Produced by the British & Commonwealth Society ofRio de Janeiro for the English-speaking Community

the.umbrella@terra.com.brArmação de Búzios - Rio de JaneiroFoto: Leonardo Farias

Vol XVII - Apr 2011

CHRIS HIEATT

Well, what a year 2011 has been so far! Thekey word up to now seems to be HELP. Whodo you help first? Australia? New Zealand?Japan? or our neighbours in the mountainregion of Rio de Janeiro? The BCS and part-ners are organizing a second Charity Concert,after the success of the first one, well report-ed in the February Umbrella. This time thereis a specific target for your donations, thereconstruction of a facility for orphans of theNova Friburgo landslides. This is a goodcause. I should know, we and others lost ourweekend homes in Teresópolis – nearly 40years of hard work, dreams, beloved pos-sessions and memories, completely washedaway by this enormous ‘tsunami’ type ava-lanche of mud and rock that raced down thecenter of the valley and destroyed scores ofhomes and killed hundreds of people – notweekend homes but their only home, plus inmany cases whole families. They deserveyour help.

According to the Chinese Zodiac the Year2011 is the Year of the Golden Rabbit, whichbegins on February 3, 2011 and ends onJanuary 22, 2012. The Rabbit is the fourthsign of the Chinese Zodiac which consists of12 animals signs. The Rabbit is a lucky sign.Rabbits are private individuals and a bitintroverted. People born in the Year of the

Rabbit are reasonably friendly individualswho enjoy the company of a group of goodfriends. According to Chinese tradition, theRabbit brings a year in which you can catchyour breath and calm your nerves. Well, tellthat to the Japanese!

Rio has a lot to look forward to, includingmany improvements to make all the futureevents possible. Everyone knows about theWorld Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016,but Rio is also hosting the 5th Military WorldGames (known as ‘The Peace Games’) in Julythis year. Looking further ahead, the UNConference on Sustainable Development(UNCSD) will take place in Rio de Janeiro inJune 2012. Also referred to as the Rio+20 EarthSummit, due to the initial conference held inRio in 1992, the objectives of the Summit areto secure renewed political commitment tosustainable development; to assess progresstowards internationally agreed goals and toaddress new and emerging challenges. TheSummit will also focus on two specific themes:a green economy in the context of povertyeradication, and an institutional framework forsustainable development.

To end with, let’s look for some positiveaspects of life... We have a new Chaplain inChrist Church – at least he is filling in until

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THE YEAR OF THE GOLDEN RABBIT

FROM THE EDITOR

September when we hope to have a new‘permanent’ Chaplain. Many of us know theRev Stuart Broughton and his wife Kathryn,they have spent much time in Brazil andSouth America in the past, including onefour year contract here, and we are happy tosee them back in the vicarage. Rev Stuartdistributed a booklet called ‘Our DailyBread’, which is basically a guide to biblereading, but has some interesting articles.On the page for Monday 21st March – theday The Umbrella closed for the April edition,the story, in brief, was the following: Duringthe time of economic crisis and depressingnews, two university students decided to liftpeople’s spirits by holding up a “FreeCompliments” sign, once a week, and say-ing nice things to everyone who passed by:“I like your coat”, “What a nice smile”.People would deliberately walk by, just tohear a kind word. “Pleasant words are likea honeycomb, sweetness to the soul andhealth to the bones” (Prov. 16:24). Why notencourage someone today?

The Umbrella is published monthly by the British andCommonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro. Print run: 900copies. Deadline: second to last Monday of the month

Editor: Jack Woodall jackwoodall13@gmail.comGraphic Design & Desktop Publishing:Marcia Fialho marcia@marciafialho.com.brFilms & Printing: Gráfica Falcão. Cover: Photo by Leonardo Farias Society articles are the responsibility of each society.The Umbrella is distributed free to all members of the Riode Janeiro BCS, American Society, St. Andrew Society,Royal British Legion & British School staff. Classified ads: Gaynor Smith at the BCS office: Tel: (21)2537-6695, Fax: (21) 2538-0564. E-mail: bcsrio@bcsrio.org.br Commercial non-classified ads:please inquire about technical procedures with Marcia Fialho. marcia@marciafialho.com.br

Societies INFOThe British & Commonwealth Society of Rio de Janeiro - Rua RealGrandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030. Secretary: Gaynor Smith. Office hours:Mon to Fri from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm - Tel: 2537-6695 - Fax: 2538-0564 -bcsrio@bcsrio.org.br - www.bcsrio.org.brThe American Society of Rio de Janeiro - Tel: 21 2125-9132 Contact: www.americansocietyrio.org email contact@americansocietyrio.orgInternational Club of Rio de Janeiro - General Inquiries:inquiries@incrio.org.br - President: president@incrio.org.brwww.incrio.org.brThe British School - BOTAFOGO: Rua Real Grandeza 87, 22281-030. Tel: 2539-2717, Fax: 2266-5040 URCA: Av. Pasteur 429, 22290-240, Tel: 2543-5519, Fax: 2543-4719. BARRA: Rua Mário Autuori 100, 22793-270,Tel: 3329-2854 - http://www.britishschool.g12.brEmails: edu@britishschool.g12.br and admissions@britishschool.g12.brThe American School - Estrada da Gávea 132, Gávea, Tel: 2512-9830 - www.earj.com.br - admission@earj.com.br Our Lady of Mercy School - Catholic American School in Botafogo - Rua Visconde de Caravelas 48, Botafogo - Tel: 2266-8282 / 2266-8250 /2266-8258 - www.olmrio.orgThe St Andrew Society - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 -President: Jimmy Frew - Tel: 2586-3413 jhf@scotbras.com.br - www.standrewrio.com.brChrist Church - Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo, 22281-030 - Tel: 2226-7332 chchurch@terra.com.br - http://christchurch.no-ip.orgThe Royal British Legion - www.britishlegion.org.ukwww.bcsrio.org.br/activities/rbl.asp

Disclaimer: The editors of The Umbrella accept no responsibility forclaims made either in the ads or the classifieds, and the opinions expressedin the articles published are those of the writers, and not of The Umbrella.

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BRITISH & COMMONWEALTHSOCIETY2nd Fundraising Concertfor Relief in the Serra

With the help of a new lineup ofvolunteer musicians – and the renewedparticipation of David Chew, OBE, withhis cello ensemble – the BCS is proud topresent a second benefit in aid,specifically, of a reconstructed facilityfor orphans of the Nova Friburgolandslides. It is in danger of beingforgotten that Friburgo suffered twicethe damage and twice the number ofdeaths as Teresópolis, which came firstin our thoughts because of the loss ofproperty of BCS members and theirparticipation in the rescue effort there.The provisional program is as follows:

Ruy Wanderley & the Corcovado ChoirBruce Henri & group, jazzNeville Thorley & friendsThe British School musiciansDavid Chew OBE, cello ensemble.

The evening will close with a candle-light singing of Amazing Grace by thewhole audience. The programme issubject to alteration, but we are sure thatall the music will be most enjoyable.

