Fishermen in Bahia, miles from the economic engine of Sao Paolo
Brazil is buzzing with excitement at the moment. The World Cup in 2014, Olympics in 2016 and a thriving economy is a lot to be happy about. You can really feel it when you are there.
Billions of dollars are being spent on infrastructure in preparation for 2014. Brazil certainly has the money at the moment thanks to their booming economy but it should be remembered that the party atmosphere does not extend to all of Brazil.
There is still huge inequality in the country. Incredibly, in Rio and Sao Paulo a third of the population still live in favelas, or slums.
On my recent visit I spent time with some of the people who have most benefitted from the uplift in Brazil’s economic fortunes. Interestingly, they were dedicating their energies to making sure that development was getting to those who are often forgotten.
Take the Reserva Ibitipoca, about 3.5 hours inland from Rio. A wealthy philanthropist bought the 3,000 hectare reserve many years ago to preserve the land through re-forestation and the re-introduction of wild animals.
The main farmhouse on the reserve has recently opened its doors to tourists and their main goal is not profit but employment and education for the local people. If they do make any profit it is re-invested straight back into the reserve to benefit the community.
Sounds like a recipe for a worthy but uncomfortable few days?
Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no hint of corner cutting – quite the opposite. Ibitipoca combines tastefully decorated rooms, remarkably comfy beds, great locally grown fresh food, excellent choice of activities (trekking, horse riding, mountain biking, spa and sauna) an amazing location and wonderful service.
There are staff everywhere and they have clearly been very well trained. In fact it is the training and engagement of the staff, which perhaps stands out more than anything else here.
One girl, Marly, from the local village started to work in the kitchen as a general assistant. It became quite clear early on that she had talent as a chef so she was sent to Sao Paulo where there are some excellent culinary schools. This was a huge opportunity and adventure for her. Marly is now head chef and creates all of the menus at the reserve and I can honestly say the food was simply delicious.
I also met a lady, Ana, who was a friend of the owner. She was explaining a social project, which she runs and is clearly very passionate about. She started the project in Rio to educate the children of the favelas and has now extended the project to the local villages around the reserve.
She explained how the children are not the challenge – they want to be educated and find it fun and exciting. It is the parents who often object as they rely on the children and would rather they be doing chores for them or working on the farms rather than be in school. So Ana has now started a program to educate the parents of these children as well.
While I was staying at the reserve it was Ana’s 50th birthday and she was throwing a party for the whole village – open invite to everyone, which I thought, was lovely.
The villagers clearly thought it was great too as they woke her up on the morning of her birthday by singing and dancing accompanied with their own motley assortment of musical instruments. Being agricultural workers, morning actually meant 5.30am but nevertheless Ana was genuinely touched. Bleary eyed but touched.
Perhaps my fondest memory of this place will be of Vivi. She was in charge of the allotments and was also a waiter and was clearly very excited and motivated by her job.
On the last evening during dinner she came and whispered to our host that she had a surprise for us and if we could go into the living room after dinner. When we went in there she was sat with her guitar and one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen.
Vivi explained she had taught herself to play the guitar but she was now having lessons and that it had slowed her down somewhat as she had to pay more attention to the details so she apologized for that. She played a few songs for us and I will never forget her smile and her genuine excitement at having us as an audience.
A reminder that simple things really can create the richest and most rewarding experiences.
If you would like to visit the Reserve Ibitipoca as part of a tailor made holiday to Brazil, call us on 01273 676 712 and we will be delighted to help.
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 Carving Iberico ham Delicious food |
| Our newest walking holiday launches in April 2011. It is a relaxed walking and food focused holiday in the Aracena hills of southern Spain.
Andalucia This part of Spain is bursting with high quality local produce and food is a real highlight. There are no fancy restaurants, just simple places serving a quality of food which is way above average for most of us. The star is the Iberian black footed pig or Pata Negra. The ham from these pigs is among the most delicious and most expensive in the world. When you are out on your walks you will see lots of them. Each pig has at least one hectare of land so if a farmer has 20 pigs then they have to be kept in an area of not less than 20 hectares – a lot of space to keep the pigs healthy and happy. The pigs can usually be seen running around which is an unusual sight for us as we are used to seeing them do nothing except forage around in a trough. With all this running around they eat a lot and each pig can eat up to 12kg of acorns a day. The Spanish word for acorn is bellota and the ham from these pigs is called jamon iberico de bellota. The farm where you stay on this holiday is the only certified organic farm in the area which means it produces some of the best quality jamón in the world. It is a real privilege to stay here and learn about the traditions of pig farming as well as enjoy a feast of their produce. Learn about the area’s gastronomy from the producers. You will also come across lots of other fresh produce when you are out walking, depending on the season. The trees boast a delicious mix of fruit and nuts including oranges, lemons and pomegranates, figs, almonds, walnuts and chestnuts. Asparagus and artichokes are abundant. Then there is that Spanish staple, the olive. Andalucia is the world’s largest producer of olive oil and there is a huge variety. A traditional breakfast here is bread with olive oil. It may sound strange but it is no more strange than toast and butter – and it tastes a lot better. If you want to learn more about the different tastes you can try any of the thirteen different olive oils proudly on display at your first hotel in Alájar. Your host Angel can talk you through them all. And he has many more in the kitchen if you are interested! Find out more about our foodie walking holiday in Andalucia or about our walking holidays in general. |
Stay in small, sustainable lodgings
We are very excited about our new walking holiday in Andalucia.
It’s a sort of laid back inn to inn with great food. You only move on every other day so the pace is slow and lets you really get the most from the great places you stay.
The accommodation offered on this holiday is all comfortable, not luxurious but charming, characterful and each in a very different but striking location.
Over the course of the holiday you stay in a village, on a farm and out in the countryside on a hill. Each place reflects a different aspect of what makes this area special. Culture, people, food and landscape.
In addition to this, the owners of each place are passionate about protecting the environment.
In Alájar, Lucy & Angel have built the hotel from scratch. The whole hotel is insulated by lamb’s wool and cork. Heating during the winter months and air conditioning during the summer months is all generated by ground source energy.
On the farm the concern for the environment focuses on low-impact living and being as self sufficient as possible. The owners live off their land as much as they can – milk, eggs and cheese come from their own chickens and goats. They also have their own organic allotment.
The final lodge is a complete eco-build. Everything from design through to completion has used processes that are both sustainable and responsible. The vision of the owners was to create maximum comfort using natural and renewable sources. All of the electricity on site is generated by solar power and the property is heated in the winter months by burning ground up olive stones.
All three of the places you stay have their own food sources and are followers of the Slow Food Movement which aims to ensure that food should be as local as possible and prepared in a way that respects the environment, human health, animal welfare and that producers are paid a fair price for their food.
The result is delicious home cooking.
Find out more about our walking holidays in Spain
or about this Andalucia walking holiday.