The group arrived on Atibaia on Sunday, where we were greeted with an afternoon lunch at a beautiful location on the top of a mountain. The afternoon was filled with good conversation, plenty of laughter, food and beverages. At this point the team went to their respective host families, were we rested and prepared for an evening of pizza. Brazilians love their pizza! They are famous for their sweet (dolce) pizza. One of my personal favorites has arugula as a topping.

Monday morning we met at the local rotary club and after a bumpy trip up to Pedra Grande. The pictures we took barely do this amazing place justice, but one gets the idea of the amazing vistas. After another delicious lunch we headed to Hiranaka Orchid greenhouse. This particular greenhouse sells orchids all over the country. I know why they are so expensive… shipping! Monday evening we visited Casa do Caminho, a soup kitchen that the local rotary club supports. The team toured the facility and helped serve a few meals. Afterwards we went to see a group of 12-string guitar players that gathers every Monday to work on new pieces of music. My host brother, Hi, told me that they sometimes perform for the community. The sound was amazing, very relaxing!


Tuesday morning was free, and I took advantage and slept in! At two we went to city council where we learned that the city continues to grow, but only industries that do not pollute are supported by the local government. The group then went to practice our pottery skills at Bairro do Tanque. First we watched a master, Izumi, create a sugar bowl in minutes. It was amazing how quick he finished and how easy he made it look. Then it was our turn, once everyone had given it their best shot, we took a look at the showroom. Actually participating and then seeing the final product of a master, one truly appreciates the skill it takes to create these works of art. On the way back towards our homes, we stopped at what they call a redneck coffee house. I have no idea where the name comes from, the coffee was delicious and the warm bread and real (locally made) butter is making my mouth water just writing about it.

Wednesday the group split up, Chris and Jose’ visited the city of São Paulo, the rest of us visited Schwing, a company that fabricates cement pumps and mixers, places them on trucks and then paints them to their customers specifications. It was interesting to see the process from the steel sheets to the actual trucks. For me the most intriguing thing was the fact that all the water used is cleaned before it’s returned to the environment. Yet another example of how Brazilian’s respect their resources and the environment. Wednesday night we presented to Rotary Club Atibaia, and had a lovely time meeting with the local Rotarians.


Thursday we headed to Águas de Lindóia for the district conference, more to come!