Orphanage: during the evening, therewill be a presentation about the facilityin Mury, Nova Friburgo, beingrenovated for orphans of the landslides,to which the funds raised by the twoconcerts and other donations will go.Date: Saturday 16th AprilTime: 7:00pm

Place: Jubilee Hall, behind Christ Churchat Rua Real Grandeza 99, BotafogoCash Bar & order-in PizzaEntry: Donation of a minimum ofR$50,00 (under 12 and over 70 years,R$25,00). No other reductions, becausethis is to raise money for victims of thedisaster in the Serra. Everybody welcome.

We hope you will come in droves toshow our solidarity with our Brazilianneighbours in the hills.

Annual General Meeting,Tuesday 12th April, 7pmPlease come to the AGM and vote forthe people you want to represent you onthe new BCS Council. You will bereceiving all relevant papers in the post.

Future eventsWe are making arrangements with theConsulate to show a video recording of

the Royal Wedding on Friday 29thApril at 7:30pm in the Jubilee Hall,when we will toast the young couple.There will be sandwiches and a cash bar.Free entry for BCS members; R$10,00for non-members. Everyone is welcome.

There will be an illustrated talk onTuesday 3rd May at 7:30pm about theBritish in Rio in the 19th Century by

Prof. Leslie Bethell where there will berefreshments. Entry will be free to allcomers; there will be a box fordonations.

The BCS will celebrate the big event ofthe year - Queen’s Birthday - onSaturday 4th June. Reserve this date tojoin in the celebrations. Details in thenext Umbrella.

We will have the very popular BeatlesNight once again, on Saturday, 17thSeptember.

Don’t let this be your lastUmbrella!After 31st March, BCS subscriptionsbecame overdue. If we have not receivedyours by 30th April you will suffer a fateworse than death – you will be struckfrom the mailing list of The Umbrella!Also, your name will not appear in theBCS Yearbook directory pages. Pleasedon’t let that happen, we need you.

AMERICAN SOCIETYPRESIDENT OBAMA HASCOME TO RIO!Sunday, March 20th, the 44th Presidentof the United States of America, BarackObama, spoke to over 2000 spectatorsin the Theatro Municipal. Originallyscheduled as an open air event inCinelândia, security concerns forcedthe venue indoors. Thanks to the goodoffices of US Consul General in Rio deJaneiro, Dennis Hearne (who alsoserves as the Honorary President of theAmerican Society Rio), almost 50American Society members were able tohear his remarks.

The President’s talk was a great successwith the crowd, particularly when heannounced that for Brazil, “the future isnow”. In an allusion to the situation inNorth Africa and the Middle East, hepraised Brazil’s President Dilma forhaving struggled against the militarydictatorship here. He also warmlypraised former President Lula, citing hisrise from humble origins as an exampleto people of both countries. The biggest

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William and Kate

David Chew at the First Serra Concert

The crowd outside the Municipal Theatre

cheer, though, came when he said that ifthe 2016 Olympic Games couldn’t beheld in Chicago, he agreed that Rio isabsolutely the best place for them.

President Obama was accompanied onthis visit by First Lady Michelle Obamaand their two daughters, Malia andSasha. They were able to see capoeiraand other Brazilian performances in apacified favela, and they visited theCidade do Samba downtown, with itsimmense colorful floats. At night, theyjoined the President and took in a viewof all of Corcovado. Before they left, theentire family allowed as how they’d beback for Carnaval some day.

This visit was a signal honor for Rio deJaneiro, and underscores the increas-ingly prominent role Rio is once againplaying in Brazilian society, over 50years after the city ceased to be thenation’s capital. Most of our memberswere truly moved by the chance to be apart of an event with President Obama.We in the American Society all hope tosee him and his family again soon.

CAJUN NIGHT RETURNS!Chief Chef Hollie Pate has assembled akitchen full of volunteers ready to whipup a menu that includes gumbo,jambalaya, red beans and rice, BananasFoster and bread pudding. All involvedare preparing an all-you-can-eat bayoubanquet not to be missed! Festivities,complete with a zydeco soundtrack, willstart at around 7:00pm on Saturday,April 2nd. The good times are gonnaroll for sure! This event was sold out lastyear, so by the time you read this, theremay not be a space left to be had. Still,you could try by sending an email rightnow to events@AmericanSocietyRio.organd indicate your desire to attend. R$75,00 for members, R$ 125,00 for non-members.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITSINCLUDE… (IT’SCLASSIFIED)This year, same as last, AmericanSociety Rio Gold Sponsor, TheRioTimes, is offering all paid up Societymembers the opportunity to place freeclassified ads in its weekly, online issueat www.RioTimesOnline. com. The sizelimit per ad is 100 words plus 4 images(each under 500k file size). Weekly addeadline is Tuesdays by 2:00pm, forpublication the next day (Wednesdays).Ads should be submitted via email to:advertising@riotimesonline.com. In youremail cover note, please indicate that youare an American Society Rio member.

2011 MEMBERSHIP NOWREQUIRED…Until recently, we were admittingAmerican Society Rio’s 2010 paid-upmembers to 2011 events while stillpaying member prices, as well ascontinuing to send them their copies ofthe publication you’re reading right now.But those days are well behind us! AsMarch 1st, our for-fee events (such asCajun Night, above) will offer memberdiscounts to members only whose 2011dues have been paid in full. We knowthere are still a few 2010 members whohaven’t paid this year, so we urge you todo it now, while you’re still thinking aboutit. While you’re at it, tell your friendsabout us, invite them to come along toan event and become a member whilethey’re there. Remember, the AmericanSociety Rio needs its members to paypromptly, at the start of each calendaryear. This assures us the resources tosupport all of the various activities andservices we can offer to YOU!

As a reminder, we’ve initiated discountsfor several classes of members thisyear. Find out if you qualify atwww.AmericanSocietyRio.org, whereyou can also generate your own “boleto”(payment slip) to facilitate your makingpayment at any bank nationwide.

LEST WE FORGET:REGIÃO SERRANAThe first few months of 2011 have seenincreased suffering in the world. Deathand destruction from natural disasterscompete for media attention with riotsand revolutions. The wrack and ruinvisited upon Petrópolis, Teresópolisand Nova Friburgo less than twomonths ago have been pushed off thefront pages by events far away fromhome. However, the problems faced by

those whose lives were forever altered byJanuary’s floods and mudslides have notgone away just because they’re no longerbeing publicized. And Rio’s English-speaking community has not forgottenabout these local needs. Many peopleare continuing to help those who arestruggling to rebuild their lives andmany worthy, local projects have beendeveloped. They need our support andthey will get it.

A part of these efforts will take place onSaturday, April 16th when the SecondBenefit Concert for the RegiãoSerrana will be held at Christ Church,Rua Real Grandeza 99, in Botafogo.This will be another great event that willfeature music, music, and more music,from a variety of styles guaranteed toentertain you. There will also be arunning slide show depicting progressbeing made in the region, as well as afew first-hand reports from those whoare actively assisting others in long-termprojects. We’ll keep you posted as detailsbecome available, but mark yourcalendars. You won’t want to miss thisevent!

