Gaúcha Ariana: Minha Viagem Pelo Nordeste - My Trip Through the Northeast

Oi galera!

This is my last blog post. Just a heads up that it is quite long because, well, it’s the last one. I left Porto Alegre on February 10, 2018 and am now home in beautiful Miami Beach, Brazil’s cousin :-)

It’s been strange and overwhelming to be back, yet I am very thankful that Miami-Dade is where I call home. On my first night back, I walked a block to get Brazilian food for dinner, checked out a Brazilian store and spoke with the saleswoman in Portuguese, and then the next day hit the beach and heard a lot of Portuguese. Although I have been back for a few months now, I still feel like I am adjusting.

Since we last left off, I traveled around the northeast of Brazil for five weeks. It was a fantastic trip and I was exposed to a whole new reality and culture of Brazil. The northeast is notoriously less developed, has higher poverty and crime rates, and does not function as well as the south of Brazil. On the flip side, it’s very low key and easy going (everything is beleza), people are even warmer and friendlier, there is incredible nature, and the region is filled with gorgeous beaches with warm, calm waters. Here’s a brief description of where I went and what each destination was like.

1. Fortaleza – I arrived in Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará on Christmas Eve (in Brazil Christmas day is celebrated rather than Christmas Eve) where I met up with my sister. We spent two days in Fortaleza wandering around, swimming, and tanning on its urban beaches.

2. Jericoacoara – We then went to Jericoacoara (also known as Jeri – pronounced like “Jerry” as in Jerry Seinfeld), a remote beach town located in the north of Ceará. Getting to Jeri is quite difficult and time consuming. It’s at least a 4.5hr car ride from Fortaleza, and then an hour or so beach buggy ride through sand dunes. The dunes look like plain desert with no evidence of life, and then you reach the beach oasis of Jeri. Jeri is a bohemian, very international, and famous destination for wind and kite surfing. It is filled with young people who want to surf, be beach bums (like me), and chill out. It’s a very unpretentious small town with mostly hostels and little pousadas (like 2-3-star small hotels) lined along dirt roads. Jeri’s views – sand dunes along the ocean – are just spectacular. It’s common for people to climb up the dunes to watch the sunset and then roll down once it finishes.

3. Fortaleza, round 2 – My sister and I parted ways right before New Year’s; she went to Rio and then back home to the U.S. and I returned to Fortaleza. My initial idea was to stay in Jeri for New Year’s Eve, but the prices were quite expensive. Therefore, I made the trek back to Fortaleza, which was definitely a good idea. What I didn’t know about Fortaleza was that it has the second largest outdoor New Year’s Eve beach party, just trailing behind Rio de Janeiro. Like a moth to a flame, upon arrival to my hostel I immediately found a group of Argentines residing there as well and we quickly bonded. My new Porteño friends and I went to the New Year’s Eve party together and it was quite a scene. It was absolutely packed, impossible to walk anywhere. Apparently, Brazilians throughout the northeast (and maybe elsewhere too) travel to Fortaleza just for this party. In addition to New Year’s Eve, this time around in Fortaleza I also went to Praia do Futuro, Praia de Iracema, and took a day trip to Canoa Quebrada, another beach town located in the south of Ceará. What really took me by surprise was the poverty in Fortaleza. Along the urban beach there are beautiful, modern, Miami-like high-rise residential buildings lining the beach. As you move westward, the scene quickly changes. In addition, at the New Year’s Eve party in Fortaleza, most of the food and drink venders were easily retirement age. It made me particularly sad to see a man around 65-70 years old being overloaded with caipirinha orders from youngsters. To place their orders, they spoke loudly, slowly, and used hand gestures because the vendor was deaf. I couldn’t help but think where this man lives, what his life is like, and what type of services are available to the deaf.

4. Natal – I took an overnight bus from Fortaleza to Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. I stayed in the touristy bubble of Ponta Negra, a wealthy neighborhood along the coast. In fact, there was a police strike going on in Natal and I was completely unaware! Much of Natal I found to be grungy and outdated, but the beaches completely make up for it. I took a beach buggy day trip, what Natal is famous for, to urban and other beaches located farther away from the city. Some of the nicest beaches I have ever seen are located on the outskirts of Natal. One particular moment that was special for me was watching older couples dancing forró, a traditional dance from the northeast of Brazil, in the center of Ponta Negra.

5. Praia da Pipa – I then took a 2hr bus ride from Natal to Praia da Pipa (also known as “Pipa”). Pipa is definitely my favorite Brazilian beach town. It’s a whole other world, very safe, and just mobbed with tourists from all over the world. In Pipa I saw dolphins happily swimming and jumping around, saw some beautiful beach views along the cliffs (remined me of Torrey Pines), and swam in the calm Tiffany blue waters. Like Jeri, Pipa is also not at all pretentious. The streets are dirt roads (at times they are made of sand from the beach) and everyone there just wants to chill out on the beach.

