A Vegan in Gaucho Country

Celebrating Walter in Rio Grande do Sul

Paying my respects

In January this year my daughters' grandfather (my father-in-law), Walter Aumond, passed away from Alzheimer's. The family planned a celebration of life for him in July in his hometown, São Marcos, Brazil. My sister-in-law, Mariana, invited me to join them. Which is how this summer's family vacation found us visiting Gaucho country in winter.

Walter was dear to me and I admired him very much. He was a very principled and educated man who worked hard to have an influence on the world around him. As a young man he left Brazil and studied political science in France at the Sorbonne. When he returned he became involved in politcal activities where he worked to create a more equitable society.

He mentored many people throughout his life and shared his knowledge freely. 

Beyond words

It was a little challenging for us to communicate because early on I didn't speak a lot of Portuguese. He spoke a little English though not a lot (he was fluent in at least five different languages), but we found a way to discuss books and political theory, which we both found interesting. We'd go to the farmer's market together and he'd buy me some caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) and a pastel and show me all the delicious local produce.

It was very sad when he developed Alzheimer's. He suffered with it for a long time. It was a slow and long decline, much different than my father's. Every year I walk for them both at the Alzheimer's Association fundraiser.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."

 – Nelson Mandela

Brazil in the Winter

Having traveled to Brazil many times now, visiting in winter was new for me. Fall was the time we usually went, which is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Twice we spent Christmas in Brazil. It's a funny feeling wearing a sundress while listening to songs about snow.

I was super curious what winter in Brazil is like. So in mid-July I packed my bags with turtlenecks, a warm hat, and my fingerless gloves, and made sure my daughters didn't forget their jackets. Since we were going to the southernmost state in Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, it was sure to be cold. This is gaucho country where they eat A LOT of meat, so I knew that being a vegan might be challenging and I would need to plan ahead sometimes.

Winter sunset views from Mariana's Apartment in Sao Paolo

After around 14 hours in a plane we arrived in São Paulo. It had been quite a while since my last trip to Brazil and it was nice to have a couple of days to enjoy the city and spend time with Mariana and family and friends I hadn't seen in years. She hosted a little party with vegan food for me to celebrate my birthday. Then the girls stayed with their Tia, and I had a little time to go look at street art.

Street art in Vila Madalena

Porto Alegre

The next destination was Porto Alegre. It's the largest city in Rio Grande do Sul. Kiko, my ex, who I was traveling with, has an aunt, uncle, and four cousins from there. They had us over for a delicious dinner and his Tia Bette made some special vegan things for me. I was very touched by her thoughtfulness.

It was a lively group and Kiko's cousins and aunt and uncle are so lovely, fun to talk with, and kind. Eugenia, an architect and professor, gave us a driving tour of the city. The squares in the city have beautiful jacaranda trees which are native to the region and are covered in epiphytes. We talked a little bit about the flooding that happened last year and how it was so hard on everyone, killing some and causing a lot of damage.

Porto Alegre vistas with a Jacaranda tree

Going to see the Canions

After a buffet lunch with a lot of vegan options, we headed north to the cabins where we were staying to go see the canyons in a Serra Geral National Park. We were joined by more cousins and their families. Brazilians like to travel in big groups. The more the merrier!

Canion da Forteleza is like Brazil's Grand Canyon but it's a lot greener and in the winter it's pretty chilly. At an elevation of around 3000ft (1200m) there are some amazing views from the cliffs and down to the coastal plain. Clouds rise from the center so you're standing above the clouds.

Araucaria Trees

The trees of southern Brazil are gorgeous. The native Araucaria tree is an ancient tree pre-dating the dinosaurs. It is also known as the Paraná, Candelabra Tree, Pinion, Monkey Tail, or Monkey Puzzle tree. The ones here are distinct from the Araucaria trees further south in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Sadly, they are critically endangered due to over-harvesting and clearing land for other purposes, like grazing cattle.

This tree has a kind of magnetism that makes you gravitate to them, a presence, strange, mysterious and beautiful. I found myself staring at them, unable to look away. They can live to be over 1000 years old, grow to100 feet tall, and produce edible pine nuts from their pine cones, which is a staple of the indigenous community, the Kaingang. Only 3% of the forest cover of Araucaria Angustifolia trees is left in their former range.

The Kaingang care for and celebrate the trees, and harvest the pine nuts. It is very important to their culture, providing food, as well as material for making baskets and other traditional items. The trees are at the center of their spirituality and culture. They are working hard to restore them and have created a nursery to help rehabilitate the forest. Walter loved these trees, too.

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.”

 – William Blake

Vegan Churrasco?

Those are probably two words you don't see together often. After our chilly hike at the canyon, the group decided to cook a churrasco dinner (Brazilian barbecue) in the common building at the cabins. As the vegan, I was sent to get the vegetables to cook. Two of the men in our party went to pick up the meat and I went with them. I got to really practice my Portuguese and was able to participate in the conversation a little. The grocery store didn't have much, but I made the most of what was available getting potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, and some peanuts for protein.

Vistas at Canion da Forteleza

It was fun cooking all together and figuring out how to cook the veggies in the barbecue. Aluminum foil did the trick so they could go right on the coals. The wine from the region was delicious.

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home." 

 – Gary Snyder

Capybara in the wild

In the morning we packed up and headed out to see another canyon, Itaimbezinho. Unfortunately, it was completely fogged in so we weren't able to see the vista but we did see a capybara and some more beautiful Araucaria trees.

