Brazil: Sao Cristovao

From Maceio we took a blablacar from Maceio to Aracaju. It turned out he is a professional driver, which was a first for us. A fellow rider told me she believes more than half of the rides on blablacar in Brazil are posted by professional drivers. We drove along the beach (1st below) as we left Maceio, and later, we watched the driver fill his tank with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).





Once we got dropped off at Aracaju bus terminal, instead of heading to yet another beach town, we decided to head inland to Sao Cristóvão, the original state capital of Sergipe - founded in 1590 on sugar fortunes - until the capital was moved to Aracaju. Sao Cristovao is yet another town built on the hill. At this point we can conclude it's not that Brazil does not have flat land, it's that the Portuguese love to settle on hills, presumably easy to defend. Below, a couple of views from the hilltop center of Sao Cristovao. Actually, the 2nd one is only halfway up.





Sao Cristóvão has only a handful of tourist beds in the center. Being there is like having stepped into a vintage film, before TV. In the evening neighbors gathered to sit and chat on the sidewalk, catching the breeze, while kids kicked the ball in the square. Below is the view from our guesthouse to the Church of Our Lady of Protection, the oldest church in Sao Cristovao.



Around the historic UNESCO World Heritage Center of Sao Cristovao at night.










Church and Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi on São Francisco Square.






Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory


Convent and Church of Mount Carmel


Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel


Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel (left) and the adjacent Carmelite Convent


The Oldest Church in Sao Cristovao - Church of Our Lady of Protection


Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People

Brazil: Maceio

Continuing south from Porto de Galinhas by bus is not easy. After much research, we caught a "return" ride with a day tour company from Maceio (240 km). We paid the full price of the day trip, but they dropped us off at our hotel in Maceio. The bus took the coastal route. We can see it is along the beach all the way (below), quite a few of them are known to me from trip research.



We happened to be the last ones to be dropped off, so we had a bus tour of Maceio. On the Sunday evening, 3 hours after sunset, it was a very happening place. Families, young and old, in the streets, cafes/restaurants, parks, strolling, sitting/eating together, volleyballing, and more. I can hardly imagine a more lively scene in Copacabana! Maceio has a Ferris wheel too.





The next morning we had a walk on the beach (1st and 2nd below) and explored Jaragua, the oldest part of Maceio, and were surprised to find that there is even an urban rail line.





The traditional sailrafts, jangadas, in Maceio have the same colorful lateen sails as Porto de Galinhas, but most have centerboards, and a normal upturned bow (1st below). We were out early, so the fleet was mostly still onshore (2nd and 3rd below)
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This small-scall replica of the Statue of Liberty sits in front of the Museum of Image and Sound of Alagoas (MISA) in the Jaragua district, and according to Google AI is "likely a contemporary of the original Statue of Liberty" cast in France. Amazing!


The Historic Correios e Telegrapho Building


Finally, Estação Jaraguá (Jaraguá Station), the urban rail line terminus.

Brazil: Porto de Galinhas

From Olinda we started to head south to Salvador. We decided to break up the trip in three parts. The first stop is to the small beach town of Porto de Galinhas. Many years when we were in Patagonia, we asked one of our guesthouse hosts where they went for winters. We were told the northeast of Brazil. Now we finally realized this is the type of place he was talking about.

Jangadas, small, 4 to 5 meter long, lateen sail rig, shallow draft, daggerboard keel, sailrafts, ply the zone between the beach and the reef, taking tourists on joy rides at high tide, and tidal pool walks at low tide.








Here's a short video of a sailboat sailing by.


While on the beach, get your mixed drinks (1st below) or Chopp (Draft Beer) (2nd below).




Morning low tide walk on the beach.








Sun-Ling wading in the onshore tidal pools.


Many restaurants, cafes, beach gear shops, tour operators, and bars operate on the streets just off the beach.


Spear Fisherman.

Brazil: Recife

From Olinda we rode the local bus to Recife historic center for a tour. Recife is another child of the sugar fortune. Sugar was so lucrative that the Dutch captured and controlled the region in the 17th century for 24 years. Though it was brief, the layout of the center remains Dutch and it was the Dutch that determined Recife's prominence over Olinda.

Recife reminded us much of Rio, except worse for wear. Again the past riches evidenced in the churches were amazing, at the same time such reminders of the violent basis that gave rise to European powers.

The historic center of Recife, the Island of Recife plus the Peninsula of Bairro do Recife, is reinventing itself around Marco Zero, a small 'Km 0' marker in the middle of the broad waterside Praça Rio Branco, marking the place where the Portuguese founded Recife in 1537. The yellow building with two domes is the new CAIXA Cultural Center.






And on the north side, the Cais do Sertão Museum.


Former Building of the Port Inspection of Recife (1st below) and another nearby historic building.




Just off the Praça Rio Branco, the Kahal Zur Israel Synagogue is on Rua do Bom Jesus (Street of Good Jesus), aka "The Jewish Street". This street is very busy with tourists, touts, and vendors.








Some street scenes.






Over the bridge in Bairro do Recife are the Pernambuco government municipal buildings like the Palace of Justice (1st below) and the old Train Station (2nd below)




Nearby are a few very extravagant churches like the Capela Dourada, a chapel of the Franciscan Order. First below is the painting of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Japan which hangs on the wall of the chapel. Second below: tons of gold leaf.




Co-Cathedral of St. Peter of Clerics






Lunch at Vegetariano Restaurant.


Lastly, we stopped in the Recife City Museum to investigate F.H. Carls, a 19th-century lithographer who worked in Recife, and is related to my cousin Danny on his mother's side. We received a very warm welcome from researcher Sandro who showed us a folio of Carls's lithographs put together by the city of Recife in 2007: "The 2007 "Album de Pernambuco e seus Arrabaldes - 1878 Lithographs of F.H. Carls".


Carls had an office/workshop/company on Rua do Marques de Olinda. The building does not exist today although the street is in the same location, but maybe it's shown in the print below.


Teatro de Santa Isabel - at left in the print below. And my recent photo (2nd below).




Patio do Terco




View to Olinda from Recife.