Forest refuge
In this distant paradise called Machangulo, there is amazing countryside and there is also the sad poverty of its inhabitants. Santa Maria is the only town on the peninsula. The rest of the natives live in scattered hamlets made up of a few huts without running water or electricity. Walking through the forest, you see few signs of human life. Some women are burning vegetation to plant a garden, or at some crossroads there may be a bar, but it's closed up tight, having been built in the wild hope that someone would come and buy something. Amid so much silent solitude, it is endearing to discover a humble chapel. The natives profess animism, but somehow they combine it with Christianity. These small churches, used only when a priest visits the area, are very visible and have high corners. They are built with straw and wood, with a dirt floor and log benches. Air enters freely. They have no windows or doors. There are no embellishments, or pictures. There's not even a cross. Still, thy are extremely suggestive.
