Porto de Galinhas
Day 10 to Day 12 - 20/01/09 to 23/01/09
19.01.2009 - 22.01.2009
34 °C
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SEAN-SEAMUS'S BIG ADVENTURE
on SeanSeamus's travel map.
I left João and Misha and got on a bus to the Airport in Recife. This is where the bus left to go to Porto de Galinhas. Previously I read up on the resort and on one site it said it was that a magazine rated it the best beach in Brazil for 6 years in a row. Plenty of magazines out there. Anyway I went to the helpful Tourist Information desk at the airport and in there very good English they told me where to go, how much, timetable etc.
I got on the bus fair was cheap. It was a 1 1/2 - 2 hour bus journey. After a while more and more people got on the bus. It was packed. I thought about giving up my seat but I had my side bag and didn´t want to risk it.
I got to Porto de Galinhas and went straight to the Tourist Office. Unfortunately the girl did not speak English. I spotted a leaflet for the hostel I wanted to go to. I got her to basically point the direction and I set off. I walked a bit and eventually found it. The weather was very sunny. I went in to the hostel and asked if they speak English. the guy spoke a little bit. I asked for 2 nights. He looked at his book and said no beds. Great. I knew that from the asking the Tourist Information office in Olinda that there was a campsite nearby. I asked the guy in the hostel and he said Maracaípe. He pointed on the map and I set off.
I walked for about 20 mins the sweat beating from me. Carrying the backpack is really hard now that all the heavy cloths and boots are in it. A taxi motorcycle asked if he could take me but I was determined to walk. He even went as low as r$3. But I was so stubburn. Every so often I would say "Camping" to someone and they just pointed in the direction I was walking. Plenty of people in beach buggies past me.
I walked for about 40 minutes to an hour. I got to this little sandy garden which had about 4 tents in it. He had room for about 8 tents in total. It was called Al Zira. It had a small house at the bottom. I went over and there was an older women. She was Al Zira. She reminded me of a Granmother you would find on the side of a sause bottle. She had a presence about her. She spoke no English so it was very hard for a few minutes. But luckily enough 2 Argentines came over and helped a bit with the translation. It was r$15 per night and payment up front. Happy enough. I was also able to keep my backpack in her house.
I then began the task of setting up my tent. I walk already totaly exhausted from all the walking. I had only set up the tent twice before and there was 2 of us each time. I stuggled for a bit. Had the outer tent inside out. But evenutally I started to get there. Then a nice girl who could not speak only sign language came and helped. I think she may have been Al Zira´s grandaughter or basically everybody in the small beach village of Maracaípe is Al Zira´s grandaughter. Maracaípe has about 300-500 people. This was very peacefull compared to the hustle and bustle of Porto de Galinhas, which must have tens of thousands of people. It is covered with Palm trees and every so often there is a beach bar. This place is really paradise.
There was lots of surfers as the waves were very good. I took up a quick lesson and gave it ago. Lets just say I can swim alot better than I surf. But God loves a tryer. I then wanted to go to the shop whereever it was. Al Zira pointed me in the direction. It was getting dark though and I must have looked apprehensive because she called for the silent girl who showed me the part of the way then asked another girl who was going in the same direction to show. Brazilian hospitality in really underated.
I have a 1-2 man tent. It is really good quality. I think you could do Everest in it. 3 seasons or something. One thing it is not designed is day and really something similar at night. It turned the inner tent into a sauna. It was really hot at night. I would wake up several times in the night with real sweats. Although saying that I did not receive any bites all my time there. Although on inspection of my feet there was plenty of blisters. I have done some walking since being here.
The next day I strolled about, going for a swim etc. Then I met the Argentine couple I met in the Hostel in Recife. They were also staying in Al Zira´s. Very small world. I spent a bit of time with them, few drinks etc. Later I went for pizza. It was pretty quiet and I was by myself. Then Brazilian owner came over. She was from South Brazil near Sao Paulo. She spoke good English and worked as an English tutor. She asked where I was from and when I said Ireland she laughed. On the table not to far there was about 6 people and one of them was Irish. He was having his food but she told him I was here and when he finished he joined me for a drink.
His name was Donal from Dublin. He was about 50. He met a Brazilian and got married and 2 young kids. I told him what I was doing and he was so jealous. He had the a look of the same sort of appreciation for the adventure I was doing a Ciarán always had when I talked about my trip. Donal too had been a traveller. He told me about some of his trips. Small world. He spent most of his time between Brazil and Portugal. In Albufeira he has an irish Bar in the new town. My first trip with the boys had been to Albufeira. Very nice place. He then got his wife keyring and gave it to me. I just laughed. The owner was giving English lessons to his children and this was the first time he had been to her restaurante. What are the chances? I was the 2nd Irishman he had met in Porto de Galinhas.
I had only planned staying 2 nights. The next morning I got up early to go to Porto de Galinhas to find out the bus timetable. I found another Tourist Office. This time a lovely looking girl spoke English. I told her where I wanted to go and she said I would be better off going back to Recife as the buses would be packed and my not take me. After quick consideration I decided her advice was good. I remembered the bus trip. I then went to the cash machine where I found it would not take any of my cards. The other machine was broken. Nightmare as I didn´t have enough Reas to get the bus. I rushed back to my tent to get some of my dollars. I exchanged them and decided that I would stay another day. It would leave me more time to get buses etc.
At night I went to Porto de Galinhas. It was lively town. After food and drinks I got a motorcycle taxi back home. Next day got up and working out times and the fact that my body cannot take the temprature up north much longer I decided to go to Salvador. One rule I have is not to arrive in a new place when it is dark. If I went to Maceió it would be dark and that would just freak me out. So I went to Al Zira and asked for her to get me a taxi. She was about to phone when I think her son arrived with his wife and baby. She then asked him to take me. I had to wait a while but it was nice. Alot of the family where there. The little baby was so quite, most have been only weeks old. He gave me a lift to the bus stop and lucky enough a bus was leaving in 5 mins.
Posted by SeanSeamus 10:40 Archived in Brazil Tagged backpacking Comments (3)