In the last decade, be it the natural wonders of the world, fish testicles in Japan or 5am safaris, I have seen, tasted and heard so many different cultures and languages from all over the world. However, I have never felt so compelled to share my trip with others as I had when I visited Brazil last winter. What struck me the most was how every aspect of its culture, language and landscape had a compelling story to it.
I started writing on my second day in a resort in the middle of the Amazon rainforest, specifically, the Anavilhanas national park, just outside the town of Novo Airo. I had just returned to my room after having visited the community of Tiririca-am – a village along the Rio Negro, home to 48 members and 17 families. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the president Francisco, who showed us around the community, with its hand-built wooden houses and mango tree plots; I was mesmerised by a way of life that seemed so distant from that of exam grades, Instagram reels and summer internships back in Milan, one that was rich in traditions and nature. With over 100 tribes in the Amazon rainforest remaining completely uncontacted by modern civilization, I knew I was only scratching the surface to what might as well be an alternate reality.
In a rock collection composed by the village’s children, among some pebbles and worn meat cutters, we noticed some actual Inca artefacts, which must have washed up on the shore of Tiririca-am. Such rare and valuable artefacts sat among pebbles, not knowing their importance in filling the hole that had been burnt into the history book of Brazil during the European colonisation of the Americas. Despite having been isolated from the rest of the world for centuries, some of the members had features resembling Nordic ones, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Similarly, our tour guide from the previous day spoke fluent Italian, despite being born deep into the rainforest and having lived there his entire life. ‘Brazil is a porridge pot’ said Francisco, and although his translation may not have been perfect, it made me reflect: how many nationalities have a significant presence in Brazil? The colonial period alone brought along Portuguese, Italians and Germans, but the agricultural richness of Brazil attracted Lebanese, Syrians and the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Porridge pot indeed.
These people brought along with them history, tradition and culture, which intertwined itself with that of the indigenous people.
On our final day in the rainforest, we went to a dolphin sanctuary to see the pink river dolphins; even then, the stories we were being told were rich with ancient mythology and tradition. A young girl told us about a folklore tale passed down by indigenous tribes in the Amazon to explain albino children or children born out of wedlock. The pink river dolphin, otherwise known as a ‘boto’ was not just an animal but a shapeshifter, which would transform during river festivals into a handsome blonde man and seduce the women of the village. And so over time, ‘boto’ was an explanation for the unexplainable and became a token of luck and protection for the indigenous tribes.
Even its cuisine reveals the complexity of Brazil’s colonial influence. Without fail, everywhere we went to eat, we were served these bread and cheese balls called ‘Pão de Queijo’, but even such a seemingly simple dish represents a fusion between ‘cassava flour’ (a staple food for indigenous people) and cheese, which was brought over by the Portuguese in the 16th century.
Therefore, visiting Brazil isn’t just about exploring what is there now, but understanding layers and layers of context of what came before. For me, this shaped my perspective on travelling to seeing places as the history and culture that has shaped them so far.
Hi, I'm a first-year BIG student from London, but I was born in Milan, and both my parents are Italian. My international upbringing facilitates my appreciate for Economics and Politics, and I see writing is a powerful tool to cultivate different perspectives and ideas!