NE BRAZIL    DIARY  3

          From Diary 2:
29. The day is mainly a 650 kilometre drive, and besides from the tour itself, it is just to get to the next hotel, in a town, too big for my liking.
All that space I have rented, and no means of heating the shower water. Well, except the gas stove. Last nights cold shower have to do.
Then I just have to wait well over an hour for my host, so I can check out. I even give her an additional fifteen minutes, then lock the key in and leave. Waste of time and daylight. Well, I do get to see a little frog and a huge cockroach in the bathroom. That along with the amount of ants, counting at least three species, make me believe, this place is not sprayed with poison that often; nice.
Estimated nine hours to next hotel, where the only “sight” on route is the nature along the road. It is still in the 250 to 950 meters inland, dominated by bushes, grass and huge cacti. The temperature is above 30, the humidity rather high too.
I stop a single time for a new cactus, and then at eleven, to feed the car and myself. Bit hard, but I get them to make me three egg-cheese sandwiches, after a tour around the kitchen. I’m still amassed about how much better I cope in Spanish. Considering I have saved an hour and I half, I might have speeded a bit. But these straight roads are made for it - except for the numerous potholes and 30 meter road-trains.
From here, it is bye a slightly larger road with less potholes but significantly more road-train. And slightly depressing, most from the same mining company and identical. Feels like I’m overtaking the same train, time and time again.
The last 100 kilometres is more pot holes than road, then 15 kilometres through intense city traffic.
I reach the target for the day; Juazeiro do Norte and my hotel at three. It is way of, where their dot on the map is, but at the address. And no hot water. They can have their air condition, refrigerator, TV and fan, but give me a hot shower, please!
I head the half kilometre down town, and here are a nice mix of everything from farmers goat bells to stilettos. Some look like a witches market, one area have tobacco from the leaves over uncut tobacco to handmade cigarettes.
It seems like this town have it all. Well, except restaurants, it seems. I finally find a joint at the cathedral, and settle for a deep fried piggas.
Just before the hotel, I find bananas for breakfast. It is dark, when I get home. Work for a long time, but have to face the cold shower eventually.  Highlights of the day

30. Only 500 kilometres, and even a sight underway. I start at six, to clear the city before rush-hour. It works, except for the numerous light-crosses.
Yet another 500 meters height drive, among familiar bushes, grass and cacti. The car get thirsty at nine, and I might as well have a bite.
A single cactus stop at some exposed bedrock, with a new “queen if the night”.
Quite some kilometres before I thought, I reach Lajedo de Pai Mateus, a brown tourist sign show off to it, down a dirt road. It is a maze of dirt roads, connecting goat farmers. Some trails have recently been flatten, others not, making it hard to judge, which are major and which are minor trails. And the sign at the main-road was the last.
I end-up setting the GPS for the spot it have, and see some more dirt roads.
After two hours rather demanding driving, I finally meet the second sign - and a locked gate.
Back to the point, which I have found from home. The sight should be some “Bizarre rock landscape”, and I have not seen rocks so far. Finally, after 60 kilometres off-road, I see the rocks. Huge granite boulders, stacked on each other. No path, and the vegetation is tough to penetrate: Bushes, cacti and vines. I find a large millipedes and see some familiar cacti.
Then it start to drizzle, and I give up, seeing something spectacular. Well, I did see some odd looking birds, which the area is famous for, and might even get a photo. And a huge varanus, but no photo.
Pretty disappointed, I set the GPS for the hotel, an hour away in Campina Grande.
They are apparently in the middle of a makeover, but have room for me. I just empty the bag and drive the five kilometres down to, what I hope is the centre of town. Park at a large lake, and find some coffee and cake. The most greasy and sticky cheesecake ever, and not in the good way.
One more kilometre hike to the centre, and despite it is not five, everything is closed, and appears to have been that quite some time. That was unexpected, and I fail to figure why?
I do a loop anyway, then return to a huge supermarket, I passed earlier, which at least is open. Full-grain buns and brie for supper and bananas and juice for the morning.
It is dark, when I return to the hotel. Which now turns out to be a restaurant as well, and breakfast is included. And they even serve it early, as it is workers, who stay here. Well, I have never experienced food to get old in the car...  Highlights of the day

31. It is a real big and delicious looking breakfast buffet, and that slow me down s bit. And as I have had both coffee and cake, the car get nothing this morning. I have seen bushes and grass enough for now, and head towards the beach. It is a short drive anyway; only 128 kilometres, all the way out to the coast. Here are mainly grass fields, but also a few crops, like cane and corn.
I reach the huge city of Joao Pessoa, and find the former monastery bye a back-road. In its garden, I see some tiny squirrel monkeys. The guide call another guy, and I'm guided to the official entrance. I just have to wait four minutes, before I can buy my ticket and hook-up with my guide. She has learned herself English, and real good. As she is not Catholic, we get a lot of laughs. Here are several churches, collection of old and new art, offerings from people, who have been cured. Portuguese tiles with religious motives and bare tits, monks cells from 17- and 1900. They had a lot of junk. There is a rehearsal for a concert in one church, and they are real skilled.
Well over an hour later, I am let out of the front entrance, and have no idea of, where my car is. I see some of the old and rather neglected town, find the car, then head out to the beach. It is wide and perfect - except for the lack of shells. I finally find a black coffee, then head on. I actually see quite some anoles and lizards, unless the latter are agamas?
The next site is another 120 kilometres away, hardly worth fastening the seatbelt for. I spend over an hour, clearing the huge city, as I have to cross it.
The landscape is mainly grass or towns here. I reach Olinda, and that is a rare treat. So many old and charming houses, cobblestone streets, small churches and great atmosphere. I should have set off some days! I only got time for some large loops, even by the seafront. Small dinghies, horses and blue water.
Then I have to cross yet another huge city, and it is getting late. A police-car and afterwards a huge boat on a small lorry, does fare from help. The area is made up by giant and steep hills, covered in cane.
I catch-up to a car with a trailer, loaded with two couches and no strings. It doesn’t take long, before one of them jumps off. I totally expected that, and get to break, before I hit it.
I finally turn off towards Praca do Carmo, through a forest. Then the sky opens, and besides from I'm not sure where my sight is, the rain and time of day make me turn around on one of the lacking roads in town.
It is almost dark at five, this far east, and the thunder clouds don’t exactly help. It seems like the locals are night-blind, and all rubber have gone to making Habanas, not window vipers and tires. They slow immensely down, and that slow me down.
Eventually, I make it to a small beach-town, but not the one my hotel is in. That is seven kilometres back. My original plan was to see the town first, but not in the dark. Back at the hotel, I get the key, and then back to the beachfront. I find an omelette, then start some intense souvenir hunting. And one shop out if a hundred, have exactly what I want: A little rough carnca. It is kind of a grumpy man, supposed to protect your home and family, and typical for Bahia, the area I'm exploring in Brazil.
I guess it is a cosy tourist trap I'm in, and here are a lot of beach buggies. Home way too late to laundry and diary.  Highlights of the day
         Then into the last bit in Diary 4.