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The Journey of a 75-Year-Old Rancher Who Lives Isolated in the Paulista Forest Reveals a Routine Marked by Simplicity, Family Tradition, and an Almost Extinct Lifestyle
Domingo Espetacular visited one of the last representatives of the Paulista rural communities and met Matias, who lives isolated in the midst of the dense forest. He welcomed the team on a special day, his 75th birthday, and showed the routine he has maintained since childhood.
Lives Isolated and Maintains the Rancher Lifestyle
Matias leads a simple life, built on intense work since early on. He is unfamiliar with school, nearby neighbors, and close friendships. He follows a way of living inherited from his father, who built the family home with the help of his mother, Matias himself, and nine siblings.
His siblings left the place to live in the city. His father passed away 20 years ago. His mother chose to leave, and he decided to stay in that corner of the forest where he has always lived.
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Matias was left without human companionship, although surrounded by the animals he raises and the creatures that the forest hosts. Thus, he lives isolated, sustaining the same way of life that marked old generations of ranchers.
The team departed from the capital towards São Miguel Arcanjo, almost 200 km away, to meet the guardian of the forest who maintains this discreet existence. The journey included a UTV expedition to deliver supplies and document the story of the rancher who lives in the middle of the woods.
Challenging Path to the Man Who Lives Isolated
Reaching Matias’ home requires facing dust, dense forest, and difficult stretches. Vehicles maneuver through streams, holes, rocks, and mud within the Nascentes do Paranapanema State Park in Capão Bonito.
After two hours on the trail, the team found the hut where Matias was born and has lived ever since. There is a small enclosed planting area, apparently with corn, and there he appeared to greet the visitors.
Matias greeted the team with simplicity and opened the improvised gate. He expressed joy at their unexpected presence on his birthday.
Occasional visits break the isolation. Groups linked to extreme sports, researchers, and park staff often pass through. They deliver supplies and leave with lessons about that daily life.
On his birthday, Matias received congratulations, prayers, and words of affection. He celebrated enthusiastically, repeating blessings and wishing abundance for all.
The Routine Inside the Home of Someone Who Lives Isolated
The rancher invited the team to see his house. He told them he became hunched over from carrying heavy loads for years, traveling 20 km to the city and returning the same way with cement and supplies on the back of his horse and his own body.
The house has four simple rooms prepared for occasional visitors. There are two kitchens, one with a gas stove and another with a wood stove. Solar panels received from visitors allow him to turn on lights.
Outside the house, he keeps ducks and chickens. The environment reflects the deep-rooted rancher style that accompanies his journey.
Matias’ day begins before dawn. He feeds the ducks, chickens, chicks, and dogs that keep him company daily. Among them is the playful little duck named Tono, affectionately described by him as she happily waddles around.
A pork rib smokes, hanging on the kitchen line. The daily rice is cooked on the wood stove. Every gesture is part of the life he learned to lead alone.
Matias confirms that he is happy there. He states that this is the place he enjoys living in. He says he is healthy, except for one leg he considers weaker, but he assures that his body is still functioning well.
Guardian of the Forest Who Has Lived in Isolation for Decades
Matias’ life has already become a documentary. The work portrays the daily routine of the man who sings about life, celebrates each day, explores the virgin forest, plants, raises, and catches his own food.
Before going to sleep, he turns on a battery-operated radio to lull himself to sleep. In a few hours, another day of silence and solitude will begin. For him, this solitude is not a burden. It is the choice he made and maintains with conviction.
Matias remains steadfast on the path he considers right. He lives isolated by choice, guided by the simplicity he learned in childhood and has maintained throughout his life. And thus, he ends another day in the midst of the forest, hoping that God receives each step with open arms while he remains in the place where he lives isolated and built his story.
Matias não está sozinho, Deus o guardião, está com ele.