NE BRAZIL    INFO & DIARY  1

 GENERAL INFO (Jump to Diary)
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil or República Federativa do Brasil is the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh most populous. It covers 8,515,767.049 square kilometres and are the home to around 216 million citizens. Catholicism make up 64.6% and Protestantism 22.2%.
Evidence of human habitation going back at least 11,000 years (and they have 30.000 year old rockpaintings?), and around the time of the Portuguese arrival, the territory of current day Brazil had an estimated indigenous population of seven million people, mostly semi-nomadic, who subsisted on hunting, fishing, gathering, and migrant agriculture.
Following the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas, the land now called Brazil was claimed for the Portuguese Empire on 22 April 1500. Tensions between Portuguese and Brazilians increased and the Portuguese Cortes, guided by the new political regime imposed by the Liberal Revolution, tried to re-establish Brazil as a colony. The Brazilians refused to yield, and Prince Pedro decided to stand with them, declaring the country's independence from Portugal on 7 September 1822.

The climate of Brazil comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large area and varied topography, but most of the country is tropical (See the Köppen Map here). Brazil hosts six major climatic subtypes: desert, equatorial, tropical, semiarid, oceanic and subtropical. I will concentrate on the desert and semiarid, found in the north-east, on this tour.
Brazilian topography is also diverse and includes hills, mountains, plains, highlands, and scrublands. Much of the terrain lies between 200 meters and 800 meters in elevation, while the highest point in Brazil is the Pico da Neblina at 2,994 meters.

The wildlife of Brazil is so rich. The country cover 60% of the Amazon rainforest, which accounts for approximately one-tenth of all species in the world, Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of any country on the planet, containing over 70% of all animal and plant species catalogued. I will not try to see all. Not even of the 55,000 species of flora, nor the 3,000 fish, 689 mammals, 1832 birds or the 744 reptilians, nor the amphibians.
However, it would be cool to find some of the caudiciforms, of which there are around 100, mainly in the north-eastern area I explore. And some of the country's well over 300 species of cacti, mainly found in the north-eastern area I am exploring.

The Northeast Region has about 30% of the country's population, mainly out at the beautiful coast. It's divided in nine states, which are: Pernambuco, Paraíba, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Maranhão and Piauí. I will visit those in bold. The coastal cities are known for their natural beauty and for having a excellent attractions for tourism, including some of the best beaches in Brazil. My focus will be on the interior, dominated by the semi-desert with cacti and caudiciforms - and less people.

DIARY
24/5 2024. This diary is a bit short, as my computer lost the battery, and I can't use my photos as notes, nor write the diary on the computer. iPhones are just not the same for me.
I arrival in the morning from Peru. Somehow, I get back-seats for both my Brazilian flight. I thought, I would have some time in Brasilia, but starting in the back, waiting for immigration and then real thorough search at customs, leave me only with time for a long run to the domestic flight - and my backseat without a window. I had hoped for breakfast and coffee in the airport.
I now realise how much Spanish I speak and understand - and how useless it is in a Portuguese speaking country. I did exchanged the last Sol into Real in Peru, and they come in handy for the first toll-roads. It is a real lush and green area I have found. Large bamboo, Eucalyptus plantations, bananas and plenty of giant grass. A shower hit one stretch, but not heavy.
After an hour of relaxing driving, I reach Santo Amaro, which should be a charming town, but with no tourists. The latter is a fact for sure. And I fail to see why they should be here anyway.
I need cash, and Banko Brazil have a branch here. But the many ATMs come up with a great range of excuses, not to pay anything out to me. I get through security, and wait patiently for my turn. Then the lady tells me; they only pay out to their own cards. And "no", there are no other banks around. Bit if a bummer, considering my financial status.
I need calories, and spend some valuable cash on a role of chocolate biscuits. Then I spot a building site with, what might be ATMs. And it is, and they work. Celebrate with a cup of instant coffee, do another disappointing loop, and head on to the next town with my hotel.
Only a half hour through the fertile landscape bye narrow roads, and I reach the real cosy Cachoieira. My hotel is one of the old city mansions, and so cosy. The street has a lot of rainbow flags, which seems to common in this town - and Brazil.
I start exploring the rather broken down buildings, the closing market, the riverside and all the cobblestone streets, which make the town. I'm ready to eat just before five, but no restaurant seems to be ready to serve me. I had hoped to be home before the rain.
I fail to find any souvenirs at all, but stumble over a huge moth and equal grasshopper. The pizzas I finally find, called ouros are another story; only ten centimetres in diameter and not really filling, after only a role of chocolate bisque, the entire day - and probably not anyway. And they are too dull to have more than two of.
I find a huge bun with cheese to do the job. The rain was only a short drizzle, but the temperature and humidity is high. The days is around 30C, the nights down to 25C here.
Then home to receive a e-mail from Booking.com, that they have charged me for the room, despite the owner claim; he do not have that arrangement, and charged me as well.
The hotel is right in the bar area, there are no glass in the windows, but I had not expected small kids to be the noisy ones. Well, I'm a night behind, and sleep great anyway.
 Highlights of the day  (opens in a new window)

25. The included breakfast is served after eight, and there is no internet. But considering, I have paid twice for it, I do wait. And it is a great buffet with loads of fresh fruits, warm buns and alike.
Yet another long drive, this one first through Citrus plantations mixed with sweet potatoes, tobacco and other crops, but still some grasslands with Indian oxen.
Where Peru were so dirty, this is one of the cleanest countries I've been in - at least so far.
The road vanish, but luckily, there is a little ferry, which crosses the huge
Rio Paraguay - I think. And the river must have been dammed, as it is more a lake here. The water is looking like strong coffee, due to the amount if dead organic materials.
On the other side, it soon turns into green and sometimes yellow grassland, with bushes and large Cereus cacti. Two road-works slow me significantly down, but I kind of gain the lost time by spending. These flat, straight roads ask for it...
The first site is Lencois, which should be a charming little town. I reach it at two, and call it lunchtime. The car is easy to treat, although I don’t know if it prefer petrol or alcohol?
I do a lot if loops on the cobblestone covered allies, see a few Spanish talking tourists, the church and some real cosy homes. Here, the squares and a few streets are also covered in rainbow flags. It might be harvest festivals? Finally, I reach the square with restaurants, one offering a salad. Strange dish with potatoes and what might be palm stem. I see the town, and head on.
A nice drive through real lush, but now steep mountains, bring me to the start of a dirt road. It is a real lush jungle, but the road demand all my attention. I aim for the hotel, and plan to spend the last hour of daylight in the town. Well, if there had been a town. This is real far our, and things are humble. I give a lift to a Palestine girl; Leila, living in England, forgetting Karma punish me every time. And so she does:
After 30 kilometres of demanding dirt road driving, I end up at a locked gate with the names over-painted. Guess they have sold the hotel to someone, not running a hotel? Thought I were here just for a walk in the Parque Nasional de Chapada Diamantina, and decide to use the last daylight, to get out if this mudhole.
It take significantly more time, than the last daylight, and when I reach my next planned hotel, I realises, it was Brazil's highest waterfall, which were the main site, way out there.
It turns out, my next hotel is a motel, along the else so empty road. I find a settlement a bit further down the road, and a large vegetarian buffet - next to the grill.
Going through my plans and giving it a second thought, I decide to return to the Cachoeira da Fumaca waterfall in the morning, as I have the time.  Highlights of the day
          Time for Diary 2.