A week ago was the winter solstice. Yes - we know that it was the summer solstice in the UK but we're in the southern hemisphere here.
In the Vila do Pescadores (fishermen's village) in Jacaré (at the end of the pontoon) this is taken seriously. The street is decked out in bunting and large stacks of wood are arranged along the road, to be lighted at dusk.
Before viewing this spectacle it is necessary to get in the mood. This involves imbibing some of the local cocktail - caparinha. (Take a limes and crush it with sugar. Add a liberal dose of cachaca - a distilled spirit from a sugarcane juice base, so a sort of white rum.) Top up with ice and drink. Very refreshing and moreish but quite hangover inducing.
The fires are big. Some of the bits of timber would make a Tudor Yule log look like a twig and were still smoldering a week later. Fortunately the road is cobbled, not tarmac.
The next day was the feast of
São João. We're not sure if some of the decoration was due to this - certainly the local supermarket was working reduced hours.
This week we had the feast of São Pedro. As this is a fishing village this was an important event. We realised that something was up as the potholes in the dirt road were filled in with rubble and earth (not much of an improvement as neither a grader nor a roller were used) and a tent was installed (next to the pontoon) for a mass, In the afternoon a statue of the saint in a flower-decked model boat was brought from the local church and loaded on to a fishing boat at the end of the fishermen's pier.
The boat then set off in convoy down the river. This was accompanied by large quantities of thunder flashes, some of which could have doubled as mortar shells.
The massive party in the tent, now relinquished by the priest, went on into the night - at full volume.
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