São Marcos: An Italian town in Brazil

Our next destination was the small town of Sao Marcos, Walter's hometown.  The whole town was largely settled by people from the Veneto in Italy. It was as if a whole community from Italy reassembled itself in this spot in Brazil. At around 20,000 people most of the town knows each other and/or is related somehow.

The family was gathering from different parts of Brazil, with some, like us, coming from the US. We were all staying in a hotel together. Walter was the oldest of six, with three surviving siblings, and there are many, many cousins.

Big caring family

Being around a large, warm and welcoming family is different for me. My family is small and fragmented. Many of the attendees I had met on previous trips to Brazil or when they visited the States, so it was nice to reconnect. Even though, Kiko and I broke up they still treat me like family and I really appreciate that. 

One of the things I greatly admire is how important education is to all of them. All of the six siblings of Walter's family went on to study in college, most going onto advanced degrees. They financially supported each other as they studied, paying it forward for the next one. What an inspiration! You can see the love.

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”

 – Trenton Lee Stewart

First Family Gathering

The first night we all met up for a meal at a local union restaurant. There was a beautiful little wooden chapel out front. The restaurant was very nice with a hammered copper fireplace in the center. There were a couple of vegetable options in the buffet, so I was happy about that. They make a homemade limoncello that is delicious! A playroom off the dining room with a ball pit kept the kids entertained.

The Ceremony

In the morning it was solemn when we met to honor Walter and other family members who had passed and were being interred together. A priest performed a ceremony and consecrated the resting place, then family members shared words of remembrance. Tears were shed, then the children started to explore the cemetery grounds. Soon we were off to lunch at a local winery.

For the first time on the trip I was at a loss to find anything to eat. Everything had either meat or cheese, even the salad had bacon, so I patiently waited and then found an acai bowl near the town square. 

Planning Ahead

That evening dinner was at the gaucho cultural hall, so I knew I had better prepare and bring something with me. I had done a little research and then asked the woman at the acai place if she knew of anywhere. She suggested a gastropub around the corner that I had seen and thought might be promising.

The town square had an American tank, so we went to have a look. It was purchased to honor the local people who fought in WWII. The kids were fascinated and started climbing on it. Growing up next to a military base I saw these all the time and was surprised to find one there.

Many Vegan Options

When it was time to meet at the gaucho center, I slipped away, walking over to the gastropub. It was built out of shipping containers and was nicely designed. I asked in Portuguese if they had any vegan options, and the restaurant owner replied in English and showed me on the menu that they had a five different dishes to choose from.

I decided on the mushroom burger and fries. He told me that he had traveled to San Francisco many years ago. I had a glass of local wine and waited for the food. I was really grateful that I found this place when I needed it. The owner was so friendly and helpful, too. Turns out they're animal rights activists! The family was amazed that I found somewhere in São Marcos that has vegan food.

All About Gaucho Culture

The gaucho cultural center was covered in paintings and memorabilia highlighting the history of the people of the region. The gauchos were the Brazilian cowboys. It's a culture that extends through Uruguay and down into Argentina.

Gauchos were a mixture of the indigenous community and europeans who lived a nomadic life riding horses and herding cattle in the pampas. They drink Yerba Mate, which is a caffeinated drink that you drink out of a gourd through a steel straw. The hot water is at the bottom and the herb rests on top. You don't stir it just drink from the bottom. The food is centered around churrasco (barbecue), mostly beef. There is music, dancing, and stories that are all part of the cultural experience.

“Before a year is out, he has become a gaucho. He learns to ride, to round up the cattle on the hacienda, to slaughter on the range, to handle the lasso and the bolas that fell cattle, to fight off sleep, to endure storms and frost and sun, to drive livestock with whistles and cries.” 
– Jorge Luis Borges

The American eating a burger

It was a good thing that I brought my own food, because everything but the lettuce had meat in it. Even the rice had sausage! There was a man in full gaucho clothes standing at the end of the buffet cutting up different slices of meat. I sat down with my mushroom burger and fries, and felt a little sheepish about being the American in the room eating a burger instead of partaking in the local cuisine. No slight to the culture at all, I just don't eat animal products. Nobody really minded anyway.

After dinner the music started. There was some traditional gaucho dancing, and some accordion and guitar. Family members took turns playing accordion and guitar, and one local family member started singing. She had a beautiful voice and sang a few classic Brazilian songs.

Saying our goodbyes

The next day we were heading back to São Paulo but we had one last gathering to attend in the countryside. For the going away meal the local family put together a feast, with homemade desserts and lots of traditional dishes. This time I made some PB&Js at the breakfast bar in the hotel. I had some Yerba Mate which was warm and perfect, because it was cold and rainy outside. We said our goodbyes and headed back to the airport in Porto Alegre.

Lots of family were heading back to São Paulo so we spent a little more time with them before we boarded. After we landed we made our way back to Mariana's apartment.

São Paulo from the air. High-rises go on for as far as the eyes can see.

Getting sick on vaction

Lucia woke up the next morning with a high fever which lasted for the next three days. She coughed and coughed and coughed (not Covid). Then I caught the bug and got sick too. Unfortunately, it happened just when we were going to the beach in Sao Paulo for some relaxing time. Thankfully, no one else got sick.

Mariana is a doctor and made sure that we had what we needed to relieve our symptoms, heal and get well quickly. Although we were sick we tried to make the most of our time visiting with Cousin Luciana and Antonio at their beautiful art-filled beach house.

Aside from the sickness it was a lovely trip and good to celebrate Walter and have time with some of the Brazilian family. There's a whole other side of the family that is even larger, but that is another story...