6. Natal round two – I then went back to Natal for just one day to take an early morning bus to Joao Pessoa the following day. I went back to Ponta Negra and I still saw no evidence of a police strike…

7. João Pessoa – I took a 3-hour bus ride from Natal to João Pessoa, the capital of Paraiba. João Pessoa is a rather small capital city, with less than 1 million people. No buildings are allowed on the beach, and if I’m not mistaken there’s a city rule that no buildings close to the beach can be taller than 7 stories in order to prevent obstructing views and casting shadows along the beach (take notes Miami). The city itself wasn’t anything special, but apparently, it’s an up and coming tourist destination (the downtown area, which is quite charming, has recently been revamped). I wanted to go to João Pessoa because it’s the most eastern city in the Americas, is the closest point to Africa in the Americas (to Senegal. And, it is located closer to Senegal than to Rio Grande do Sul where I lived!), and a Brazilian friend said that the beaches are spectacular. The beaches were really nice, and I really enjoyed the city’s local feel to it. There’s also a great music scene there and going out to dance Samba is really common.

8. Recife – From João Pessoa I took a 3hr bus ride to Recife. Recife is a historic and very large capital coastal city. It also houses the oldest synagogue in the Americas, Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue, but it is unclear to me if services are still held there. The Synagogue is a cultural center, museum, and has historical archives pertaining to the local Jewish community. So how did Jews wind up Recife? In a nutshell, Portuguese Jews left Portugal during the Inquisition and landed in the New World, Brazil, with hopes of religious freedom. At the time, the Dutch ruled there, and the Jews were able to freely be Jewish and therefore practice their religions, built institutions, and establish a community. Then, the Portuguese arrived in Brazil, took away all freedoms permitted by the Dutch, and consequently the Jews left for New Amsterdam, today’s New York City. There, they built the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue which is still active today. In addition to seeing Kahal Zur Israel, I spent some time at the Pina (a neighborhood in Recife named after a Jewish family) and Boa Viagem beaches. Shark attacks are common in Recife so there are very small pockets where swimming is permitted.

9. Porto de Galinhas – I took an hour bus ride from Recife to Porto de Galinhas. It was probably the most disappointing destination for me. I had crummy weather, my hostel smelled like mildew, and I just didn’t see anything special about it and found Pipa to be far superior. I was there for only two days and just stayed local at the nearby beaches

10. Olinda – After Porto de Galinhas, I took the bus back to Recife and paid a visit to Olinda, a neighboring city just 8 kilometers from Recife. It’s a historical city, a UNESCO heritage site if I’m not mistaken, and is a top destination for Carnaval. Again, I had crummy weather there, but I can only imagine how spectacular the coastal views must have been from the hilltops. I enjoyed walking around (just like Ouro Preto it was a great workout walking up and down the hills), visiting the museums, and seeing the Carnaval decorations.

11. Recife, round 2 – I then headed back to Recife for a few days. Just like before, I pretty much hung out around the Pina and Boa Viagem beaches. What was really cool to see was the creativity in beach toys used in the ocean. Many people blew up air mattresses and used them to float around and soak up the sun in the middle of the ocean; there were even blow up mattresses available for rent. One thing that really disappointed me was the amount of garbage on the sand and in the ocean. It bothered me how people disrespected their own city beaches and were fine with sitting around and swimming in filth. At nighttime, a sister of a classmate from Recife took me out and showed me around her hometown. Apparently, the downtown area as well as the waterfront (not the ocean, but a different body of water) have recently been built up. They were really nice and modern, and I can’t imagine how they must have looked like before.

12. Maceió – I took a 4.5-hour bus ride from Recife to Maceió. As you leave the bus station you can see many, many favelas and little kids with soap and rags wanting to wash your car. After driving about 15 minutes, I reached my hostel in the Ponta Verde neighborhood, needless to say a very different environment. The neighborhood has beautiful urban beaches, the best I’ve seen in the northeast. The residential buildings lining the beach are modern, luxurious, and exclusive (at least that was my perception). The assortment of coconut trees hugging the beach and the main avenue running parallel to the beach was breathtaking. I met up with some classmates in Maceió and they told me that apparently at nighttime it is safe to walk along the beach (I still find this hard to believe). Maceió was my favorite capital city in the north east due to its natural beauty and the excellent urban beaches.

13. Sao Miguel dos Milagres – I took a day trip to this beach town, about a 2hr drive from Maceió. It is famous for being very local and having excellent snorkeling. I spent the day sitting on the beach, swimming in the warm, calm, clear waters, and seeing pretty, colorful fish while snorkeling. The last time I snorkeled was in Hawaii (I was 14) and I forgot how tiring it can be (breathing through the snorkel and not having normal air quality tired me out more quickly than I had expected).

I spent about 5 days in Maceió, and I easily could have spent more time there. I then took the bus back to Recife to catch my flight the next day at 7am. Traveling through the northeast was really amazing. It is known in Brazil as being very marginalized yet stunningly beautiful. Throughout my northeast travels, especially because I was traveling alone for a majority of the time, I kept my wits and was very careful where I was going, when, with whom, and how I presented myself. I think it’s important to note that although this region (and I’d say Brazil in general as a whole) is known to be dangerous, never did I feel threatened or in a dangerous/sketchy situation. I truly believe that as long as you have common sense and street smarts you should be fine traveling anywhere in the world, including Brazil. I would highly recommend to anyone a trip to Brazil. There is so much beautiful nature and culture that you just can’t get elsewhere.

