I popped my head out of the supermarket and heard it, and after seeing five different limbs flailing in the air, I was certain: Capoeira. The berimbau is the instrument that accompanies it, and is basically just a taut wire on a stick, with a coconut shell attached for resonance. The local school was putting on a show, so myself and James settled ourselves in for a watch. It started off with some good kids, and if you'll excuse the sexism, some good women too, but then came the stars of the show, two big lads that seemed too tall to be bending and jiving the way they were. What a great spectacle it is. What was even more amazing was the dreadlocked guy who was playing the berimbau. He jumped in the ring and we initially thought that he was doing something incredibly flexible with his left leg, but it turned out it is just backwards. You heard me: backwards. It faces the wrong way. I was impressed that he was soing some light stuff with the kids, and condescendingly thought 'that's great for him', but he then took on one of the tall guys, and moved better than I could ever dream of. What. A. Spectacle.
This was James' final few days, so we packd him off to my brother's recommendation in Pipa, Pousada Zia Teresa, run by the fantastic Renato. It really is one of the nicest in Pipa, and although we couldn't make it, Renato invited us for dinner one night. The hammocks are to die for, and I had a happy sleep one night, rocking like a baby on the treetop. I was introduced to an engineer from London, Dan, and his girlfriend, whom Renato correctly called the Princess of Maranhao. It was nice to have a bit of 'shop talk', and reminded me that I do have to do something with my life at some point, but not yet.
We got ourselves out to the ranch for a horse trip during the week, and wandered along through the forest and sugar cane fields with Chuck America from Texas and his girlfriend. We immediately forgot his name when he told us, but Chuck America is the perfect moniker. Trotting along the trails was great fun, and literally not one question or bit of advice was given to ride the horses, or a helmet for that matter. The horses were well trained though, and when myself or James got up a bit of a canter, they seemed to look at eachother and say 'not today gringos, back in your box'.
I love living with biologists. We have a constant stream of turtles at the house that get washed up on the local beaches, sick after eating rubbish, or caught in nets, and are nursed back to health. The current fella is a lovely little loggerhead, and it looks like he'll make it. We get a constant stream of different bugs and creatures up at the house. Last time I was in Brazil, I encountered a big gruesome fella, and thought, 'oh dear, another one'. My attitude changed when Armando called him 'Barata': cockroach. He then became an object of revulsion, so I was surprised the other day when Daniel stopped me giving one a close-up of my flip-flop. He picked it up, and said in Portuguese 'Don't kill him, he's a creature of the forest, smell him'. I blinked a few times but didn't move.
'He only eats wood and leaves'. He was right of course, it was only the name that caused me to treat him any differently to other bugs, and its not the same species that are dangerous, smelly and creepy. Don't know what I'll do if I spot one and they're not around though.
We also made a vegetable patch the other day, I still contest nothing will grow in that sand, but they seem confident. When I left the house earlier we seemed to have procured a house kitten; I'll keep you updated. The only creature I have no respect for here are the mosquitos. I firmly believe I am an important part of the local food-chain for them.
I would love to wax lyrical about all the fruits here, but you might have other things to do, like me. Anyway, if you're reading Hal's blog it might take you a full day this week, I think he saw a dog that looked funny or something. ENJOY!!!
This was James' final few days, so we packd him off to my brother's recommendation in Pipa, Pousada Zia Teresa, run by the fantastic Renato. It really is one of the nicest in Pipa, and although we couldn't make it, Renato invited us for dinner one night. The hammocks are to die for, and I had a happy sleep one night, rocking like a baby on the treetop. I was introduced to an engineer from London, Dan, and his girlfriend, whom Renato correctly called the Princess of Maranhao. It was nice to have a bit of 'shop talk', and reminded me that I do have to do something with my life at some point, but not yet.
We got ourselves out to the ranch for a horse trip during the week, and wandered along through the forest and sugar cane fields with Chuck America from Texas and his girlfriend. We immediately forgot his name when he told us, but Chuck America is the perfect moniker. Trotting along the trails was great fun, and literally not one question or bit of advice was given to ride the horses, or a helmet for that matter. The horses were well trained though, and when myself or James got up a bit of a canter, they seemed to look at eachother and say 'not today gringos, back in your box'.
I love living with biologists. We have a constant stream of turtles at the house that get washed up on the local beaches, sick after eating rubbish, or caught in nets, and are nursed back to health. The current fella is a lovely little loggerhead, and it looks like he'll make it. We get a constant stream of different bugs and creatures up at the house. Last time I was in Brazil, I encountered a big gruesome fella, and thought, 'oh dear, another one'. My attitude changed when Armando called him 'Barata': cockroach. He then became an object of revulsion, so I was surprised the other day when Daniel stopped me giving one a close-up of my flip-flop. He picked it up, and said in Portuguese 'Don't kill him, he's a creature of the forest, smell him'. I blinked a few times but didn't move.
'He only eats wood and leaves'. He was right of course, it was only the name that caused me to treat him any differently to other bugs, and its not the same species that are dangerous, smelly and creepy. Don't know what I'll do if I spot one and they're not around though.
We also made a vegetable patch the other day, I still contest nothing will grow in that sand, but they seem confident. When I left the house earlier we seemed to have procured a house kitten; I'll keep you updated. The only creature I have no respect for here are the mosquitos. I firmly believe I am an important part of the local food-chain for them.
I would love to wax lyrical about all the fruits here, but you might have other things to do, like me. Anyway, if you're reading Hal's blog it might take you a full day this week, I think he saw a dog that looked funny or something. ENJOY!!!
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