Saturday, December 31, 2005

Fazenda do Serrote

A mode of tourism I have come to appreciate since my first visits to Brazil in 1992, is the "hotel fazenda," the "hotel-farm," a cousin of what in Italy is called "agritourismo," and also a relative of the American dude ranch. I have stayed at a number of hotel fazendas in the mountainous regions of the states of Rio de Janeiro and Minas Gerais. They typically feature, as a basis, rustic yet comfortable lodging combined with meals prepared from locally growned foods (often grown on the property itself, which may be a fully functioning farm). There will additionally always be beautiful scenery, nature trails, and often waterfalls, lakes, swimming pools, tennis, and horses. The Fazenda do Serrote has all of this, and the very warm hospitality of the young owners, Flavio and Ana Paula. Flavio is a horseman, and leads daily rides with a handsome team of horses. (My daughter pointed out the resemblance between Flavio's horse and "Spirit"). Below are some photos from our recent stay.

The entrance gate with an overview of the property.

A magnificent eucalyptus stands next to the entry.

Flavio transformed a marsh into a wonderful lake. Here is stands still before the morning bathers arrive.

My son Ike/Calvin/Theo (he keeps changing his name these days) enjoyed kayaking the length of the lake...

...and the tiroleio--a rope tied from near the top of the entry road across the lake. There is great fear when you first jump off the platform at the top! But it is a thrilling ride that takes you across the valley and down to the coolness of the lake.

The kids all enjoyed fishing--here, my daughter showing off a small catch (all were thrown back into the lake).

Horseback riding was a favorite activity...

...even for the little ones.

Riding the trails behind the property, we came across these amazing ferns--a seeming glimpse into tropical prehistory.

This wonderful example of popular Brazilian ceramic art sat in the bar, which was also well stocked with a large variety of local cachaças (sugar cane alcohol; it is the basis of the popular Brazilian cocktail called the caipirinha). My favorite was the banana cachaça, it was like a really good rum, enriched by the addition of banana. After three or four shots, you are guaranteed to be like the ceramic figure on the front left.



Above: On Friday, lunch was animated by the music of Som da Terra, a group specializing in "Musica regional e caipira" ("regional and country/hillbilly music"). The group, led by Eder Kegele (second from the left in the first photo), hailed from the nearby small town of Aventureiro.

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