We are off on our next adventure to South America.
We left Seattle on May 12th, Mother's Day, and flew to Miami. We checked into our modest airport hotel and then grabbed an uber to a Tex-Mex restaurant we had discovered a year before. Our second visit to La Veinte did not disappoint.
Catina La Veinte is located on the waterway in the Brickell district of Miami. We enjoy the outside seating with views of the waterway and people watching on the waterfront walkway. Watching the pleasure boats cruise by with music pumping and people dancing is fun. The restaurant is great (a bit on the spendy side) and serves wonderful Margaritas. If you go, make sure you get the guacamole and chip appetizers.
The following day we flew to Sao Paulo, an eight-hour flight, and entered Brazil. We were tired from our overnight flight and navigating security and airport transfers was a challenge. Most signage in the airports has some English, but the language difference challenged my 67-year-old brain. We connected to Latam airline and flew an additional hour to Joinville - where Jordan and Eliana met us for the hour drive to Itapoa. We had arrived - 2 1/2 days later.
It was great catching up with Jordan, Eliana and Nicollas. We went out to lunch and then basically hung out at our rented place for the day. The rental is nice and clean. We had to go out and purchase pillows and towels for the unit. Jordan supplied a blanket. We had an option of five beds to choose from and played Goldy Locks to find the mattress that felt just right. We stocked up on some groceries and settled in for our three-week stay. Our house is on the same street as Jordan and literally a few gates down from us. A street dog has adopted them, and he follows Jordan everywhere he goes. They appropriately call him Blacky.
Itapoa is a nice beach town. It is very quiet this time of year, but we understand it is inundated with tourists during the peak seasons. Our place is about a block from the ocean. The beach is really clean and the waves much like the Washington Coast. But the water is a very comfortable temperature, more similar to Hawaii. Outside temps have been running 65-75 degrees. I can see why it is popular destination. Now it is rainy season, and it has been living up to the name. The community has about 30,000 year-round residents. Short term rentals are plentiful this time of year.
We have enjoyed exploring around Itapoa. The highlight for me was the waterfront where local fisherman venture out in small boats (I think they are called Jangada's) to supply the local need for fresh fish. The boats are pulled up on the beach using a wench system and utilization of a makeshift trailer. This time of year, they are catching mostly shrimp using nets. I find these boats and the fisherman lifestyle to be captivating. Not that I would like it, but it is very intriguing.
We are having a great time exploring the beaches around Itapoa. We had lunch yesterday at a place called Summer Beach. The proprietor named Anderson welcomed us to his outdoor restaurant and he made us feel at home. I ordered fresh shrimp. Maurina had a local drink called Caipirinha. It is made with a Brazilian liquor called Cachaca. When Anderson brought us the bill, he presented us with a shot glass of his Cachaca which he was pleased we liked.
The Caipirinha (kai-purr-REEN-yah) is the national drink of Brazil, and it is the most popular cocktail in the South American country. Although it's ingrained in Brazilian culture, the history of the caipirinha is not clear. Some stories dated it to the 19th century, when it was enjoyed on sugarcane plantations. Another account says that it evolved from a medicinal tonic of cachaça, green lemon, honey, and garlic used during the Spanish flu epidemic of the early 20th century. The basic caipirinha recipe is straightforward and requires just three ingredients: cachaça, lime, and sugar. A favorite summertime cocktail, the caipirinha is one of the most refreshing drinks you can mix up. Cachaça (Portuguese pronunciation: [kaˈʃasɐ]) is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. It is the most popular spirit among distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil.
We are having a great time exploring with Jordan, Eliana and Nicollas. There is so much to learn and take in. Two fun things: Lunch, is the biggest meal of the day. Evening meal is smaller and often consists of cheese and crackers (and wine in our case). Siesta, the time after lunch that is for resting and taking a nap. Both of these Brazilian traditions make sense to me.
One final observation. The cost of some things here is much cheaper. Just an example, last night we went out to a place with live music. A large pour of good quality wine was only $2. In the states the same pour of wine would cost $12-15. So why not have a second glass ... and maybe we did.
Stormy Weather The rain arrived on Friday and lasted the entire weekend. Mostly in the form of a light drizzle that allowed for some beach walks. The seas were stormy, and the tides were exceptionally high. We played games and did not venture out much.
The place we are renting is very comfortable.
Jordan hung his hammocks for us, but so far it has been too wet and cold to enjoy. Cold being mid 60's (lol). The small pool out back will provide a welcome relief from the heat that is sure to come.
Garbage pick-up has an interesting process. All the homes have a basket in front by the street where you place your garbage bags. This gets them out of reach of roaming street dogs. I learned quickly to double bag them to dissuade the birds from scavenging through them as well. There is not a set pick-up day or time. The garbage trucks traverse the city streets, seemingly randomly and without a schedule. Your garbage magically disappears. It really is amazing.
Exploring Guaratuba y Matinhos
Today, Monday, will be a warmer day. Full sun and mid 70's are forecasted. We are headed north to explore the community of Gauratuba. It is in the state of Parana. It is about a 30 minute drive from Itapoa.