WE’RE NOT PULLINGANY PUNCHESAnother way the American Society Riois working to raise funds for the RegiãoSerrana is through a forthcomingauction of a pair of boxing gloves, whichformer Society Governor Daniel Bertorellidonated to us – one autographed bySylvester Stallone and the other byDolph Lundgren. These are the sametype of gloves the two stars used, overtwenty-five years ago, during the filmingof Rocky IV. We’re trying severaloptions for auctions over the internet, soas to ensure we get top dollar for thesegloves. Auction proceeds will be addedto other funds being raised throughoutour English-speaking community toassist in reconstruction efforts in townsthat were destroyed in January.

LADIES’ NIGHT…REDUXThe American Society Rio’s monthlyLadies’ Night Out takes another bow onThursday, March 7th! It comes ’roundthe first Thursday of every month!!Relaxation starts at 8:00 pm at GulaGula, Av. Henrique Dumont, 57 inIpanema. Your leading lady is Jean deAmicis. There is always an area reservedfor our group and a door prize for somelucky lady. So, if you lack the “Y”chromosome, go raise a glass with all theother ladies there! If you need moreinformation, please email Jean atjkdea2005@gmail.com.

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President Obama talks to the audience

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News from the SchoolsOUR LADY OF MERCY SCHOOLIn March a group of 14 high schoolstudents went to New York to participatein the NHSMUN Project (ONUProject). The National High SchoolModel United Nations is aninternational event that gathers studentsfrom all over the world to debate variousglobal issues. The month of March at OLM endedwith the International Festival, whichwas held on March 26. This festival hasbeen a yearly event since 2002 andbegan so that our community couldcelebrate differences and learn aboutcultures other than our own. TheInternational Festival highlights thedifferent countries that are representedby the families in our community. During the month of April (16-20),OLM will send many Elementarystudents to "Nosso Recanto", a campwhere students participate every year insports and various activities.

THE BRITISH SCHOOLClass of 2010 International Exams Resultsand University EntranceThe IGCSE results for Class 9 of 2010were once again impressive with 85% A*to C grades which is the 3rd best in TBShistory and in a year when two newcourses were introduced givingadditional challenge to an alreadydemanding programme. Gabriel Fritschachieved A* grades in all thirteensubjects while another four pupilsgained A* and A grades in all subjects.The graduating class of 2010 producedthe highest IB Diploma points averagethat has been seen for over ten years.The 33 points average for an IB Diplomawas well above the World average. Thehighest point score by Nicolas Lippoliswas 44 and many other studentsachieved impressive scores that will givethem access to top universities aroundthe world. Nicolas has accepted an offerfrom Oxford University to studyPhilosophy, Politics and Economics atSt. Edmund Hall. We were alsodelighted to hear Carolina Menezes ofClass 11 of 2010 achieved first place atUERJ for entry to Industrial Design andBernardo Esteves was awarded a 2/3rdscholarship for 4 years at St AndrewsUniversity in the UK.

For those children that have opted tostay in Brazil, and gone through EMEMand Vestibular process, all have beenaccepted into their choice university.

For those applying to study abroad,most are still waiting for a final replyfrom the universities they have appliedto. More news will be given as soon aswe hear from them.

Congratulations Class of 2010.Mr Chris Blanch, Head of Urca Site

ST. ANDREW SOCIETY Scottish Country Dancing1749-2011

The oldest recorded Scottish CountryDance programme in existence is dated1749 and was held in Menzies Castle,near the picturesque village ofAberfeldy, Perthshire, only three yearsafter the ill fated Prince Charles EdwardStuart spent two nights as a guest thereon his retreat from England, shortlybefore the battle hardened troops ofWilliam “The Butcher” Cumberlandcaught up with the remnants of his loyalhighlanders at Culloden Moor on April16th 1746. The retribution that followedresulted in a mass emigration whichsent Scottish customs far across the sea,to Canada, America, Australia and NewZealand. There is no doubt that thepracticing of Scottish dancing on thatnight in Menzies Castle in 1749 was ahighly risky business for those takingpart.

Scottish Country Dancing survived. Itflourished in the Scottish diaspora untilits renaissance in Scotland in the 1920´s,with the founding of the Royal ScottishCountry Dance Society (RSCDS). Fromhumble beginnings, the RSCDS hassince grown into the hub of a world widenetwork of Societies and Clubs whosemembers today enjoy regular ScottishCountry Dance sessions.

One of these regular sessions can befound in the Paissandu Club everyTuesday from April to October, underthe expert tuition of Audrey Hieatt and

Robin Brown. There is no fear of beingarrested any more for practicingScottish dancing, unless you walk out ofthe club without paying for yourrefreshments.

The highlight of the Scottish CountryDancing year is the prestigiousCaledonian Ball, held in the GoldenRoom of the Copacabana Palace hotel.This year we´ll be commemorating theIain MacPhail Scottish Country DanceBand´s twenty fifth annual appearanceat the Rio Caledonian Ball, on October15th.

If you happen to be at a loose end onTuesday 5th April, come along to thePaissandu Club for the first night of anew Scottish Country Dancing season.You´ll be very welcome. It’s good foryour waist line and you’ll enjoy it at thesame time.

For more information on St. AndrewSociety events go to our website:www.standrewrio.com.br

BRITISH BURIAL FUNDWith the revitalization of the Port area,Gamboa cemetery has become morevisible, and the district has becomemuch safer. The installation of a UPP inthe Morro da Providência, removal ofthe derelict shops along the street, theimminent construction of a ‘teleférico’and the demolition of the houses alongthe cemetery wall have continued theprocess.

With all this activity the ‘fiscalização’ bythe Prefeitura has also increased, and weare being even more careful aboutkeeping the cemetery spick and span. Tohelp with general organization, werecently contracted professionalmapping, and will soon have a mapshowing the exact position of everygrave in the cemetery.

Derelict graves are being repaired, andthe families responsible for the gravesare being contacted where possible. Ifyou have a grave in the cemetery andfeel it needs some attention, pleasecontact Adolfo at 2286.7899. There aremany graves that are completelyabandoned, mainly because the familymoved away, and we lost contact withthem. Every now and again a familyfrom the UK contacts us because theydiscovered that a great greatgrandfather, who served in the RoyalNavy in the 1850s, and died in Rio, wasburied in Gamboa. In a recent case of

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Come join the fun at Cube Paissandú

this, the family placed a plaque in theGarden of Remembrance.

The cost of repairing a grave is covered bythe family responsible, or by donation.Thanks go to those who have alreadyhelped in this project, and if you wouldlike to help further this work, pleasecontact the office at 2286.7899, or ChrisHieatt at 2274.4506. The cemetery is openweekdays from 8am to 4pm, and thestaff there are always willing to showpeople around and locate family graves.For detailed information, come to theAGM, being held jointly with the ChristChurch AGM on the 8th of May.

InC - INTERNATIONAL CLUBNow that Carnival is over, the New Yearin Rio has truly begun in earnest. TheInC is no exception: the club is off andrunning with many activities alreadyheld, and many more in the planningstages.

Of course the largest of these is Taste ofRio, our major fundraiser for 2011. Ifyou have not already done so, pleasemark your calendar for Friday, May 20.It promises to be a wonderful evening offood and drink and fabulous raffleprizes and, even more important,support for the charities supported bythe InC. For details, visit the websitewww.tasteofrio.blogspot.com.

