also used for storage.   Items are placed in large chest containers that are then covered in ice.    The unit in the picture makes 50 bars of ice every few hours which are then transferred to a large refrigeration unit similar to what is in a butcher shop at home.   We were in no rush to vacate the large fridge that day!!

This family provide their services similar to outside caterers for parties, weddings, social events etc.  They have a large supply of tables and chairs and can provide a bar service of cool beer and soft drinks.   There was a rust to explore the large freezers in an effort to cool down.

An update on the local elections:   Cicilio was elected Mayor of Juruena.   We met him one of the mornings while out walking.   He spent a few years working in a bar in New York so is one of the few who has good English.  He had nothing going out there but worked hard and saved as much as he could for those years.   He made enough to return to Brazil and bought a small farm which he has since greatly extended and is now doing very well for himself and his family.   There was great excitement and celebrations around town for the winners.  On a note that might interest us in Ireland - all voting was done electronically!!!   Over 130 million people voted last Sunday with the poling stations closing at 5.00pm.   The results were released by 8.30pm that evening.   Without getting political about it, it almost makes me sick to see the poverty out here and the wasted millions we spent in Ireland on electronic voting machines that are now scrap metal.   I'm still not sure whether it was the politicans or the actual electronic voting machines that were the real problem!!

Heading for Juina

Today we are travelling to Juina, the diocese where Fr. Paudie is based here in Brazil.   It is 2700km from Sao Paulo to Juina.   It makes you think again in terms of distance and the size of Ireland.   We are so small a country compared with the enormity of Brazil.   We got a flight this morning from Sao Paulo to Cuiaba..   As I write this update, we are currently in the seminary here in Cuiaba.   This is a small seminary comprising of an amalgamation of three diocese.  Currently there are six students training for the priesthood here.

We got here around 12pm and had lunch before siesta time!!   We will be on the road again this evening at 7.00pm to catch an over-night bus to Juina.  The bus journey takes 12 hours to our next station where we will be met by Fr. Sean Deegan. From there it is another three hours journey to Juruena where Fr. Paudie is based.    

The blast of heat as we disembarked from the aeroplane was overwhelming. The temperature here today is C35 (in the shade).   Fr. Paudie was explaining to us that Cuiaba is renowned for its heat.   It is like an oven as it is surrounded by mountains and a perfect catchment for the sun. It has a furnace effect.   I will update again as soon as I can.   We are all in good form and enjoying the experience. 

Castanhiera Tree

We finally arrived in Juina at 7.30am this morning. Fr. Sean Deegan was there waiting for us as planned. After loading all our luggage into his truck, he brought us to a cafe to sample a refreshing local fruit drink - cupucuacu. From there we made the short 35 min trip to his parish town of Castanheira. The town takes its name from the castanheira tree which literally means ¨`The Brazil Nut Tree¨`.


As we were travelling throughout the night, most of our journey was in the dark. However, towards the latter half our trip, we were able to see the countryside and get out first impressions of the Mato Grosso region. The 3 main tillage crops up here are soya beans, cotton and sugar cane. The part of the journey that we passed off in the dark was mostly large plantations of these crops. Closer to Juina the land seemed to be mostly divided into large ranches.



What initially stand out are the large deposits of tree cuttings scattered across the fields. The explanation was rather obvious in hindsight. We are now in the Amazon region so this entire area was covered in trees. In fact, the town of Juina where we got off the bus did not exist 30 years ago. Basically, in order to make grazing land and to create these large ranches, (known locally as Fazenda´s) literally thousands of acres of trees were cut down or burned. The town of Juina and many other towns gradually emerged to service the new inhabitants of the area. As they say, the rest is history.



Crossing the bridge over the river Juiruena just as dawn breaks.



Nelori Cow

 Although there were a few fresian cattle here and there, the majority of the cattle were nelori. To be honest, they looked quite anorexic to our own "bull" Liam!! As we are at the end of the dry season, pickings were lean but the foliage will start to grow in the coming weeks and months during the rainy season.  


Fr. Sean Deegan came here to Castanhiera in 1999 and has lived through the growth of this town and region from forest to small urban settlements. Up to five years ago, most of the bus journey that we make last night was on dirt track and took double the time to get here. Needless to say, we were glad of the tarmac to get us this far!!! However, literally at the edge of town, the tarmac comes to a sudden end. The final leg of our journey to Juruena will be a three hour road trip on dirt track to Fr. Paudie’s parish of Juruena.

Parish Hall in Juina

The parish hall here certainly gives a new dimension to our idea of what a hall is!! It is difficult to capture the size of it in one picture but it is absolutely massive. it is used for all kinds of functions such as weddings, dances, parties etc. It is equipped with a large kitchen, bar, service area and so on. As the weather is always warm here, there are no windows. It is an open plan in every respect!! To the right of the picture you can see a small enclosed structure. As this is a large cattle area, much fundraising for the church is done throught the auction of animals. Hence the need for an "auction ring" where the animals can be viewed. This parish hall is just one exmple of a project that was funded by Irish aid in Brazil.



