Built in 2001 to sort of honor an alleged encounter with an alien, this strange water tower has and still does inspire conjecture and discussion about exactly what the two witnesses in the small Brazilian town of Varginha actually saw. The government, perhaps being truthful and perhaps not, denies any knowledge of any close encounter of any kind, which only serves to fuel the interest of UFO believers even more.

Something strange did happen that day in January of 1996

Most believe it all began when three women (two sisters and a friend) were walking down the streets of the small city and claimed they encountered a “creature with a thin body, strange V-shaped feet, and large red eyes.” This started a chain of events that the Brazilian media devoured, and hysteria fed by rumors and speculations, spread throughout the population. Within 24 hours, there were more reports about UFOs and alien sightings than the local media could handle. Perhaps the wildest unsubstantiated report was one that claimed a “creature” was lying dead in a ditch and three military trucks were on a mission to retrieve it.

The incident transformed the city into a South American Roswell, New Mexico

Although unverified, the alleged incident catapulted the city of Varginha into global fame as a mecca for UFO believers. Even The Wall Street Journal reported the occurrence as one that “has the markings of a cosmic Watergate.” Behind the smoke and mirrors created by the media, there was never anyone who could prove that anything out of the ordinary ever happened.

The Brazilian city is content to capitalize on the surge of interest in the area and the annual increase in tourists. Many local vendors have created and sold “grey dolls” resembling aliens and the interiors of most restaurants and stores hare decorated with alien and UFO motifs.

Built on 2001, it would be difficult for even the most inebriated visitor to town to miss the conspicuous, glowing water tower that can be seen from almost anywhere in the small South American metropolis. Standing more than 20 meters tall (65 feet), the tower, which is known as Nave Espacial de Varginha, (Varginha’s Spacecraft) unmistakably resembles a UFO. Its nocturnal purple glow renders an unearthly aura over the town.

Some claim the incident never happened while others are convinced that a cover-up is afoot with all the implications of men in black and alien overseers. There is no doubt that there are no reliable sources documenting the veracity of the event although “unnamed anonymous officials” are often cited.

In the words of UFO investigator, Kevin Randle, “This case is as complicated as any other in the UFO field. In fact, we have been unable to verify much of anything.”

Still, what did those women see that afternoon some twenty years ago? Speculations abound that was an unstable, homeless man covered in mud, but others claim it was a visitor from another world. The water tower glows a bright purple, perhaps leading the way for the others; that is, if they deem to make an entrance to a planet they may have already visited many times since our world began.

Sleep well, dear reader, if you can…