Arcos

We are the second day into our new city.

Yesterday we did a spot of shopping after visiting a beautiful waterfall.
The pictures do not do it justice the sounds of the water create a sense of peace and calm.

We delivered a presentation to the Rotary club of Formiga a neighbouring town last night. We are improving with our public speakingcand presentation skills rapidly which is great as we have a Rotary conference in just under 3 weeks.

Facts about Arcos
The city is new only 60 years old having become independant from a neighbouring town as it grew.
Industry is thriving here and people are not short of money as there is so much work available
Main industries are farming and mining
The state is mineral rich
The area has many lagoons and waterfalls
The area is famous for having the biggest calcium mines in the world
The mining damages the country but as with all mining in the county the companues ensure tgey regenerate the areas mined after work has finished there.

Today the club of Formiga has taken us to a farm called Ponte Alta.

The farm has a very good reputation throughout the state and we have learned about the way it works and its produce. We were then prepared a feast for lunch which was made from produce entirely from the farm.

Things I have learned at the farm: Everything is 100 percent organic and chemical free.
The state is full of agriculture and farming produces a lot of export for the rest of Brazil
Overseas export is small from this state because itvis no where near any ports
When the areaxwas developed money was spent on roads rather than rail, this has added to export difficulties
This farm is over 200 years old and has been passed from generation to generation

The lady of the house Rosa made us beautiful scarves with wool produced on the farm.

The farm has a lot of land and has the states largest natural lake. They are selling the land around the lake for housing developments. With the economy thriving in this area there is a good market for this type of development.

We have also visited a local school, the local Government offices where I learbedxa bit about the way the towns are managed here in Brazil. To be a Councillor here is a great job which pays 5 times more than the average wage.
We met some ofcthe Councillors and from the information given, despite it been in Portugese it was clear to see the good work in the community that has had their involvment.

The housing complex we visited today is covered in detail in the blog entitled More Housing Information.