Lady in Grey

The Stone Lady was in sombre mode this evening, as she composed herself for sleep.

In the foreground, the remains of a small condominum devastated by the floods and boulders that ripped through the valley in 2011, and further devastated by locals who subsequently removed the roof tiles and timbers to sell them.

And a friend's house once stood just this side of the condominium. The only traces that remained after the floods were the two gateposts and half of the gate. The rest was literally obliterated - disappeared - gone. Luckily, his son and girlfriend, who had been living there, had recently moved back down to Rio (also the salvation of our car, which we had lent them). Others in the valley were less fortunate. The loss of life was unofficially estimated at over 3000 just in this valley and officially, at 980 over an area the size of Wales.

The response of the local mayor, politicians and many local businesses was a classic example of man's inhumanity to man. They pocketed large sums of aid money and much else and have never been - never will be - brought to account.

I love Brazil, but at times like these, I sometimes wonder why we stay here - or is such corruption rife everywhere