Guaratuba was founded in 1765, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful beaches of Paraná. The King of Portugal, Dom Jose I, worried about possible foreign raids on the Brazilian coast, commanded that villages and towns be established. On 5 December 1765, Dom Luis sent a group of settlers to begin building the town. This comprised 200 couples. Thus, Guaratuba began to take shape. On 13 May 1768, Dom Luis granted the royal charter requested by the founder of the new town which established the creation and maintenance of a church. The Guaratuba name means "many guarás". This name was conceived by the natives who inhabited this region at the time of the discovery of Brazil by the Portuguese people. Guará is the name of a bird of red plumage that existed in abundance in this area and even though protected by the authorities, they became extinct. Tuba means extreme amount in the aboriginal language.
We have been so busy the last few days, this is the first time I have set down to blog since Monday. We did in fact go to Guaratuba. We went first to the old town, with the old church erected in front of the central park. The waterfront walkway was very cool, where we strolled watching fishing boats bobbing in the morning light. The waterfront is actually on a river that flows into the sea a couple of miles downstream. Then we headed to the ferry for the 20-minute crossing to Matinhos. The ferry was certainly nothing like the boats we are used to in the San Juans, but much cheaper. I think our ferry ride for passenger and four people was $2. Most unique is the unloading process which is not directed at all. It becomes a free for all when the gate opens with about twelve lines of cars and trucks jockeying for a two-lane exit. It reminded me of road closures we have experienced in Guatemala. Everyone sitting calmly in their cars until the green flag flies - then it becomes a free-for-all.
We found a nice lunch spot in Matinhos and I tried my first (and second) Caipirinha. For lunch I ordered a hamburger. I did not expect that my hamburger would in fact be a ham and burger combined on a soft roll. Ingenious. We enjoyed people watching from the sidewalk lunch spot. It turns out the manager of the restaurant had lived in Utah for about a year and new a few words of English. It is very rare to find people who know any English at all. We ferried back to Gauratuba and went to a cool little beach where we enjoyed, yes, another Caipirinha. We had been warned not to overindulge - they are indeed potent. We sat on the beach and watched the activities of fisherman until dark. It gets dark here around 5pm, which makes the days quite short. It was a fabulous day of exploration.
Coffee in the mornings. For those who know me, you know that morning coffee is an essential part of my day. Yes, I recognize it is an addiction. However, it is also a great comfort. Quiet time with a cup of coffee is how I want to start most all days. So, what to do when the home you have rented does not have a coffee maker? How do you advert a disastrous start to each day? As it turns out, Jordan has a coffee maker, and his place is just doors down the road. It also turns out that on most days he gets up before I do. Nicollas needs to leave for school at 7:30. So each morning, He sends me a WhatsApp message when the Seeing the message on my phone "coffee is ready", I pull on a pair of gym shorts and walk over to his place. He unlocks the gates and doors so I can enter quietly, and I fill our thermos with the fresh brew and meander back to our place for my morning coffee. It is a beautiful arrangement. I have also perfected the art of a pour over for the days I need an extra cup, or he decides to sleep in.
Besides Coffee, Jordan cooked us up some steaks on the barbeque at his house. Fresh cuts of beef are much cheaper here. I am not sure how many pounds they purchased, but I think they spent in the neighborhood of $25. My bet they had about 10 pounds of beef steaks. The price of many things here are astoundingly inexpensive. Jordan took his car in to replace a headlight and taillight. It was a relatively quick repair job by a mechanic in town. He paid $10 which included parts.
We have not had many cloudless mornings since we have been here. However, on Tuesday the sunrise was spectacular. High temps this week have been approaching 80.
Yesterday we caught another ferry. This time to an island south of Itapoa named Sao Fransisco. It
involved an hour-long ride to the ferry and another interesting ferry crossing. This ferry was actually a barge you drove onto and then was pushed by a tugboat. The scenery, as we passed through islands, was very beautiful. Sao Fransisco was another beautiful town with a colonial feel. It was established in the 1500's. We had a fantastic day exploring the island and ended up staying until after dark.
São Francisco do Sul is the oldest city in Santa Catarina. It was inhabited by native peoples such as the Carijos a millennium before the European invasion, which took place from the sixteenth century A.D. Colonized by the Portuguese and Spaniards, its European conquest, according to some historians, dates back to January 4, 1504, through the expedition of Binot Paulmier de Gonneville.
The Carijós were indigenous Guarani people. Seen by the first Portuguese settlers as "the best gentile on the coast", they were receptive to Christian catechesis. The Carijós were considered by the Portuguese colonizers to be docile, hardworking, well-intentioned Indians and for being one of the tribes that did not practice cannibalism. They were related to the Guarani Indians, who made a migratory march from Paraguay to the south of the Brazilian coast, where they came to constitute the villages.
I have not written anything new for over a week. please know what you have read above, it at least a week old. We are fine and having a blast!
Parting shots
