Pretty Girls

I met the grandfather and cousins of this young girl in an Indigenous community outside of Tabatinga, a large city on the Amazon.  After meeting on the river’s edge, we spoke (in Portuguese, a second language to us all) about fishing techniques, boats, foods (monkey!), and life in NYC.  Eventually they invited me into their home where they treated me with great hospitality and warmth.  When they saw me taking a picture of this young girl next to the blond they thought it was very funny.  I also laughed, but noted that the background included not only the “bundona” on the wall but also an image of Jesus in the upper right corner and a “pretty girl” on the child’s shirt.  She was surrounded.