April brings the first in the InC’splanned Speakers Series, addressingissues and concerns relating to living,working and finding your way throughthe bureaucracy of Brazil, in a mannerthat will be both helpful andinformative. The sessions will be heldevery other month, mostly in theevening so spouses can also attend. Thefirst evening is scheduled for April 28and will feature a discussion of thebanking system in Brazil, movingmoney internationally, and otheraspects of managing your finances inBrazil. Later editions will cover medicalservices and insurance; employment lawand guidelines, particularly in regard tohousehold staff; and driver’s licensesand car insurance.

The InC’s second vice president,Beatrice Labonne, has already been veryactive in offering a wide variety of toursand cultural events. The list includes atour of the Lenny swimsuit facility;tours of the mansion of Rui Barbosa; arare opportunity to visit the newlyrenovated Teatro Municipal; Jeep toursof the Tijuca rainforest; a boat trip onGuanabara bay on a beautiful Saturdayafternoon; and a special talk given by

one of our new members about herrecent experience living in Egypt andLibya, two locations that are very muchin the headlines these days. More activities are planned for April –be sure to check the InC websitecalendar for details. And a few words tothe wise: don’t wait to sign up for thesetours, events and other activities. Manyevents can accommodate only a limitednumber of participants and often sellout quickly. And priority is always givento InC members – another good reasonto renew your membership!

WOMEN’S DIOCESANASSOCIATIONDonations to charity 2010: Letters ofthanks have been received from thedifferent charities we donated to at theend of last year. We wish to pass on theirthanks to all of you, without yoursupport it would be extremely difficult,if not impossible, for us to achieve suchrewarding results. Thank you so much. Anyone wishing to visit the OrfanatoSanta Rita de Cassia will be welcome.The person to contact is Sister Mabel atRua Florianópolis, 1305, Praça Seca,Jacarepaguá. Phone: 2425-2207.

Jumble Sale: When we returned to ouractivities at the beginning of March wewere very pleased to find a goodnumber of donations already waiting forus. So we are off to a good start! Manythanks to those of you who sent thecontributions along to us. As you know,we receive items for the Jumble Sale allthe year round. As usual, the event willbe held in July and as soon as the datehas been fixed we will let you know.

We realize how busy most people arethese days and that it is not always easyto find the time to do everything thatneeds to be done. We do hope howeverthat at some stage between now and July– you will manage to carry out a goodrummage around the house. The WDAis in need of all those clothes, shoes,household bits and pieces, includingornaments and those toys the childrenno longer play with. It would be muchappreciated and would help us to ensurethe success of our annual Jumble Sale.Deliveries can be made any day duringthe week to Karine, secretary, ChristChurch, telephone 2226-7332, from11am. to 2 pm. or to the BCS secretary,Gaynor, telephone 2537-6695, any timebetween 8.30am. and 4.30 pm.

Marmalades, Pickles and Chutneys:supplies are now available for sale. Weare in need of empty marmalade/

chutney bottles with the metal tops thatwe could re-use. The Nescafe 100g typebottle is also suitable for our use.

Just for the record, below is a list of theproducts that are available:

Sweet and Bitter Marmalade, GalegoLemon Marmalade, GrapefruitMarmalade, Apricot Jam and LemonCurd, Mango Chutney, Indian Chutneyand Pineapple Relish, Mustard Pickle,Branston Pickle and Bread & ButterPickle.

Our prices are very good; the productsare made from English recipes and allthe ingredients are natural. Pleaserecommend them to your friends andneighbours but please note that as theladies responsible for making thesegoodies only resumed their activities inMarch, some of the products may notyet be available.

Anyone who can spare a few hours onTuesday mornings (from 8 am. untilnoon) will be more than welcome to jointhe WDA team of volunteers. We arebusy all the year round but we havesome good fun and really enjoy thework we do.

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Everything for your Mac,

your iPod, iPhone and iPad

Ipanema: Rua Visconde de Pirajá 487, sobreloja. Tel: 21 2512-4414

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Tel: 21 2512-7755

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Bloco 8, loja 112.Tel: 21 2494-5464

Barra: Rio Design BarraAv. das Américas 7777, subsolo

Tel: 21 2499-1597

Christ Church

Before our arrival back in Brazil, I spent the last 6 months on aremote South Pacific island. It is situated 1,000 miles east ofBrisbane and 800 miles north of New Zealand. Although it is anoffshore island of Australia, the whole time I was there I neverheard the Australian National Anthem sung, only “God save theQueen” and the Pitcairn Island Anthem. But let’s start at thebeginning then you will understand what is so special aboutNorfolk Island.

It was in April 1789, 1,300 miles from Tahiti, Fletcher Christian,with 18 of the 42-man Bounty crew on his side, entered CaptainWilliam Bligh’s cabin and forced him to leave the ship. Bligh and22 others were set adrift in the Bounty’s launch but amazinglysurvived and made it to Timor. He later faced a court martial forlosing his ship but was acquitted and vowed to find the muti-neers.

The mutineers had landed on the uninhabited Pitcairn Island,where they burnt the Bounty. Amongst precious stores from theship, they kept the Bible and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.For 25 years warships of the Royal Navy searched the SouthPacific to bring the mutineers to justice but found no trace ofthem.

Now, a naval officer’s logbook containing a brief account of therediscovery of Pitcairn Island, where the mutineers had takenrefuge, has turned up in a house clearance in Cambridge. The logwas kept by a junior officer serving on board the Royal Navy shipBriton, which put into Pitcairn Island in September 1814. It wasthere it found the last surviving mutineer, John Adams, theleader of a thriving Christian community. He and FletcherChristian had decided to teach the children their mother tongue,the English language, using the Bible and the Book of CommonPrayer. They and most of the families concerned made a com-mitment of their lives to Christ, a decision that was to have last-ing consequences for the whole community.

On September 17, 1814 Midshipman Hoodthorp wrote: “Wefound the island inhabited by the descendants of Mr F. Christianand mutinous crew of the Bounty settled here AD1788…”However, his log gives the wrong date as the mutiny did not takeplace until 1789, with the mutineers settling on Pitcairn in 1790.

Before the Briton arrived all but a few of the original mutineershad either murdered each other or drunk themselves to death.HMS Briton and her sister ship HMS Tagus were there for lessthan a day, but several of the islanders visited the ship including

Thursday Christian, Fletcher Christian’s eldest son. The visitorsagreed it would be “an act of great cruelty” to arrest Adams. In1825, he was granted amnesty and the island’s capital,Adamstown, is named after him. He died in 1829 aged 62. Someof Fletcher Christian’s descendants live on the island which has apopulation of around 50. It is one of the world’s most remotecommunities, halfway between New Zealand and Chile andproudly states that it is the world’s smallest democracy.

In the 19th century the population outgrew its 5 square kilome-tres and when Queen Victoria learned of their new-found faith,she gave them Norfolk Island and all 193 islanders moved there.Within 18 months many of them, homesick and miserable,returned to Pitcairn, where their descendants still live. However,others stayed and five family names dominate all others onNorfolk Island, Evans, Christian, Adams, Quintal and Buffet.

