{758}{822}This cinematographic test of|human geography was rolled in 1932, {828}{886}just a short time after the|coming of the Spanish Republic. {894}{953}In opinion of the geographers and the travellers,|the region who are going to visit, called the Hurdes, {959}{1045}is a barren and inhospitable region,|in which the man is forced to fight,|hour to hour, by the subsistence. {1089}{1164}Until 1922, year in which the first highway|drew up, the Hurdes almost was not known {1173}{1250}for the rest of the world and|even for the inhabitants of Spain. {1310}{1390}Before arriving at the Hurdes,|we must pass by the Pond,|quite rich town, {1395}{1486}of feudal character, that it has a|great influence on the life of the Hurdes, {1495}{1577}where almost all the inhabitants|are tributary of this town. {1788}{1830}This is the church of the Pond. {1883}{1980}Two skulls in their niche seems to|preside over the destinies of this town. {2110}{2203}Generally, the houses has three floors.|Its architecture is little frequent {2209}{2310}in Spain and give to|the streets a medieval aspect. {2334}{2430}Most of the houses has recorded on|their door a religious inscription: {2510}{2600}"Ave Mar�a, conceived without sin" {2707}{2790}On day of our arrival we see|the women dressed for a great ceremony. {2796}{2872}We ask why they wear those pretty dresses. {2880}{2961}They reply that they must go to the Church square,|where they're going to celebrate {2969}{3028}like every year, a strange and|Barbarian celebration. {3039}{3109}Newly wedded men,|in front of gathered town, {3120}{3181}each on of them must|take the head of a rooster. {3284}{3340}Between two corners, a cord extends {3347}{3410}of which hangs a rooster|tied by the legs. {3420}{3511}Each of the riders, in galope,|will have to take the head of a rooster. {3778}{3867}After walking triumphantly with|the heads of the rooster thru the squares {3875}{3953}and the streets of town, the grooms|offer wine to everybody. {4258}{4320}The escanciadores, along with the wine, {4325}{4378}offer pleasures to thousands. {4572}{4662}Among others, we see this|boy rich adorned with silver medals {4670}{4753}Although they are Christian medals,|we cannot help thinking {4761}{4832}the amulets come from savage|villages of Africa and Ocean�a. {5061}{5133}We left the Pond, where|at 7 pm {5143}{5203}almost everybody is already drunk. {5225}{5310}3 kilometers away, from one of the tops|of the mountainss that surround the town, {5318}{5386}we discover the fifty two|towns that constitute the Hurdes, {5395}{5481}with a total population of ten thousand inhabitants. {5538}{5615}Thru steep slopes, we crossed|the splendid valley of the Batuecas {5623}{5695}inhibited by old monks, who live|with their servants. {6152}{6251}This valley was inhabited for|four centuries by monks, the Carmelites, {6259}{6353}who preached the Christian religion|in the most important towns of the Hurdes. {6379}{6442}The Batuecas has conserved vestiges|of intense prehistoric life. {6450}{6524}In the caverns the are crafty paintings {6542}{6600}representing men, goats and bees. {7106}{7153}Toads, snakes and lizards {7164}{7217}are the only present|inhabitants of these ruins. {7603}{7660}The vegetation is anundent, {7666}{7711}and more than 200 species|grow here freely. {7720}{7778}Nevertheless, five kilometers|from this valley {7784}{7870}no longer we will find trees.|Only some fruit trees, rockroses and brezos. {7975}{8053}The convent is surrounded by a wall|eight kilometers long {8060}{8109}that protects from the attacks|of wolves and wild boars. {8116}{8181}Inside the enclosure,|formed by the wall, {8188}{8278}the ruins of eighteen hermitages,|scattered here and there, {8287}{8355}indicated by one or several cypresses. {8708}{8764}Behind these tops,|that still belong {8771}{8803}to the Batuecas, begin the Hurdes. {8814}{8896}After crossing them, we find the desert|of the Hurdes. {8960}{9055}This town is the Aceitunilla,|located in one of the poorest valleys. {9066}{9123}The white building is the school,|built recently. {9178}{9281}In the streets onthe slope of the mountain|we meet its daily life. {9428}{9553}Peculiar detail, in the towns of the Hurdes|we have never heard singing. {9653}{9728}Sometimes we can run,|in the middle of the town, a {9734}{9779}miserable brook that descends|from the mountains. {9793}{9853}In summer, there is not much|water in the town {9859}{9953}and the inhabitants use it,|in spite of the filthy dirt|in the channel. {9987}{10038}There are weired scenes here. {10014}{10084}The river serves the whole town {10928}{10984}Three children eat a bread slice|dipped in water. {10989}{11031}The bread, until recently,|was almost unknown in the Hurdes. {11036}{11131}It seems that children's teacher, {11136}{11208}makes the children eat in|his presence, fearing {11213}{11284}that as soon as they arrive home,|theit parents will take it away. {11422}{11467}They call the