Chapter 1 – Basic instinct
In my real first day on São Thomé das Letras , after a non restourative sleeping and with the tiredness of everything i’ve been through still present my initial concerns were : basic provisions ( water, food, cleaning products and hygiene material ) and my work commitment ( write and/or draw). I ran for the localization app and found that there were a very close supermarket and i just need to cross the central square located on my right side to get there. As soon as it opened it’s doors , i was there buying what was necessary. Even thought was a short path was impossible carry everything at once in my hands so i went again and only on this second going i saw a notice that home delivery of purchases over a certain value was possible but i had no time for regreting because they didn’t deliver immediately but my thirst and hunger were more than immediate.
After breakfast has been prepared and enjoyed , lunch has been prepared then i stored and organized the supplies it was time for writing , still impacted by the previous day. I thought as a wise and self caring attitude , in the afternoon , explore nearby places, without great access difficulties as the physical and non-physical tiredness still persisted. The tours i want to take are discarded for now because the city is full of visitors (it was Sunday) and in addition to the large number of people in the main tourist attractions, tour prices would be inflated.
Lunch was a perfect time for thinking where to go later but a new rest after lunch made everything change as i felt completely renewed from my previous tiredness. A sudden desire to go to “Cruzeiro” ( a local tourist spot ) came , i saw how to get there from where i was using the location app and i just went , here i leave a valuable tip for those who want to walk on the streets and move around the tourist attractions of São Thomé das Letras , you should care about your shoes , a proper shoes makes a huge difference and my personal experience says that trail shoes that are as hard as possible is the best choice providing safety feeling in the ankle region when stepping on streets paved with irregular stones or on trails. Going back to my afternoon destination , the “Cruzeiro” is located at the top of a mountain with relatively easy access because the climb it’s not steep at all , even so , i stopped twice in the middle of the climb to catch my breath , i was about to reach the top , when on my right, a trail bordered by rocks caught my attention and i decided to follow it to see where i would get to. Following the road i could see several sculptures made by meticulously stacked stones and after a brief walk at the end of the road, another famous tourist spot in São Thomé das Letras was in front of me , the “ Pirâmide “ or the pyramid house. The “Pirâmide “ is basically a huge house that began its construction in the shape of a pyramid (they say it was built with special positioning , aligned with the Scorpio constellation) and when the work was almost completed , it was embargoed by the courts due to its location being in an environmental preservation area. As the work was not demolished , it began to be a meeting point for people whether to watch the sunset or comtemplate the landscape (it is positioned near to na abyss at the top of the same huge rock that holds the “Cruzeiro”). The “Pirâmide “ was full of people, mainly on the rooftop (the apex of the pyramid) probably waiting for the sun to set, with that amount of people , climbing to the top was out of the question for me , so i enjoy initially take external photos.
Trail with stalked stones sculptures
The pyramid house full of people , most of them waiting for the sunset
I contemplated the surroundings and its beautiful landscape and then decided to enter the pyramid and take some internal photos , when i just entered i felt a special and strong energy , i don’t know how to accurately put in words , but i felt invaded by a feeling of expansion and lightness, especially in the heart chakra (at the height of the heart). Inside the pyramid, there were very few people (i believe a maximum of 5) and i focused on capturing photos with the least obvious framing possible.
The pyramid house in São Thomé das Letras (internal photo)
I stayed for a short time because i felt uncomfortable with the number of people and
salespeople outside who were really making noise trying to attract customers , i was also stunned by what i felt when i entered the place (the pyramid), my mind seemed to have no way of classifying what was beyond the physical plane. I returned along the same trail to the initially planned point , the "Cruzeiro" , it was also crowded but because it was a very large area , there was no concentration of people or vendors making noise and i decided sit down (on the rock) in a place protected from the sun , a little below the cross-shaped structure that gives the tourist spot its name.