Fr. Sean and his dog Oisin.

 On Fr. Sean’s recommendation we are staying overnight here in Castanhiera. It rained quite a lot here yesterday so the dirt road is not in great shape today. Out about the town of Castanhiera with Fr. Sean and his dog Oisin was an unusual experience. Although there were long wide streets, everything was so quiet. There was virtually no traffic apart from a few teenagers riding around the town on motorbikes. It did not matter what side of the road you were on or if you cut a corner exiting a junction!! As Fr. Sean describes it, "It is like being on the edge of civilization in some respects". But the community is vibrant and works away as normal. It was probably the first time in the history of the town that 7 Irish people were in the towm at the one time.

Mary and Stella went on a walk about in the evening and met with some locals playing football on the soccer pitch. The locals were intrigued that anyone would be visiting Castanhiera. When they heard that they were heading even further north, they were totally amazed.

Rio De Janeiro

A "must do" visit when in Brazil is Rio De Janeiro.   It was a 6 hour bus journey from Sao Paulo but worth the effort.   We took a night bus leaving here at 12.20am and arrived in Rio De Janeiro at 6.10am.   The buses are equiped with good reclining seats which makes it possible to get some sleep on the journey.  We were lucky with the day as we had clear blue skies and excellent visibility.   While the day was sure to be hot, it can sometimes be cloudy or hazy and not so goot for sight seeing.   Upon arrival we headed to a breakfast bar to get a coffee and sandwich which revived us after our night trip.  By 7.30am we were walking the beach.  

Probably one of the most famous sites associated with Rio De Janeiro is the Statue of Christ the Redeemer, locally called "The Cocoavada"   It was quite a climb to the top but the view that awaits is spectacular.   With such a strong sun shining, it was difficult to get a good photo but we tried our best.  







From the top of Cocovada you can see Rio De Janeiro stretch out magnificently on all sides.   This photo shows just one view.

A beautiful view from the beach.

Definitely a good place for the

World Cup in 2014

One of many beautiful churches in Rio De Janeiro. 

We arrived at this one to discover that the Parish Priest was celebrating his 85th birthday.  There was a great party atmosphere and a giant birthday cake after Mass.   We gave him our best wished and met the local Bishop who was also in attendance



Early Days.....

Hi everyone, We arrived safe and sound to Sao Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday evening around 7.00pm. While it was a long journey, time did not seem to drag too much. We left Dublin at 6am on an Aer Lingus flight to Amsterdam and from there connected with KLM for a direct flight to Sao Paulo which took 11.5 hours. We were well looked after on the flight which helped the time to pass and finally touched down at 4.50pm local time. Once the usual security formalities were cleared and luggage collected, we were met in the arrivals hall by Eddie and Dermot form the Kilteegan House in Sao Paulo. It was just a short journey back to their place but as it was "rush hour" (noted as one of the worst cities in the world for traffic chaos) we finally arrived to base camp!! A cool beer was most refreshing as the weary travellers relaxed in the evening dusk.



All of us bright and chearful at 5.00an in Dublin Airport awaiting our initial flight to Amsterdam.



Our first day here in Sao Paulo was a relaxing one catching up on lost sleep after the log journey.   It was great to have a local base where we could get ourselves adjusted to the time change.   Fr. Sean brought us on a walk through the local park "Horto" near the Kiltegan house.   Although monkeys frequent the park, they must have known we were in town and decided to scatter!!  They made their presence felt the next morning however.   No alarm clocks were needed with the screeching of the monkeys!!  

Although situated on the outskirts of the city, there was a great sense of peace and tranquility there.   To our surprise, a cold weather front moved in the day before we arrived so temperatures were quite low for the time of year.     In fact, it was little better than Ireland in the evening around C 12.   It has improved dramatically since then with temperatures now C 30+  during the day.    The hospitality of Eddie, Dermot ad Sean is greatly appreciated.





Fr. Joe, Liam, Fr. Sean Stella and Bart on a walk through the park.

We took a trip to Fr. Dermot's parish in the afternoon.   He has eight small community churches and is currently in the process of expanding one of the buildings so as to have a church large enough to bring the eight smaller communities together.   Many local parishioners were helping with the building on a voluntarily basis over the weekend when they had spare time.   All around were the favelas (shanty towns) where the local families try to survive on very little.

The Local Favelas in Sao Paulo

With no land available to families and little resources, generation after generation build on top of each other in small favelas.

Bart gets wired into the work!!

Bart gives a thorough inspection of the wiring in Fr. Dermot's new Church.   Not much of a fuse board to work on as yet but maybe before the end of our trip, there will be more to do.

Mind those fingers!

By the way, it was Mary's idea to turn the hat

around! 



An experienced hand takes to the shovel!

Put you back in to it Liam

Mary takes up weight lifting in Brazil!