Normally for our blog posts, Cassio chooses the photos and I write the descriptions. I don't remember seeing this cow statue, but what it means basically is "Brunette city of the scent that smells good". This is because in the region there are grasses and trees that have a strong, sweet, spicy perfume and that they sell in little baggies called "Cheiro do Para". This means scent of Para, and Para is the State where the city of Belem is. While it is true that this perfume is very pleasant, it is pervasive and it ended up penetrating the kilo of cashew nuts I bought at the market, so that they tasted like soap! The other unfortunate thing I have to report, is that the first thing I thought of when I saw this picture above, is that for me, pretty much EVERYWHERE in the city of Belem smelled not of sweet perfume, but of pee! It reminded me of the smell of Rome when I was there in the summer of the 80's.
Near the port and the Ver-o-Peso (which means "see the weight") market along the Guaraja Bay riverside.
Forte do Presepio
Mercado Ver-O-Peso
Along the riverside in the Ver-o-Peso Mercado, there were two "food courts" - one that catered more to tourists, that had little bistro type tables and then this one above. It looked more dedicated to locals....numerous, tiny stalls in which food was prepared and served to crowds seated on the stools surrounding the individual kiosks. Almost exclusively, they served fried fish and a generous ladle of unsweetened acai sauce and a heap of a granulated powder in kind of breadcrumb form made from manioc flour, (farinha d'agua) called farofa. I believe this is the traditional diet for many of the people here and they continue to eat it, it appears, in preference over other, currently available options...I imagine it started this way: fish, free from the river; acai, free from the acai palm tree; and manioc farofa, free from the super-easy-to-grow manioc plant. The acai is certainly a very healthy plant, full of phyto compounds and is healthiest, served this way, without sugar. Of course, acai in sherbert form is also readily available and super tasty.
You know it's hot when you have to sheild your motorcycle with cardboard!
A once pretty square near the centre, that has seen better days.
Many years ago, someone had the wild idea to plant mango trees along main streets in Belem. This ended up with the intended consequence of providing shade, and beautiful, tree lined boulevards. The downside, that must not have been considered, was the following: thunk! thunk! splat! crash! Car insurance rates are higher if you live in central Belem due to the ongoing cost of windshield replacement and bodywork...not to mention the headache you risk walking under these trees. There is an upside, though. Free fruit! We saw people and dogs picking up mangoes and saw a fair number of mango pits lining the streets.
Basilica de Nossa Senhora de Nazare. Just like Bom Fim in Salvador, this church's gates are festooned with little ribbons, each representing the prayer/wish of the person who tied it there.
Above and below, some pics we took from the river cruise we took.
Belem as seen from the boat.
What looks like water breaking on rocks is actually a thick, hard clay.
Along the coastline, it was a mix of sand and mud.
The photos above and below are from Ilha Marajo. The beach is along a river and you can judge by the tree roots and the angle of the trees, that it is windy and the water level fluctuates a lot.
We spent some time lounging in the water here, near these kids playing. It was great fun.
During our taxi ride to the beach, Cassio managed to catch this shot of a flock of flamingos taking off. Flamingos get their colour from their food source. They are born grey but develop this colour due to their diet of brine shrimp and algae. I guess the pink ones in Florida eat a different kind of shrimp!
Mangrove tree roots
Notice the proximity of the water buffalo to the house in the back ground. Water buffalo wander freely on Ilha Marajo and when strolling on the mud roads, you have to watch out for their dung!
Casa de Pau a Pique - Cassio was very impressed when we came upon this type of house (of which we saw several). It is basically constructed from a thatch of long wood sticks into which a mixture of things like mud and straw and sometimes animal dung is packed. I read a bit about this type of construction and it seems the origins date back 6000 years! While it is potentially a very sound and economical way to build, in Brazil, these houses have the unfortunate history of transmitting Chagas disease. In order to avoid this issue, among other things, the houses have to be elevated from the soil about 2 feet and have to be covered with paint or lime whitewash to reduce possibility of infestation.
Ilha Marajo is known for its pottery which is indigenous in origin and has a tradition of dating back at least a 1000 years. The symbolism and meaning of the images forms an integral part of functional and non-functional pieces. It is made from the muddy, elastic clay of the region and painted with natural pigments before firing only one time. We expected to find many shops and studios in Soure, because the pottery is so acclaimed, but in the end, we only found two. The photo above shows Carlos Amaral in his studio/shop M'Barayo. He and his wife and son were wonderful. He gave a demonstration of how the pieces are made and when he learned that I also make pottery (an occasional hobby, but I have passion), he gave me a chunk of clay and some pieces of pigment to take home and make my own pottery with it! We also purchased a couple of lovely keepsakes. I was offered to try my hand at the wheel but it was a bit dirty, as pottery always is, but Cassio jumped on in there and took the wheel for a spin!
The city of Soure on the island of Marajo was well planned out. The streets run in an even grid pattern and are numbered so it is easy to know where you are. They haven't gotten around to paving most of the roads yet, but I bet if we ever go back in a decade or so, things will be different. (At least I bet the residents hope so). That said, it was a quiet, simple place and we enjoyed our couple of days there.
Local church and "parking lot".
