Porto de Galinhas

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Sorry folks, but this one has to be short. I am currently outside of Recife in Porto de Galinhas. I spent from Saturday until Wednesday, all of Carnaval, in Rio with a bunch of friends. We had a great time. Mostly we just accompanied the street parties, blocos, and then went to see live music at night. On Tuesday night, we went to a club in Lapa, the colonial district of Rio, and saw live Samba. The drums were AMAZING....You could feel every beat and even a stiff gringo couldn´t help but be swept into the music. It was really fantastic.

Originally, I was planning to make it to the Amazon, but the flight and the lodging was going to come to something like $1750 USD, so I decided against it. I will have to do it on another trip. It might even be better to go straight to Manaus from the States instead of heading so far south, to Rio or SP, and then catching an internal plane flight back into the Amazon.

Being here in Brazil is really fantastic in a number of ways, but I also have this sense now more than ever that there is also a great deal of freedom from being able to leave whenever I want to. Talking to my friends here, many of them are frustrated with the lack of professional opportunity and amount of obstacles that impede them at every turn of their life. I, only by luck of the birth lottery, have the ability to come, to enjoy the party and the beautiful nature, and to leave when I want without having to really confront much of the frustrations that they have on a daily basis. hmmm...

The beaches in this part of the country are some of the widest that I have even see. Literally the tide must moved 300M in some areas depending on the time of day. The water is also amazingly clear with visability up to 30M. They also have these cool little boats that remind me of the Arabs´ sailboats. I will post a picture so you can see. I hired one today to take me out to a reef and it moved pretty fast for having just one simple sail.

Check out the photos! And trust me that I know the weather in Europe and the States is horrible and I thank my lucky stars that I am redish brown and sipping Caipirinha under the clear sky with only a palm tree blocking my view of the moon!

Beijos pra tds!

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Photos

View from the Balcony of our pousada
Porto de Galinhas in the state of Pernumbuco. A pousada is like a rustic bed and breakfast.

Comments

[Ginger]

You're a carioca!
I was there at the same time as you last year and have missed it so much this year... Fat Tuesday I was stuck in my microeconomics class... You can imagine how much I wished I was in Rio then! I was just telling Svetlana I wanted to see you this weekend, but you're obviously away, so we'll wait till you return. I would like to talk to you, though, so give me a buzz when you're back!

[Megan]

ahhhh bitter envy
I looked at your blog last night...and proceeded to pout outside on my balcony in the cold with a cancer stick. Just thought you should know that you contributed to me once again giving in to my unhealthy vice. Thanks. Nah, looks like you're having a great time. But let me tell you, I have no pity for you...so don't come back here complaining about Brazilian women and issues and all that jazz. Don't wanna hear it. :)

[Michael W.]

Sails
Yeah, Mike, those look like lateen sails to me, the old Arab variety. I wonder if the style came over with the Muslim-influenced Portuguese sailors in the 1500s. Who's the chica with the guitar? Did you escape with her to the pousada? Aren't you sorry you did that? Don't you miss the snow?