There are two Anglican churches on the island, All Saints, namedthe “Pitcairners Church” where a small congregation still meetsfor worship every Sunday night. On the annual ThanksgivingDay the church is full as all the inhabitants and tourists flock togive thanks for the harvest. There is also St Barnabas Chapel,built by the Melanesian Brothers and local folk to commemoratethe martyrdom of Bishop Patteson. This is a fine building of localstone from the former convict penitentiary and stone floorshipped out from Devon.

Rev Canon Stuart Broughton

STRAIGHT FROM NORFOLK ISLAND

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St Barnabas Chapel, Norfolk Island

Commonw

ealthAUSTRALIA

The photo may be of the St Pete’s BCS, butwe are the British Commonwealth Society

of Tampa Bay, Florida. We meet at 6:30 onthe third Thursday of every month. Thenew meeting place is on Gunn Highway,north of Tampa. Directions can be foundin our April/May newsletter.

Upcoming events May: Quiz night

Trip to Land O' Lakes where wewill be tasting the wine.

June: Darts contest Queen's Birthday Party

July: Golf Tournament Pool Party

August: Dinner theatre Barbecue

September:Murder Mystery

October: to be announced

November: Bonfire Night with fireworks!

Note: If you are interested in any of the aboveactivities and would like moreinformation contact our member Dorothy<didiuk39@yahoo.com>.

Visitors from BCS Rio are welcome tothese events with no entrance fee.

Ministers responsible for the environment in the Commonwealthended their annual meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, on 23 February2011, with a call for further exploration of ways to develop “GreenEconomies” and to ensure sustainable development. The 17thCommonwealth Consultative Group on the Environment (CCGE)was chaired by John Moffat Fugui,Solomon Islands’ Minister ofEnvironment, Climate Change,Meteorology and DisasterManagement.

The CCGE was established by thethen Commonwealth Secretary-General in 1993, following the 1992United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,often known as the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

The aim is to facilitate discussion among member countries in the

wings of appropriate international meetings. Addressing theministers and senior officials, Oliver Greenfield of the GreenEconomy Coalition said that it is important for countries tomanage their natural resources base effectively as the basis forsocial and economic development.

The meeting provided an opportunityfor Commonwealth members to sharetheir own ideas, experiences andapproaches to developing “GreenEconomies”. It also highlighted criticalareas where more work is needed,such as developing payments forecosystem services, where

communities and others are paid incentives for managing theirenvironments to provide ecological services – like watershedmanagement, biodiversity and carbon storage – rather than forcommodity production, like logging.

Charades at British Commonwealth Society, StPetersburg, Florida

9

On the eve of the 75th anniversary of thebirth of the famous Spitfire in March 1936,the remains of a World War II pilot,discovered in the wreckage of his shot-downSpitfire, have been identified as RoyalAustralian Air Force Flight LieutenantHenry Lacy Smith. Smith was lost toenemy anti-aircraft fire on June 11, 1944,while flying a patrol in support of the alliedinvasion of Europe.

The RAAF has contacted survivingrelatives living in Australia and arrange-ments are under way for the re-intermentof his remains with full military honours.

“I am very pleased to know that theremains of this brave pilot have now beenaccounted for and can now finally be laidto rest,” Veterans Affairs Minister WarrenSnowdon said in a statement. “FindingFlight Lieutenant Smith after over 66 years

is an outstanding result for all concerned,particularly the family.” Smith, of Kogarah,in NSW, was a member of the RAAF's 453Squadron which, at the time, was oper-ating in support of the D-Day landings.

On D-Day, June 6th, 453 Squadron aircraftflew 43 sorties, providing fighter coverover the beaches and on June 11 beganoperating from a temporary landing stripin the invasion area. “That night, a unitSpitfire on night patrol over the beacheswas hit by anti-aircraft fire nearOuistrehain and force-landed in a channel,with the pilot being killed when itoverturned,” according to a history ofAustralian squadrons – The RAAF and theFlying Squadrons by Norman Barnes.

Smith's final radio message to hiscomrades was: “I'm going to put this thingdown in a field”. Mr Snowdon said the

RAAF began the identification process inNovember when local museum curatorsrecovered the wreckage of a Spitfirecontaining human remains in the OrneEstuary, near Ouistrehain, Normandy.There was sufficient evidence to enable thepositive identification of Smith. Thatincluded the aircraft engine serial number,the reports of the other two pilots flying withSmith at the time, plus a wartime casualtyreport linking the aircraft tail number,engine serial number and pilot details.

Smith will be reinterred in a Common- wealth War Graves cemetery in France, inaccordance with normal practice forrecovered remains, on a date to be fixed.[Contributed by Carlos Motta]

Spitfire

BRITISH COMMONWEALTH SOCIETY OF TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA

ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS DISCUSS BUILDING “GREENECONOMIES” IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Green Economy: a system of economic activitiesrelated to the production, distribution and

consumption of goods and servicesthat result in improved human well-beingover the long term, while not exposing

future generations to significantenvironmental risks and ecological scarcities.

10

On Wed. February 16thVANESSA, together with agroup of 14 other woman,set off from London in abrave attempt to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro. On arrival inTunisia they were met bytwo others who flew fromDetroit. They do the climbin aid of a Charity tryingto erase the scourge ofHUMAN TRAFFICKING.It appears that there are1.39 million people perannum affected worldwide(horrifyingly, some childrenas young as 4 years of age).

The Team, who fund all their own expenses, have so far raisedover £82,000. PLEASE HELP THEM TO INCREASE THATFIGURE: all donations, large or small, are gratefully received.YOURS can make a difference.

Here is an excerpt from the story of the climb: “The weather didnot cooperate. At first it was a low wind which then picked upand blew very hard for several hours. This caused the tempera-ture to drop to below 0F (-18C). Our expedition leader, Kurt,said this was the coldest he’d seen Kilimanjaro since his first climbin 1996. We all did a great job of staying warm and pacing ourselves

that we moved so well thatwe made it to crater rim atStella Point (19,000 feet),before the sunrise.

After much emotionaltears and several grouphugs we traversed aroundthe crater rim to UhuruPeak at 19,340 feet andthen... ALL 19 PEOPLE INOUR EXPEDITION SUM-MITTED KILIMANJAROAT 6:45 am!!!!!! It wasclear and beautiful as wewatched the sunrise overthe African plains. We hadthe most breathtakingly

amazing 360 degree views over Africa. Clear skies above, theplains below and snow inside and around the crater and glaciers.

Please see the website www.climb4freedom.org/ for details.Under TEAM you'll find a list of participants (including oneother Brazilian girl). Scrolling down you'll find the 'MAKE ADONATION' button. Click on C4F Updates to get the daily bul-letin from the mountain: it's not an easy climb.

