Notes from North East Brazil

Trip Start Jan 10, 2005
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Trip End May 21, 2005


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Friday, April 29, 2005

Hello once more! We last left you in Ouro Preto where we saw a zillion churches and drank beer with mining students (OP has the biggest mining school in the country and did you know that 90% of the world´s gems are produced by Brasil)? we also stuck around to watch Brazilians celebrate their nearly-independence day when they almost threw out the Portuguese in 1789 (a rather drab military affair with the Portuguese President there as guest of honour)!? We then headed to the Argentine (and Paraguayan) border to spend a couple of days at the Iguacu Falls. The pictures do the talking and there´s a video of a mad speedboat ride we did that drives you right under one of the waterfalls. We stupidly sat at the front of the boat so while I was swallowing water and being pummelled into the floor of the boat all I could hear (apart from the several tonnes of falling water) was Seema´s muffled screams. Somehow they reverse the boat out and then turn it around to give you another dousing before they are satisfied and leave you to walk around in your wet clothes for the rest of the day 01. Igreja Sao Francisco de Paula, Ouro Preto
01. Igreja Sao Francisco de Paula, Ouro Preto
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Fancying a change of scene we thought we´d get on a plane and visit the spiritual heart of Brazil - the North East. The region is famous for truly living up to the Brazilian stereotype of live music in the streets, football on the beaches and a constant party atmosphere! It´s here you can´t help but wiggle your hips to the beats of forró and frevo.

We went along to an open air concert in Recife to take in some of this culture first hand, only to find that three thousand or so Brazilians had actually turned up to watch a death metal act called "Jesus Hammer" or something. We couldn´t understand why no-one was really getting into the Cuban warm up act and then there was this endless tune-up session (or was it music) before someone started howling "I am the crucifier" in Portuguese and then the crowd erupted. So much for traditional Brazilizan culture...

The last few days have been spent lazing around neighbouring Olinda (a beautiful colonial town full of musicians and artists). We met up with Rachel who has a house here and had come for a little holiday. It was great to see her although her visit lead to serious over-drinking, dancing extremely badly to forró and buying some very good (but expensive) art from her lovely friend Walter who lives in an abandoned church full of bats(and where the town sometimes houses dead people before they are buried - an occurrence which coincided with our visit)!

At the moment we´re up the coast near Natal getting in some more beach action (the obligatory burning has already happened) 02. Seema in Ouro Preto
02. Seema in Ouro Preto
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This is my last week before returning to London (fortunately for all of Brasil´s beach lovers) just in time to watch Villa claim a UEFA cup place. I´ll try and bring a bit of sunshine back with me.

Seema is going to carry the torch into Argentina and will keep writing the travel notes.

See you all soon!

PS. Iain wins last weeks caption competition and is the lucky recipient of three pints of foaming Staropramen in the Wrestlers.
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