The inroads that Alonzo and SMDS are making are symtomatic of the aggressive approach Rio has taken in recent years to address issues which previously threatened it's tourist base. It is important for us to be among them because we must be close to their social reality to better understand them. At night Hugo remains on the lighted beach to care for the work which has been accomplished during the day. Some of Alonzo's creations are truly astounding. He once built a sandcastle in a Buenos Aires mall that required more than 19 tons of sand.
Construction begins with a very large block of thoroughly dampened sand.
The results are impressive and, sometimes, a protective substance is applied to a sandcastle's outer surface to protect it from the elements. The castles are a kind of fantasy that touch many different kinds of people. They have a kind of magical influence on those who see them. Does he remember one particular sandcastle that remains with him, a favorite, I ask. I see the castles on television and try to copy in the sand, I imagine that I live there.