First Week in Cambui

On Tuesday we walked around the centre of Campinas, passed the Town Hall, small parks with the most incredibly tall palm trees and eventually found our way to the historic market. When I say historic, here in Campinas many of the older buildings date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The traditional architectural style of the indoor market stands in stark contrast to all the tall high rise buildings round about. Inside were numerous stalls selling meat, beans, fruits and juices ... all the classical foods of Brazil. When I say they have bananas, there are so many different varieties. An old man was sitting behind his stall eating papaya with a knife, Mirella asked if we could buy one small banana for me to try, with a smile he said ¨just one! you can have it.¨ No exageration, it was one of the tastiest bananas I have every eaten.



The fresh juices are delicious, we had acai at the market, extremely healthy and whilst here I have sampled fresh melon juice, caju, passionfruit, watermelon, orange, kiwi, strawberry and coconut water drunk straight from a coconut. In the shops the displays for fruit and vegetables are huge, brightly colourful and they must take up 60% of the space. Fruits are BIG in every sense of the word!!!



On Wednesday we visited a project across town that supports the educational needs of yound people living in socially deprived areas. The older kids play in a band called Bate Lata. Many of the instruments are made from scrap metals, from this they create an amazing sound of beats, rythmn and song. The money that is collected from each performance is used to pay for further educational courses enabling these youngsters to gain professional qualifications and find work in careers of their choosing that typically they would find difficult to afford thus giving them opportunities to change their lives. I could see the experience of participating in the project also lifts their confidence and self-esteem.



I have been in Brazil for 4 days, many things are very different - the language, the variety and size of the fruits, the trees and the climate (it´s been 30 degrees most of the week, too hot for me!!!) and many things are the same - the shops, businesses and the most intense traffic (at times). And it is as I have read and been told the Brazilian people are the warmest, friendliest people you could ever meet. All good. More to follow ...