Travels Part 1: Sertão

One of the perks of having Karl's cousin live with us for a few months (aside from all the help he has provided with our renovations) is that it gives us an excuse to get out and explore. Whenever we have someone come visit us, we always try to visit at least one place we ourselves have not been.

Over the past couple of weekends we have visited each of the three main regions of Ceara (the state we live in). They are: Beaches, Mountains and Flatlands (or the Interior).

First: The Sertão (Flatlands/Interior)

We don't have to go too far to see what life in the interior is like. I suppose you could say we live right on the edge of the Sertão. In fact, I do believe all these pictures were taken within our municipality. In general, this is the least developed part of the state. People tend to live off the land - ranching cattle, goats and other livestock, farming sugar cane and tall grass, and fishing in the lakes and rivers (when there is water). This is an incredibly dry area. It is not considered a desert because for a few months of the year it receives quite a bit of rain, but during dry season, it is not uncommon to go a few months without a drop of rain. Less than half the normal amount of rain fell during rainy season this year. For some communities, this means hauling water, rationing, and many have declared a state of emergency - and we still have almost 3 months left before the rains start refilling the reservoirs again.

Anyway, here are a few pics from the Sertão...

The roots of Catholicism run deep in Brazil, and this area is no exception. This is the Sanctuary of Saint Edwiges, built on the side of hill, overlooking the town of Garrote. (See how brown everything is?)

Quite possibly the most popular mode of transportation in the interior, donkeys and carts are reliable and can go places your car can't (or maybe down roads you don't want your car to travel!)

Typical housing in the interior: Interwoven branches packed with clay-mud. 

While rail transport is not widely used in Brazil, it does provide reliable access to the interior. 

Like I said, donkeys are the way to go!

The capital of our municipality, also called Caucaia, is the centre of commerce and government. We live just about 5 minutes from the Centro (Downtown) where we do nearly all of our shopping. They just finished building a MALL in town, and this is the view from the outdoor food court to the Catholic church and centre square.