children to the school. {11631}{11728}These ragged, barefoot children,|receive the same education {11734}{11828}as any other children anywhere in the world|who go to the primary school. {11822}{11878}The clothes bring the hurdanos|that emigrate {11889}{11975}for summer to territories|of Castile and Andalusia. {11997}{12058}They are dedicated mainly|to the mendicidad. {12067}{12161}When they return to their land,|they distribute lots of clothes|in exchange for potatoes. {12562}{12643}They teach these hungry children,|like everywhere, {12650}{12743}that the sum of the angles of a triangle|is equal to two right angles. {12847}{12931}In some towns of the Hurdes,|most of the children are "pilus". {12936}{13003}The abandoned will be looked for|by the women of the Hurdes {13008}{13081}from the public assistance|of Rodrigo City, located {13086}{13153}away two days of march through the mountain. {13192}{13281}They are in charge of raising them|in exchange for a fifteen pesetas a month. {13289}{13390}This miserable amount will let the whole family live|until the day, {13399}{13511}not very distant, when the industry of "pilus"|is prohibited in the Hurdes. {13642}{13697}Unexpected and shocking picture|that we discovered in the school. {13703}{13761}Who could make this|absurd engraving here? {13875}{13959}We opened randomly a moral book|that we found in the school. {13964}{14036}One of the best students|writes in the slate, {14044}{14078}on our request ours,|one of the book's maxims. {14272}{14353}The moral that is taught to|these small ones is the one that {14359}{14458}prevails our civilized world:|"Respect the other people's goods". {14678}{14731}In this relatively rich valley,|there are some {14736}{14797}walnuts, cherry trees and olive trees. {14859}{14897}This it is the town of Martilandr�n. {14900}{15000}The crusts that see between the trees,|resambling the shell {15006}{15075}of a mythical animal, is nothing more|than the tile roofs of the town. {15197}{15278}On the town entraning,|a choir of coughs welcomes us. {15294}{15348}Most of the inhabitants are sick. {15420}{15483}The scenes that appear to our sight|are of a devastating misery. {15700}{15781}El bocio es la enfermedad espec�fica|de las Hurdes Altas, {15789}{15853}que constituyen el objeto principal|de este reportaje. {16047}{16089}Vean a esta mujer con su bocio: {16098}{16150}no tiene m�s de treinta y dos a�os. {16322}{16383}Visitamos el pueblo acompa�ados por|el alcalde de Martilandr�n. {16397}{16450}En una calle desierta encontramos|una ni�a. {16461}{16508}Preguntamos al alcalde qu� tiene. {16518}{16606}Nos responde que desde hace tres d�as|la ni�a est� ah� sin moverse. {16611}{16650}Debe estar enferma, pues se queja. {16660}{16743}Uno de nuestros amigos, se|acerca a ella {16750}{16828}para informarse de lo que le|duele en la garganta. {16919}{16956}Le pide que abra la boca {16963}{17025}y podemos verle las enc�as y|la garganta inflamadas. {17034}{17077}Desgraciadamente no podemos|hacer nada por ella. {17103}{17158}Dos d�as despu�s volvimos|al pueblo. {17165}{17219}Al preguntar por ella, nos|respondieron que hab�a muerto. {17272}{17350}�De qu� se alimentan los habitantes|de esta tierra est�ril? {17359}{17431}Los �nicos alimentos de que|disponen, o casi, {17438}{17503}son las patatas y las jud�as,|y no siempre; {17509}{17561}especialmente en los meses|de junio y julio, {17568}{17631}hasta esta misma base de su|alimentaci�n les falta. {17640}{17728}Su alimentaci�n c�rnica se|compone �nicamente de cerdo. {17733}{17831}S�lo las familias ricas, si se las|puede llamar as�, poseen un cerdo. {17836}{17911}Cada a�o matan al cerdo:|devoran la carne en tres d�as. {17949}{18011}En los lugares m�s f�rtiles|crecen olivos. {18021}{18090}A menudo los frutos son devorados|por los insectos. {18137}{18224}La cabra es el animal que mejor|resiste en estos parajes est�riles. {18235}{18331}Se reserva su leche para los enfermos|graves que mojan en ella el pan {18339}{18423}que los mendigos traen de lejos y que|tambi�n se guarda para los enfermos. {18731}{18817}S�lo se consume carne de cabra|cuando alguna se mata, {18822}{18900}cosa que sucede a veces cuando el suelo|es abrupto y los senderos escarpados. {19025}{19125}La principal industria alimenticia|de Las Hurdes es la apicultura. {19131}{19219}Pero las colmenas, en su mayor�a,|no pertenecen a los hurdanos. {19225}{19339}Adem�s, la miel que las abejas extraen|de la flor del brezo, es muy amarga. {19347}{19417}Los propietarios de las colmenas|son gente de La Alberca. {19424}{19500}S�lo dejan las colmenas a los|hurdanos durante el invierno, {19509}{19594}que aqu� es m�s suave que en|la vecina provincia de Salamanca. {19697}{19756}En primavera, transportan las|comenas a Castilla. {19761}{19858}En esta �poca, es normal encontrar uno o|varios animales cargados con las colmenas {19865}{19925}y que se dirigen a Castilla. {1993...
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