And along those lines, a few challenges in the northeast that I experienced:

Due to a lack of infrastructure, I had maybe a handful of hot showers while I was there. The AC didn’t work in many places (which is not a problem for me because I don’t like AC. Traveling in the northeast fortified my fondness for steaming, wicked hot weather), and I rarely had a stable internet connection. My idea for traveling around the northeast was to do work in the morning, go to the beach in the afternoon, and do more work at night. This proved to be more difficult and many times impossible to do.

What I did not know about the northeast prior is that the sun rises and sets around the same time every day of the year; there is no daylight savings like in the south of Brazil. The sun is also really, really, strong. Even if you’re outside for half an hour in the morning it is absolutely crucial to put on sunscreen and wear a hat and sunglasses.

Poverty is much more visible in the northeast than it is in the south of Brazil, at least in Porto Alegre. You could be in a beautiful neighborhood, but the next block could be starkly different. I noticed more beggars and people selling products (anyone from elementary school to retirement age) and services. This does exist in Porto Alegre too, but I believe on a much smaller scale and certainly is a lot less visible.

What I miss about Brazil:

The food – I love tapioca, açaí , cupuaçu, and the wide variety of fresh juices. I already miss the incredible fruits and how they are very accessibly priced for everybody.

On that same note, I really miss passion fruit. Passion fruit itself, passion fruit juice, passion fruit ice cream, passion fruit mousse, passion fruit cheesecake, etc.

The warmness of Brazilians – All the stereotypes about Brazilians definitely hold true; they are the nicest, most open, kindest people you will ever meet. Even living in the south of Brazil where supposedly the Gaúchos are fechados, I was very well received and treated with nothing but respect. People were very eager to meet me and help in anyway they could.

Chimarrão 24/7 – Watching the Gaúchos drinking chimarrão all day, every day, at any location, and for any occasion. I think it’s quite amusing, and people get very creative in decorating their cuias and yerba.

Parque da Redenção – This is a city park in Porto Alegre and might be the most important one. The vibe (or as Brazilians pronounce it “vibeee”) is incredible and it’s quite a scene on the weekend. You can see people at free yoga classes, drinking chimarrão, playing sports (soccer), reciting poetry, people actively promoting a cause, playing guitar, family picnics, acrobatic performances, etc. There are often free concerts and cultural events that are great.

A feira – This is the Saturday morning organic farmers market in Porto Alegre that I absolutely love. All the fruits, vegetables, foods, coffees, juices, etc. are locally grown and sold directly from the farmer to the consumer. I love buying fruits that I’ve never seen before and absolutely have no idea what they are called. I’m also a fan of the pão de queijo filled with guava and drinking freshly made caldo de cana (sugarcane juice) with lemon and ginger. The array of fruits is quite spectacular and passion fruit, guava, persimmon (there are three different types of persimmon in Brazil) are staples there.

Picnics and sunset at Guaiba – This is Porto Alegre’s body of water and Guaiba is quite important for the entire state of Rio Grande do Sul. On the weekends, it is common to see groups of friends and families having picnics at Guaiba, boating, and watching the sunset. Supposedly, Porto Alegre has the nicest sunset in Brazil because Guaiba is to the west of Porto Alegre.

Traveling by bus – Although Brazil is a large country, you can pretty much travel anywhere in the country by bus. There are certainly bus routes connecting Porto Alegre to São Luis (think San Diego to New York City).

Fulbright experience:

My Fulbright year was absolutely amazing and flat out fantastic. To be honest, I am still digesting what happened during the year, and it will probably take some time to realize the full effects of what I have learned, experienced, accomplished, and how I have grown. Even though about two and half years have gone by (I found out in March 2016 that I got the Fulbright), I still can’t believe that I was selected. What I can honestly tell you is that despite what we hear in the U.S. media about Brazil – the violence, poverty, corruption – Brazilians are so happy, optimistic, proud, and kind. Brazil is so beautiful and has so many more positives than the negative aspects portrayed by the media. I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to explore this enormously diverse country, and even though I was there for a year completely assimilated in my new city, I still feel that I’ve only scratched the surface of Brazil. If you ask me today, I’d say what has impacted me the most in my Fulbright experience was visiting the municipal schools. Having my stomach flip and do voltas as I approached the schools (because most of them are located either in or next to favelas), then entering the schools and seeing how much love and dedication the teachers have for the students, and watching the students being impacted by the Holocaust and connecting with survivors will forever stay with me. Those are my thoughts and observations for now, and I’m sure as time goes on I’ll have more to share with you.

Well, this is where it ends. I hope you enjoyed the blogs, and I hope you learned a little bit about my Fulbright project and just how incredible Brazil is. I’d encourage you all to ask questions, make observations, critiques, etc. pertaining to Brazil, Fulbright, my Fulbright program, my future endeavors, etc.

Now that I’m back in the U.S. (but who knows for how long…) I hope to see you all!

Abraços e beijos e espero que a gente se encontre em breve!

Joao Pessoa "Jampa," Brazil.