For more news of the Sinclair family see the family blog:www.familiasinclair.blogspot.com

Adventure

The Climb4Freedom group

VANESSA SINCLAIR CLIMBS MT KILIMANJARO

11

BooksTRAVELS IN SIBERIA Ian Frazier - Fiction - 544pp

The author takes us to another territoryworthy o f his expansive curiosity: thevast eastern stretches of Russia known asSiberia. Through the stories of Russianfriends, Frazier was drawn there in theearly '90s and soon fell in love with thecountry – an "embarrassing" sort ofmiddle-aged love, an involuntaryinfection. What he loves is its tragedyand its humour, its stoic practicality andits near-insanity: he calls it "the greatesthorrible country in the world," andSiberia is its swampy, often-frozen andstrikingly empty backyard. He took fivetrips there over the next dozen or soyears, and Travels in Siberia is based onthose journeys. But as in Great Plains,when Frazier travels he follows his owncuriosity through time as well as space,telling stories of the Mongols and theDecembrists with the same amused andempathetic eye he brings to his owntraveling companions. His curiosityquickly becomes yours, as does hisaffection for this immense andgrudgingly hospitable land.

THE IMPERFECTIONISTS Tom Rachman – Fiction - 288pp

In his zinger of a debut, Rachman deftlyapplies his experience as foreigncorrespondent and editor to chart thegoings-on at a scrappy English-languagenewspaper in Rome. Chapters read likeexquisite short stories, turning out theintersecting lives of the men and womenwho produce the paper — and onewoman who reads it religiously, ifbelatedly. In the opening chapter, aging,dissolute Paris correspondent Lloyd

Burko pressures his estranged son toleak information from the FrenchForeign Ministry and in the processunearths startling family fare that won'tsell a single edition. Obit writer ArthurGopal, whose overarching goal at thepaper is indolence, encounters personaltragedy and, with it, unexpected careerambition. Late in the book, as the paperbuckles, recently laid-off copyeditorDave Belling seduces the CFO who firedhim. Throughout, the foundingpublisher's progeny stagger under aheritage they don't understand. As theragtag staff faces down the implicationsof the paper's tilt into oblivion, there aremore than enough sublime moments,unexpected turns and sheer inkywretchedness to warrant putting this onthe shelf next to other great newspapernovels.

MATTERHORN Karl Marlantes - Fiction - 680 pp

Rarely does a book, even one I'dconsider a favourite, stick with me forweeks or even months after I've finishedit. But Matterhorn, by Karl Marlantes,did. Matterhorn is a marvel – a living,

breathing book with Lieutenant WainoMellas and the men of Bravo Companyat its raw and battered heart. KarlMarlantes doesn't introduce you toVietnam in his brilliant war epic – heunceremoniously drops you into thejungle, disoriented and dripping withleeches, with only the newbie lieutenantas your guide. Mellas is a bundle ofanxiety and ambition, a college kid whonever imagined being part of a "war thatnone of his friends thought was worthfighting," who realized too late that"because of his desire to look goodcoming home from a war, he mightnever come home at all." A highlydecorated Vietnam veteran himself,Marlantes brings the horrors andheroism of war to life with the finesse ofa seasoned writer, exposing not just thethings they carry, but the fears they bury,the friends they lose and the men theyfollow. Matterhorn is as much about thedevelopment of Mellas from boy to man,from the kind of man you fight beside tothe man you fight for, as it is about thewar itself. Through his untrained eyes,readers gain a new perspective on theravages of war, the politics andbureaucracy of the military, and thepeculiar beauty of brotherhood.

ADVERTISE IN THE UMBRELLA!

CONTACT THE BCS OFFICE: 21 2537-6605

12

13

Christ Church, Rua Real Grandeza 99,8pm, Monday 18th April. Entrance free.

The music of the SCM Easter Concert issituated between the two expressions ofjoy: Hosianna, the greeting to Jesus on histriumphal entrance into Jerusalem, andHallelujah, the cry of Christians rejoicingat His resurrection. Happiness andmoments of suffering, anguish and death,which constitute the sadness of ThePassion, have been the inspiration for greatcomposers for many centuries. The SCMchoirs will sing some of them, to show howthe composers expressed, in their differentways, all the dramatic emotion of HolyWeek.

From the renaissance period, Jesus dulcismemoria, by Tomás Luis de Victoria(1548-1611) the motets Vom Leiden Christiand In den Armen dein by Johannes

Eccard (1553-1611) and Melchior Franck(1579-1639) respectively. The motet SurgensJesus by Peter Philips (1560-1628) Englishorganist and composer.

The main choir are singing seven piecescovering the events of Easter Week. Thefirst is ‘A Palm Sunday Antiphon’, by DavidMorgan. Next is ‘Jesu dulcis memoria, amotet by Tomás Luis de Victoria. Next apiece by J.S.Bach – ‘Jesus, Joy of LovingHearts’, followed by ‘O Saviour of theWorld’ by John Goss. ‘Praise to Thee, LordJesus’, is by Heinrich Schutz, a Germancomposer, followed by the English com-poser Kenneth Leighton with the anthem‘Solus ad Victimam’, and ‘Surgens Jesus’ byPeter Philips.

The 20th century is represented by Englishcomposers David C.Morgan (b.1946) ofthe Royal School of Church Music and

Kenneth Leighton (1929-1988) pianist,composer and teacher, who studied inEurope and was much influenced bySchöenberg, Webern and Alban Berg.

Included in the concert is an organ piece bythe great French composer of sacred musicOlivier Messiaen (1908-1992). SCM organ-ist Inez Rufino will play Apparition del´Église Éternelle. The concert is as alwaysconducted by Ruy Wanderley.

Dragon’s blood tree not unique These trees maybe a speciality of Socotra, buthere is a photo of one taken on St. Antão in theCape Verde Islands (though not as perfect asthe ones on Socotra). The locals claim they areup to 1000 years old, but I doubt they reallyknow. Maybe the Chinese Admiral Zeng Hebrought them to the Cape Verde Islands back inthe early 1400s?-Piers O'Connor

Dracaena draco, which is a monocotyledon andtherefore does not have rings [in its trunk], canlive a very long time. There is one on theCanary Islands, I think, which is said to be 650years old. They are certainly found on the CapeVerde Islands and have recently been found inMorocco and on the Island of Madeira. PiersO'Connor may well be correct when he says hehas heard of a 1000-year- old one on the CapeVerde Islands.-Susan Baekland

Statistics easily accessible on the web show thatIslam is the fastest growing religion in the worldand at a more rapid rate in the UK than any-where else. A recent poll in the UK shows thatMohammed is top of the list for names of thenewborn.

Christianity is clearly challenged and let us wel-come the founding of new churches preachingthe Christian faith whatever they might callthemselves. With recent Umbrella editorials onlife and death, sex and the churches, a Godlessuniverse and now sex, religion and age, mightyou be thinking of founding a Christian Churchyourself - as you point out - it can be done infive days for R$ 418.42. What is holding youback. ???? Bryan Stanford

Please send your letters tojackwoodall13@gmail.com

SCM EASTER CONCERTMusic

Letters...

