POSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Cattle, rodeos, barbecue are popular in Amazon
When you think about the Amazon, what comes to mind? Do you imagine scarlet macaws and spider monkeys in the rain forest? Can you envision the Amazon River, with 10 times the water flow of the...
View ArticlePOSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Everything's even bigger in Brazilian Amazon
Over the next year, I will share the stories of people in the Amazon region with you. At the beginning, though, I feel that I should attempt to communicate the enormous size and complexity of not only...
View ArticlePOSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Cowboys in seasonal wetlands keep adapting to...
MATO GROSSO DO SUL, Brazil — For more than 300 years, pantaneiros have raised cattle in the seasonal wetlands of central Brazil. Beginning around March, rains from the north begin to creep into...
View ArticlePostcards: Riding a bus in Brazil allows time to talk with fellow travelers
My bus trip back to Acre began in the state of Sao Paulo and would set the tone for the days to come.
View ArticlePOSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Pioneers came late to Brazilian frontier
ACRE, Brazil — Chico’s ancestors came from northern Portugal and struck out for what was then the wilderness of Brazil in search of gold. About 150 years ago, his great-grandfather decided to settle...
View ArticlePOSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Cultures clash over frontier
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to a Chico, one of the most successful ranchers in Acre. He migrated here 30 years ago from his crowded homeland in southeastern Brazil in search of a better...
View ArticlePOSTCARDS FROM THE AMAZON: Beef a special treat in forest
It was midmorning on a Saturday in June, and the mist had long since burned off the forest, the chickens had become sluggish, and the million little sounds of the rain forest morning had died down....
View Article
