i spent a few afternoons in this bar, drinking my nice cold beers and sheltering from the certain and predictable summer storms that arrived nearly every afternoon. i got to know the owner, the gentleman in this photo, and became friends with the locals who would stop by on their way in from the fields, alighting from their tired and scarred horses and mules to pick up a well earned cachaca and stock up on whatever gossip existed in a one-road town in the middle of minas gerais. the first time i saw these girls i was struck by their european features - the blue-green eyes, shinny blonde hair and nuanced features. it became obvious to me that they were related to him, grandkids i thought. one day we got into conversation and i asked about the background of his granddaughters, to which he laughed and said, these are my daughters. ?? daughters. oh, wau. cool. recognizing my confusion he asked me, in that delicious brazilian combination of humour, pride and machismo: Do you know how old i am? ahh, (even here flattery has its place ;) ) well, i said, looking at his kids and imagining they were at most 9, 10... well, 55? ha! 71! i have 11 kids, including a 2 year old. :). the pride in his voice was fantastic. this was not a man who was ever going to retire from the business..... i didnt ask him about his wife, or wives. he offered me a few drinks on the house :) and i sat there trying to imagine the secret to his success...