ENDOCRINOLOGIA • MEDICINA ESTÉTICAProfessora de Laser da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Estética

CRM 5241979-2

EMAGRECIMENTO • ENDOCRINOLOGIALASER • LUZ PULSADA • RADIOFREQUENCIA

LASER DE CO2 FRACIONADO

Depilação permanente, retirada de manchas, cicatrizes, rugas, vasos.Rejuvenescimento Facial e das Mãos, Botox, Preenchimentos Faciais, Tratamento de Gordura Localizada, Celulite, Flacidez e Estrias

Rua Visconde de Pirajá 351/514, Forum de Ipanema, Rio. Tel: 21 2522-4966, 21 8777-7381 anabela@anabelarodrigues.com.br • www.anabelarodrigues.com.br

Hoax of the month

JACK WOODALL

Summary:Email forward claims that sensitive personal information such ascredit card numbers is routinely encoded on electronic hotel keycards and this represents a security risk to hotel guests(Status:False)

Commentary:This warning email has been circulating continuously for severalyears. Although it may sound plausible, the information in themessage is inaccurate and misleading.

Modern hotels do not include any sensitive personal informationon key cards. Early versions of the software used to process thecards may have given operators an option to add information suchas credit card numbers to the cards. However, even then, it was notcommon practice to include such information on key cards,although it is possible that hotel staff may have sometimes addedthe information in error. In any case, the software now used forhotel key card systems does not allow personal information to beencoded on the cards, even in error.

In a 2003 article that was available at the time on Bend.com, theofficer named in the email forward, Detective Sergeant Jorge of thePasadena Police Department, was quoted as explaining:

In years past, existing software would prompt the user (employee)for information input. If the employee was unaware of hotel poli-cy dictating that such information NOT be entered, it could haveended up on the card in error.

The email began circulating back in 2003, after Detective Jorgelearned about an investigation by a group of fraud detectives inCalifornia. Unfortunately, news of the potential security threatbegan to spread rapidly before investigations into the matter wereconcluded. Information on the Pasadena Police Department web-site <http://www.cityofpasadena.net/police/media/MediaReleases/HotelCardKeyUpdate.asp> notes that:

As the investigation into this potential fraud risk continued, thisinformation was shared with other members of the PasadenaPolice Department and personnel chose to share this informationwith others before we could correctly evaluate the risk. This hascaused a chain reaction of probably thousands of people beinggiven this information before the risk was evaluated thoroughly.

An article on WFTV.com <http://www.wftv. com/money/3254679/detail.html> also maintains that sensitive personal information isnever included on hotel key cards. The article explains that, while

other types of key cards may store information on three separatetracks, hotel key cards typically only use one track. In the article,deputy director of government affairs for the Ohio Hotel andLodging Association, Barton H. Hacker, further debunks thewarning:

"The software product that has been given to the hotel communi-ty actually prevents the use of the first two tracks on the magneticstrip," Hacker said. "So the guests are not in fear at all of having anypersonal information on those cards whatsoever."

Given that identity theft is one of the fastest growing types of crim-inal activity, we certainly need to be aware of potential threats toour privacy. However, the warning in this email forward is unwar-ranted. Hotel key cards do not increase our risk of becoming vic-tims of identity theft. In fact, hotel key cards are more likely toenhance our privacy because they are more secure than tradition-al hotel room access systems. An article <http://dayton.bizjour-nals.com/dayton/stories/1998/10/05/focus2.html> discussing thesuperiority of electronic key cards over traditional key systems onthe Dayton Business Journal website notes that:

A whole new key, with a different code, is created for each roomwith every change of guest. The codes from the previous use arewiped out by the computer and replaced with a new pattern that isalso sent electronically to the room lock. The key cards are anony-mous and easily changed, making it nearly impossible for a would-be burglar to pick up a card and break into a room.

Thus, the information in this warning message is invalid andshould not be forwarded. If you receive this email, please let thesender know that the information it contains is untrue.

[Source: website Hoax-slayer: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/hotel-key-card.html]

14

HOTEL KEY CARD SECURITY RISK HOAX

Oooooooops! My bad...Erratas

Disaster in the SerraCorrection to a note in the February issue.When Chris and Audrey Hieatt lost their house in the PosseValley, it wasn’t their son Tom who lost all his belongings. Tomlives with his family in Barra. It was Brent, who had been livingthere, who lost everything. Luckily he and his partner Ulli hadmoved to Santa Teresa (a different Teresa*), but had to leave

their stuff in Teresopolis until they found a home.*Santa Teresa from the original convent built in 1750 and ded-icated to Saint Teresa of Avila. Teresópolis named after EmpressTeresa Cristina.

Cover photoThe author of the beautiful colour photo that illustrates thecover of our March issue is Leonado Farias (same photographerwho porvided us the picture for this April issue) and notLeonardo Ribeiro as we published. We sincerely apologise forthe mistake.

15

Fundraising Concert for Relief in the Serra

Ruy Wanderley & the Corcovado Choir

Bruce Henri & group, jazz

Neville Thorley & friends

The British School musicians

David Chew OBE, cello ensemble.

Don’t miss this event to raise money for the

victims of the disaster in the Serra.

Saturday, 16th April, 7pm

Jubilee Hall: Rua Real Grandeza 99, Botafogo

Entry: donation of a minimum R$50,00

Cash bar and order in pizza.

16

Humor

Computer Repair ICaller: Hi, our printer is not working. Customer Service:What is wrong with it? Caller:Mouse is jammed. Customer Service:Mouse?... Printers don't have a mouse!!!Caller:Mmmmm??.. Oh really?... I will send a picture.

Computer Repair IICaller: Last night my computer started making a lot of hissing noises at me soI shut it down. This morning when I turned it on the computer started hissingand cracking, then started smoking and a bad smell, then nothing. Tech Support: I will have a technician come over first thing this morning. When the technician got there, this is what he found.

And you thought YOU had computer problems!!!

AA English Language Meetings in Rio - www.aa.org.br

Serge: home - 21 3298-1008; cel - 21 9974-8824John: home - 21 2267-7656; cel - 21 9411-4345

Anti-GraffitiSeen on the pristine white wall of a housein São GonçaloRESERVADO POR PICHADEIROSAMADORES (Reserved for graffiti ama-teurs). Not a single graffito adorned it – itis no fun to paint where it is expresslyallowed, is it now?--English, my EnglishIf a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does ahumanitarian eat?Why is it that writers write but fingers don’tfing, grocers don’t groce and hammersdon’t ham?

We speak of a brother and also of brethren,but though we say mother, we never saymethren.If the masculine pronouns are he, his andhim, why aren’t the feminine she, shis andshim? --Only in Brazil…An escaped prisoner, tired of being on therun, tried o give himself up. After failingto get himself re-arrested at 5 differentstate police stations in two days, becausethey could find no prison record for him,he threw himself in front of a militarypolice car. They checked the Federal

prison database – to which the state policedon’t have access – found his record andtook him in. – Globo 2010--Burglar’s ChoiceReebok Classics can be revealed as thetrainers of choice for Britain's burglarsafter research compared footwear impres-sions from a group of prolific thieves. Thetrainers were worn by 52 criminals in 66burglaries investigated by academics fromthe University of Leicester. – Jane’s Police Review 2010[Or same chap 52 times? – Ed.]