Cross structure wich gives the tourist spot its name (Cruzeiro)
"My place" , right below the wooden cross structure
At this place i could rest, contemplate and try to understand what happened when i entered
the pyramid (it still disturbed me) there were people around on my back and left side but the
closest one was about 5 meters away , in silence or speaking in an inaudible way to make it clear
from my position , in front of me an atonishing view of mountains far away and the edge of an
abyss with more than 800 meters deep for sure , i took photos, contemplated each side of that
quartzite mountain more than 1,400 meters above sea level. An unusual and noteworthy
situation occurred when as soon as i sat down , despite being at the top of the mountain and
just over 10 meters from a gorge , there was no wind , there were no clouds in the sky , it seemed like everything around me was “paused”. Now , writing , i remembered having seen a documentary about Tibet where situations like this , the locals say it is the moment where the “lord of the world” is in meditation and therefore they suspend activities, say prayers and recite mantras. At that moment i was so involved in everything i saw and i felt integrated into the mountain , with that singular beauty on the horizon , i didn't remember anything , i didn't think about anything and what happened lasted about 20 minutes , being gradually modified by the beginning of cold winds blowing intermittently. Next to me, a little further on, exactly at the limit between the rock and the cliff, sat an individual who began a meditation. I don't know if he was a shaman or a practitioner of shamanism because he was wearing a t-shirt with the image of an indian and a eagle. I also cannot say for sure whether by “coincidence” or issues related to energy manipulation, less than 5 minutes later what appeared to be a hawk began to fly overhead. I stood there observing that situation that lasted about 20 minutes until the bird began to fly away and disappeared into the vegetation located below the mountain (cliff). I regret for the absence of register at the very begining , when the path was circular , practically above me , and the sun still on the horizon. Few minutes after the hawk's farewell , the sun also disappeared over the horizon with applause from the public there and it was possible (due to the proximity) also hear the applause from the public present at the pyramid ( i joined in this local tradition and also
applauded). I decided to wait until nightfall to contemplate the sky, but as the hours passed the
temperature dropped and i hadn't taken a coat , so at 7 P.M. , i succumbed to hunger and cold ,
unfortunately (the sky was cloudless and with incredible visibility) , i had to made my way back to the apartment. Here i ask the reader's permission to once again pass on two important tips that can make a difference for better , in the well-being of those who are going to visit the highlands of São Thomé das Letras or anywhere else: 1- If you can , avoid consuming alcoholic drinks and/or lots of water because with the cold, the urge to go to the bathroom will come and there on the Cruzeiro , at the Pyramid , at the Witch's stone , at the Mirante , at the Toca da pedra furada (Holed stone cave) and many other tourist spots , there is no bathroom ( I don't think there is a bathroom in any tourist spot open to the public with free acess) so if a bathroom is necessary, you'll have to hold on until you get to a bar, restaurant or your place , obviously
there is the alternative for those who can't hold on , which is looking for a bush or possible place to relieve the “suffocation”, I think it is unnecessary to emphasize here how embarrassing this alternative is as it impacts those who use it, those who see it and those who will later pass by that place and have to smell that unpleasant odor. 2 – In the highest places in São Thomé das Letras, such as cruzeiro , at night , it is important to have a coat and a charged cell phone to use as a flashlight or a flashlight , to walk safely on the rocks and vegetation. On days of strong wind , gloves , a hat and a scarf are very important , i personally literally felt the lack of a scarf to protect my nose because in addition to the freezing sensation (on a day with strong winds), my nose skin was overdry and all full of “cracks”.
Back on my way back to the apartment , as a curiosity , both on my way up and on my way
down , i was “escorted” by dogs , i don't know if they had a guardian or if they were one of the many on the streets of São Thomé das Letras. There are those who say that not all dogs are dogs there, some would be beings that dominate the plasticity of matter and materialize as “dogs” to go unnoticed and the difference can be seen by the atypical brightness of their eyes. Whether those who followed me up and down were dogs or “dogs” i cannot say for sure, but i say here without fear that i have no doubt that there i felt accompanied by energies that guaranteed my safety. Tomorrow my plans will be: explore the surroundings of the apartment, try to climb to the top of the pyramid and once again go on the cruzeiro, this time with appropriate clothes to spend more time.
Chapter 1 playlist:
João Gilberto: ○ Álbum: Live in Tokyo
Jorge Bem Jor: ○ Álbum: Tábua de esmeraldas
John Mayer: ○ Álbum: Room for squares
Jakob bro: ○ Álbum: Time
When i come around (Ao longo do meu trajeto) - Acrylic (2023)
Declaration of love to the golden land
Minas ☆ , i ask for your permission to unlock your heavy clothes
Let your stained cloths fall to the ground, slowly like my tender touch
Without any tricks , i let you expose the valleys and mountains wich are so coveted
I want to see you raw and naked walking delicately in my surroundings
Today your spokespeople are not necessary, from afar i only ask then for a sign of approval
May they blink their eyes or simply close them in absolute and motivational silence
So i will listen to all the drums guiding my salty insides to the sweet lands
Right on this moment you don't need to shine your abundance, let me donate all my light (reflect only what fits)
On your sacred summit i will shed tears, sweat and sing in gratitude
My clothes will fall over yours and completely devoid of wrappings we will fill ourselves in verses and prose
Finally we will arrive (together) at the final place where two constellations will come together to applaud the completion of a cycle
☆ - Reference to Minas Gerais , Brazilian state located at the Southeast of the country
Gustavo H.F. de Sousa - 15 days project (2023)
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