this is the grave of brazilian legends: lampiao and maria bonita. theirs is a great story which encapsulates the key elements of a true great braziliam drama: courage, honour, love, violence, poverty, injustice, romanticism, brutality, lyricism and an intricate relationship with the land.

i came across this grave sort of by accident. my original destination was the impressive and legendary hydro damn of paulo afonso, in the northwest of bahia. after paulo afonso i continued down the sao francisco past the next power station of xingo, and right after that came across a completely charming small village called piranhas. i fell in love with this place, and the river, and stayed for a few days. it was only then that i learned that the place where lampiao and maria bonita had been killed was a short boat ride down the river and then a short trek into the caatinga, the harsh arid cactus and shrubs vegetation which surrounds the sao francisco. so there i went, with a local guide and my imagination piqued.