17

When you’ve just crossed Guyana fromGeorgetown to the Brazilian border andback again by light plane stopping off tosee the mighty Kaieteur and spectacularOrinduik falls in a single day what do younext that isn’t an anti-climax? You cross thecountry again this time overland. It’s about500kms heading southwest fromGeorgetown to the border with Brazil. Ittakes about 2 days of straight driving – inthe dry season. In our favour - theDecember/January rainy season had nothappened so the dirt roads were in goodcondition. Against that, it could start rainingtomorrow and continue for the whole trip. Ifit rained the overland trip could take aweek! And we had a plane to catch in BoaVista, over the border in Roraima. Fly ordrive?

OVERLAND AND FAR AWAYBack at our hotel we were studying theoptions over a few Banks beers (made fromrice!) when Navin, the son of the ownerwalked in, just back from a weekend inTrinidad. As a Moslem he didn’t drink alco-hol but joined our discussion. When heheard our plans he said “Great. You comewith me in my pickup. I’ve got a place inLethem on the border which I run as aguesthouse. I’ve got to go there this week.I’ll show you the most interesting places onthe way”.

The following morning after he’d made thereservations we needed at lodges andreserves and we’d agreed a price and gotthe cash to pay him we piled into his dou-ble cabin 4 x 4, threw our backpacks in theback and off we went.

The first stretch is through sugarcane andrice plantations. Not very interesting. Thefirst town of any size is Linden, just over100kms inland on the Demerara River wherebauxite mining dominates. It’s another100kms or so on to Mabura Hill, centre ofthe logging industry. Since timber, bauxite,rice and sugar are the key exports no sur-prise that the roads are good though heav-ily used. Then the fun starts as you hit thejungle. Heavily rutted, potholed dirt roads,dry with lots of dust as the short rainy sea-son had failed. And slow going. We wereaiming to get the ferry across the EssequiboRiver before it stopped running in the mid-dle of the day. We missed it. Just as wellotherwise we would have missed the bestplace to eat in Guyana. Between the trackand the river is Dorothy and Martin’s“Restaurant”. It’s a palm-covered shack in aclearing in the jungle.

A SHACK WITH (3 STAR)SNACKS

You start off with fresh boiled turtle eggs. Bitein for the juice, then eat the egg. Then somesalted or smoked river fish (no fridges here!).Main course is bushmeat of the day – labba(paca in Portuguese; agouti in English) servedwith bora, a sort of very long string bean. Asalad of red sorrel type leaves rounded it off.And there are local “apples” – golden apple(caja manga) and star apple – a large plumlike fruit full of white seeds. Delicious but notto be eaten if, like me, you have a moustache!Dorothy cooks what Martin catches. Martinregales visitors with tales of how they gothere in a Caribbean English which soundsalmost like the Welsh “singsonging” English.We could have spent all afternoon there had-n’t the pontoon ferry arrived!

From the river we continued through thickjungle to Iwokrama Rainforest, a huge proj-ect to preserve the forest, fauna and flora,a National Park with rangers, guides, lodgesfor the researchers and eco-tourists. Wetook a long trek into the forest ending upat the base of a mountain in a canopy walk-way and saw lots of birds and spider mon-keys. Notable were the black and whitehawk eagle and a rarely observed mata-mata turtle. We knew it was rare when theguide radioed the sighting in to theResearch Centre! There were still two thingswe really wanted to see – a jaguar and theelusive cock of the rock. Navin told us thatthis stretch of the track through the parkwas the best place for both. There was evenan unmarked trail off the road to an area

favoured by the bird. We spent a hot andsweaty time trying to find it before givingup and continuing.

Our next stop was Surama, an Amerindianvillage which has set up its own ecotourismproject on a more modest scale thanIwokrama. Here you can go trekking, canoeing/rowing and bird watching. We combined all3 in an excursion to and along the river.Here the main attractions are the birds andthe black caiman, the biggest of the S. Amer-ican alligators. You can also visit the com-munity projects and artisans making hand-icrafts from wood and latex. Although itsounds like glorified tourism, it’s not. Thisis done by the locals for their benefit.

SAVANNA, SOON TO BERENAMED “CERRADO”?Suddenly the rainforest stopped, as if Japa-nese landscape artists had intervened, andthe savanna began. Our next stop was Annai,another Amerindian village. This is glorifiedecotourism, a resort with its own airstrip,stores, bars and English owners. A nicewatering hole! From there the road got bet-ter and we knew we were nearing the borderas road signs and advertising in Portuguesestarted appearing! Finally, Lethem with a sign“Brasil: Próxima à direita”! There’s a brandnew concrete bridge and approach road builtby Brazil to serve the Free Trade Zone beingbuilt by Brazil in Lethem. But you can stillhear English spoken in town…..

Around Lethem the Rupununi savanna is fullof Amerindian settlements, the real thing,no ecotourism, where oxcarts and horsesare the local transport. We headed for theKanaku Mountains beyond the savanna andtrekked to the Cumo waterfall. A quick swimand a trek up the mountain to the Bat andPot caves. The “Bat” bit is obvious (if onlyby the smell); the “Pot” refers to ancientburial pots used by the forefathers of thenative Amerindians. But this was also thelast opportunity for spotting the cock of therock. We trekked on quietly and carefullyapproached its nesting area. Then as wesaw it, it saw us. A quick pose in all itsorange and yellow glory and off it went intothe gloom of the tree cover...

P.S. Back in Rio there was an e-mail from Navin:“On the way back through the park I cameround a corner and there was this magnificentjaguar in the middle of the track”….

THE AMAZON THAT SPEAKSENGLISH – GUYANA (Part 2)

HENRY ADLEROFF THE BEATEN TRACK

18

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DEADLINE for our APRIL 2011

edition is MONDAY, APRIL 18

BCS YEARBOOKThe 2011 version of the BCS Yearbook is

already in production. Please update your data(address, phone numbers and e-mail) at the

BCS Office: bcsrio@bcsrio.org.brIf you haven’t paid your subscription it’s a good

time to do so and be part of the book!

APRIL05 InC New Members Gathering 10am05 Scottish dancing starts at Paissandu Club 8pm.06 InC Palacio Capanema visit07 AmSoc Ladies’ night 8pm (to be confirmed)09 AmSoc Ragin’ Cajun night (to be confirmed)12 BCS Annual General Meeting 6.30pm14 InC Cafezinho 10am15 AmSoc Sponsors cocktail (to be confirmed)16 BCS/AmSoc/TBS 2nd Charity MountainLandslide Concert

18 SCM Easter concert - at Christ Church19 AmSocMuseum visit (to be confirmed)21-23 Holidays (Tiradentes, Good Friday, São Jorge)24 Holidays Easter Day (Pascoa)28 InC Speaker series29 BCS Royal Wedding event 7.30pm29 InC General meeting 10.30am

MAY01 Labor Day Dia do Trabalho03 BCS Talk: Prof. Leslie Bethell, Jubilee Hall, 7pm05 AmSoc Ladies’ Night08 Christ Church and British Burial Fund AGM –after morning service.

17 AmSocMuseum Visit20 InC Event - Taste of Rio - Clube Federal27 InC General Meeting30Memorial Day – USA

Scottish Country Dancing:Every Tuesday 8pm at Paissandu Club

Be sure not tomiss yourUmbrella! Keepyour annual feespaid and youraddress updated!