I regret to inform future visitors that Bosque Santa Lúcia is now closed for the lack of access. It is only three kilometers from the main highway, BR-163, to our forest reserve, but those few kilometers have taken their toll on me, my car and my business. Those of you who have followed my plight via this blog know that access to the Bosque became difficult more than a year ago. The main culprit is a gigantic mud hole that is taking on the role of a small lake. Appeal to local authorities hasn't hit a nerve as of yet. Representatives from our community of Poço Branco have parked their carcasses at the door of the mayor's office for more than a year. I have talked with the Secretary of Tourism more than once. The most promising contact was one I made with the Secretary of Planning two weeks ago. He's the mayor's brother and the strong man for the local government. He told me that he would open up the road before the heavy rains fall. I followed up my conversation with him by leaving written details of the problem. I'm hopeful that he'll make good his promise. But in the meanwhile, the road is closed and I've returned to my old job with a health organization in order to survive economically. It's actually a delight to be back. My contract calls for half-day workdays, which will allow me to return to Bosque Santa Lucia for some tours. Our Bosque caretaker, Cleuson, continues his work schedule on a regular basis so that we're ready to receive guests, when the road opens again.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Notice
I regret to inform future visitors that Bosque Santa Lúcia is now closed for the lack of access. It is only three kilometers from the main highway, BR-163, to our forest reserve, but those few kilometers have taken their toll on me, my car and my business. Those of you who have followed my plight via this blog know that access to the Bosque became difficult more than a year ago. The main culprit is a gigantic mud hole that is taking on the role of a small lake. Appeal to local authorities hasn't hit a nerve as of yet. Representatives from our community of Poço Branco have parked their carcasses at the door of the mayor's office for more than a year. I have talked with the Secretary of Tourism more than once. The most promising contact was one I made with the Secretary of Planning two weeks ago. He's the mayor's brother and the strong man for the local government. He told me that he would open up the road before the heavy rains fall. I followed up my conversation with him by leaving written details of the problem. I'm hopeful that he'll make good his promise. But in the meanwhile, the road is closed and I've returned to my old job with a health organization in order to survive economically. It's actually a delight to be back. My contract calls for half-day workdays, which will allow me to return to Bosque Santa Lucia for some tours. Our Bosque caretaker, Cleuson, continues his work schedule on a regular basis so that we're ready to receive guests, when the road opens again.
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5 comments:
Very sorry to hear this Steven. I really hope that You will continue to present pictures and stories. It is a greate pleasure to take a look almost every day on Brazil through your blog. I sure hope you will keep swinging!
Olle, from Sweden where the first snow are falling to day.
Hello Steven,
I live in Grand Junction, Colorado and your blog about Bosque Santa Lucia has enabled me to learn about an environment so different from my own. I feel that the Bosque is now one of my neighborhood haunts so I am sorry to hear that the Bosque is inaccessible. I don't imagine an email from someone with the weighty title of "Operations Manager for the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens" would do any good but if it does let me know.
Take Care,
Elizabeth Neubauer
Olle and Elizabeth, thanks for your kind support of the Bosque and what I'm trying to do via my blog. I never told anyone, but the original rationale back of the blog was that of allowing me to be at the Bosque via my images and blog posts. I've always wanted to live on the property, but family demands never allowed it. The blog allowed me to live it as many hours per day as I wished. Only in the last few weeks have I gotten so busy with my new job that I've come to abandon the regularity of posts. On the other hand, I've been able to pay the costs of maintaining a full-time employee at the Bosque since taking on the job. The Bosque is in good hands. It's as beautiful as ever and now it's a question of resolving the question of access.
Steven! I expect to come back with Tema 2010 and I will NOT do that without you and the Bosque! So we´ll have to pull some strings!
(Hi Olle by the way! Hope you are well!)
Hakan
Hakan, you can count on it! Good hearing from you.
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