muito gostoso

Two days after we arrived from Peru, we embarked on yet another journey to a South American neighbor of Bolivia. This time on a 20 hour bus ride to Brasil. With 11 other members of our communitey, we journeyed through the night along the Jesuit mission towns of San Javier, Concepcion, San Ignacio, San Matias, until finally crossing the boarder of Brasil to the large town of Caceres.
The town is part of the province of Matto Grosso, whose capital, Cuiaba about a hundred years ago was the destination of four nuns of The Immaculate Conception of Emilie, an order dedicated to serving the poor and specifically, the sick. In our neighborhood, that takes the form of a natural medicine clinic where exams, massages and herbs are provided to all those who need treatment. Those who can pay do, and those who can’t are also served.
The reason for the pilgrimage was to learn a little more about the history of these holy ladies in South America (we stayed at a retreat center of the order) as well as to meet with a Jesuit Priest who helped found the examining technique applied in our natural medicine clinic. He provided for us a workshop revealing his latest research in the treatment of diabetes and HIV. He says he has cured people of HIV, but has to do so quietly because the pharmaceutical companies charging Brazilians $350 a month for the medicine to slow down the virus don’t want to learn about a cure.
The trip also included an excursion to the Paraguay River, a soda on a house-boat like restaurant sitting on the water, a night of exchange between a Dancing Troupe dedicated to preserving the dances of Matto Grosso and the Bolivians (and for good measure Chris and I offered a performance of The Long Black Veil and Amazing Grace), Mass in the Cathedral followed by an impromptu performance of Capuera in the plaza.
Such good times were had by all that I don’t think the breaking down of the bus on the way home and the five hour delay really phased anyone (ok, I was pretty annoyed), but we successfully negotiated with the driver to hire a different bus so that we didn’t have to spend the night in the small town where the engine breathed its last breath. We did have to pay a bit extra, but in the words of an Irishman making his way from the boarder to Santa Cruz, “ that was the best half Euro I ever spent.”
ps. the title of the blog is one of the few phrases I learned in portuguese, meaning ¨very pleasing¨..I´d tell the cook each time I was fed.