Sao Luis, Fortaleza and Natal

20.09.2011 - 04.10.2011
View brazil on supersteve's travel map.

Sao Luis was a treat - the old town is crammed with old buildings and walking around the streets is like being in that time - cobblestone streets and 18th and 19th century buildings. Some are renovated and some run down. But the town has real character.

sao luis

avenida dom pedro in sao luis

Imagem 015

And the people are very friendly. You just have to sit in the square and strike up a conversation - a bit of Portuguese is necessary for this. On the Friday there was a festival, and I was with a group of 5 girls chatting and teaching me how to speak. We were heading to a forro bar when I bumped into a French guy who i met on the bus . He was delighted and thought I was Mr popular with my girls. Some of my nights in Brazil have been like this and others are quite lonely and isolated. celia - a friendly girl in sao luis

celia - a friendly girl in sao luis

Across the bay from Sao Luis is an old town called Alcantarra - also cool for its history. The wealthy Portuguese preferred to live here across the bay from Sao Luis and their homes were quite magnificent. But then the town fell derelict. And it has a pelourinho - a place where they use to whip slaves. The magnificent and historical architecture of Brazil has the blood and sweat of African and native indio slaves.
derelict church and pelourinho

derelict church and pelourinho

derelict building in alcantara

Fortaleza was also great fun, including the hostel where everyone sat around and talked most of the time. The girls here are also friendly, although prostitution is pretty big. A lot of italians come here for the girls, because they can also speak the language - Italian is very close to portuguese. Everyone gathers on the foreshore near the beach and the atmosphere is fantastic - lots of people skating, falling off and just a great sense of community. Brazilians socializing at sunset in Fortaleza

Brazilians socializing at sunset in Fortaleza

Natal, like Fortaleza and Sao Luis is quite poor. I met this couple on their honeymoon (he is canadian and she is brazilian from belem). We hung out together on the beach each day. joe and celia