Brazil
Day 14: Upper Xingu to Brasília

'They say God is Brazilian,' he smiles, 'and sometimes you have to think it's true.'
By now, the forest cover is beginning to break up. Gerard's pointing out the cleared squares of land right up against the trees, testing the limit of the protected areas.
'What happens is that someone will buy some land that isn't protected, cut down the trees and sell it on to someone who'll put a few cows on it. And cows really don't do well on soil like that, so after a few years he'll sell it on to some big company for soya, which grows just about anywhere.'
I ask him if reforestation is an option, but he shakes his head adamantly. It's just too expensive. Better to use the money to save what's there already.
Below us now is the Planalto, a big, stable ancient rock-mass that covers almost half of Brazil. 'Nothing but farms from here to Porto Alegre,' says Gerard, half in wonder, half in sadness. Porto Alegre is, after all, over 2,000 kilometres (1,300 miles) from here. I look down at the colossal, treeless fields beneath and the sudden steep escarpments with waterfalls spilling off them and realize, to my regret, that after two weeks I've finally left the rainforest behind.
Choose another day from Brazil
PALIN'S GUIDES
- Series: Brazil
- Chapter: Day 14: Upper Xingu to Brasília
- Country/sea: Brazil
- Place: Wauja Village, Upper Xingu River
- Book page no: 74
Bookmarks will keep your place in one or more series. But you'll need to register and/or log in.