|
 Like the Spanish explorers to the north in Central America,
the Portuguese came to the New World in the pursuit of conquests
and converts, filling the treasuries of the crown with gold and heaven with souls.
By Michael Collins
The aging actress sits diagonally from me under the swimming pool cabana that doubles
as a bar. Dim light illuminates her still lovely face as she leans forward to straighten
the stack of magazines that I had just sifted through.
"Is there something in particular you are looking for?" she pleasantly
inquires turning up a smile. The early 60's something proprietress' curiosity is seemingly
aroused yet politely distant by her tone and approach to the question.
"I am looking for magazines about the architectural history of the area and was
hoping I would find some on the coffee table," I explain. "I am a student back
in the United States and it would be helpful in the research I propose to do."
"Take as many of you like," she replied. "We have bastante."
my Brazilian hostess offered.
As the owner of the small hotel or pousada, I am sure that by now she has
encountered all sorts of characters, requests and unusual personas. The evidence for this
is confirmed when I later wander around the centuries old edifice by the appearance of the
wall hangings. In a stark contrast to the aging stucco walls, art deco posters adorn the
confines with theatrical performances she has appeared in, photos of former Brazilian
dignitaries presenting flowers after a series of encore curtain calls and even a montage
of her posed in an Australian bush hat delivering aid packages to an African village.
As she aged, the calls for performances dwindled and finally stopped coming altogether.
Ever the entertainer, she purchased the 20 room historic inn at Parati as a means to
sustain herself and as a forum to continue to meet with the public. A brisk tourism trade
coupled with idyllic beauty of the tranquil seacoast village nestled among the coastal
mountains in the southern state of Rio de Janeiro has been her deliverance.
Unable to find any useful information among the magazine stack, I ask, "What can
you tell me about the history of the village?" in hopes she is willing to start
conversation.
The actress' face visibly changes, eyes focused on me, her back erect and arm gestures
purposeful. Animated and smiling, she is genuinely pleased to have an audience, even if it
is only an audience of one. The glorious history of Brazil's past now comes alive in
colorful description, seemingly unrehearsed yet undoubtedly told hundreds possibly
thousands of times. A past that parallels her own.
Like the Spanish explorers to the north in Central America, the Portuguese came to the
New World in the pursuit of conquests and converts, filling the treasuries of the crown
with gold and heaven with souls. Eventually their diligence paid off with the discovery of
vein rich mines in the interior in what is now the present day state of Minas Gerais
(General Mines in Portuguese). An abundance of minerals, gold, silver, diamonds and
precious gems that heretofore had not been know to the explorers were only a scratch of
the pick, a turn of the shovel beneath the surface.
With their newfound wealth, the crown ordered public works projects on a scale that
would boggle the mind. Churches in particular became decades long works of art with no
expense spared. Master carpenters, sculptors and artists were commissioned to use their
crafts for the glorification of the Church, the Crown and most importantly to impress
parishioners of the grandeur and majesty of these benevolent institutions.
The altar of the colonial baroque church was central to the opulence and religious
themes the craftsmen poured their souls into. Intricate carvings of cherubim, the saints,
the Madonna and Christ were painstakingly constructed under the supervision of the
religious hierarchy. Gold for chalices and crosses as well as leaf to cover the altar and
statuary was amply supplied from the indigenous slaves cutting away at the inexhaustible
sources from the surrounding countryside.
The encircling mountains that provided the mineral wealth for the colonial cities such
as Diamantina (Diamantine) and Ouro Preto (Black Gold) forced isolation on
them as well. Stockpiles of riches idled around counting houses while accountants and
civil servants wrung their hands in worry about how they would deliver their goods to the
Crown in Portugal.
Eventually a trail was found, the shortest distance considered safe for man and heavily
laden pack animal to successfully cross over miles of frontier to the seacoast. There
among the islets and reefs a natural harbor provided refuge for the merchant ships to load
their precious cargoes for the long voyage home to Portugal. From this harbor sprung the
fledgling village of Parati.
Like the other cities born of the gold trade, Parati grew and prospered with the same
intensity of her sisters. Eventually, the trail of pack animals descending the mountain
pass began to dwindle as the gold gave out. The village was eventually bypassed altogether
when a better port with roads leading to the interior spread out from an upstart village
on the north coast, a village that came to be known as Rio de Janeiro.
The beauty of the gold rush villages remains in much the same way as my actress friend.
Like her, charm is exuded from every pore and surface that is visible to those that take
the time to appreciate her. Her quiet dignity is preserved in contrast to hectic glories
of the past. Enduring character and strength lives on in the face of indifference by the
modern world.
My lesson is reinforced the following morning when preparing to leave, I frantically
make my way with tickets in one hand and bags in the other to the front desk of the hotel.
My only thought is to catch the bus, be on time, and move my career forward. My new friend
by contrast is calmly directing the employees' activities, placidly greeting me and
reassuring the frustrated desk clerk. And then I have a moment of clarity. The young desk
clerk and I by our natures are mistakenly rushing through the world to acquire what she
and the villages on the golden trail already own: a legacy of beauty, wealth and
character that only improves with the passage of time.
Parati is located a few hours south of Rio de Janeiro and a similar distance northeast
from São Paulo. Historic Cities tours are plentiful and inexpensive for the interior
mountain state of Minas Gerais. A must see on your tour should include the town of Ouro
Preto, a city designated and protected as international cultural treasure by the United
Nations.
Michael Collins is a freelance writer and columnist whose work has been
published in Porthole, Navy Times, Proceedings and other maritime
related journals. Combining his insatiable urge to go exploring with altruistic instincts,
Michael will begin work on his doctorate this fall researching best practices of non
profit organizations, such as Elderhostel and Earthwatch, that target and use lifelong
learning for those age 55 and over as a promotional tool to accomplish their
organizations' goals. His email address is michaelzinho@juno.com
Send
your
comments to
Brazzil
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed