Caiçara

After being sick with dengue fever for exactly one week, on Wednesday I was feeling normal and healthy again.
Wednesday was a holiday celebrating a dentist who led battles against the Portuguese in colonial Brazil, and we had a wonderful day.
We, Raheemah and I, along with a couple other volunteers, one of my students, Taise, her husband Z, their whole family and most of their neighborhood traveled to a tiny town called Caiçara. We went an army of bicycles, one car with many children inside and the Raheemah moto sandwich you see here.

It was a BEAUTIFUL ride!
Here is an area infront of Z´s family home. His sister Rosana is also one of my students.

They swept the ground for our arrival. Or, more likely, they always sweep the ground. This is the front of the house.

We are in the desert. The landscape is so beautiful, and after the rains, very green.

Z gave the town a lession in making flutes out of PVC.
Here is the town center.


music break


Rosana and Z´s mother made a special meal for us!!!
New friends: Heemah and I entertained the village children for many hours. I learned a lot of Portuguese that day. I still know nothing.

This is Rosana and Z´s mother. We later found out she LOVES to dance.

After lunch we listened to Z´s father and uncle play and sing a regional style of story songs. Between verses you are suppored to clap and play percussion, then only the guitar plays during the verse. The guitar was double strug so it was harmonic. Amazing! It sounded a little like a steal guitar.

This is a week-old turtle.
The town´s marching band
Our spontainious dance party! Heemah, Z´s mother, the entire population of girls under 12 and I danced synchronized movements, with me leading, to Reggae. I´m am known by everone as the professora de dança.
We left Capim Grosso in the morning and stayed in Caiçara until after dark. We did the Heemah moto sandwich on the way back, even though there was a car with only the driver going back at the same time!