Natal, the best by far!

Kids playing futbol on the beach at night. 

Spent the day in Natal yesterday -  the nicest place I've visited.   Beautiful setting on the coast with beaches stretching for 12 km; an amazing mix of old and new with huge swaths of natural vegetation integrated into their development and an actual traffic plan. I could live in Natal.
Today I traveled South jumping over Recife and then cut over to the coast and drove secondary roads along the water most of the afternoon.   I ended up in Maceió arriving after dark so no clue except for the HUGE new mall I passed coming into town.
Did I mention that Natal was pretty special -  a 9 compared to Fortaleza's 7.

Natal from southern most point.  The old district,  with interesting and less sterile places to stay. 

Beach from 19th floor at dusk,  near northern point looking South. 

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

Fortaleza

I rolled into Fortaleza on Saturday morning and checked into an online booked beachfront hotel for the weekend. When I hit the beach I was bummed to see they were nearly vacant. It turns out there's a north-south oriented beach crosstown everybody uses in the mornings and afternoons (better waves and beach services) - but in the late  afternoon and into the evening the beach in front of my hotel is the place to be.   Snack vendors,  guys with ice chests strapped to bikes selling single beers,  families,  teenagers,  everyone comes  out and weaves around one another on bikes,  blades,  skateboards and rented station wagon bikes,  all at speed among the pedestrians on about a mile and a half of boardwalk -  and it works marvelously..
This morning I was at the happening day beach,  nice but way too many people missed the memo about old people wearing speedos and thongs -  Brazilian beaches have always been home to curvaceous women who push boundaries and today was no different,  except more than a few don't seem to realize that when your percent  body fay exceeds your age,  and you're wearing a thong,  civilizations begin to break down.  I'll include a foto of a minor violation -  there were several that would likely violate Google's terms of use agreement.
This evening they were playing  beach futbol under the lights and setting up beach volleyball (it's just too hot during the day).
Brazil has traffic cams EVERYWHERE -  I've seen at least 25 a day and probably set off 20 or so.  Some creative use of nail polish remover and strategically sprayed WD-40 will hopefully alleviate any potential problems.  Send me a note if you can read the plate.

I'm continuing South tomorrow,  no definitive destination.

Beach futbol. 

Fortaleza at dusk. 

Tasty Street food.  Right out of boiling water, just add cheap salty margarine.

Wide sand beaches.

Wide beachgoer.

Plate number,  please. 

Belèm, Brazil

I wandered the old working port and market early this morning.   People were coming and going,  transporting burlap bags of beans & provisions, small appliances and palates of fruit using proverbial tramp steamers (but diesel) and powered river canoes (like in Bangkok,  an  engine welded to a 3 meter long shaft with a bare prop on the end - that whole setup swivels at the stern and must be legend among its victims).  I got a deal on some almost-Chanel sun glasses today,  only 10 reals.

I spent the rest of the day exploring a jungle preserve.  It was lovely and let me see creatures and the jungle up close -  the Yosemite Valley of Belém.   Next stop: I'm going to hop on the bike and try to find some unspoiled forest.

The Amazon Basin, Belém, Brazil

The estuary of the Amazon

Busses have ticket sellers riding along.

I'm happy to have arrived at the bank of The River. 
It's exciting,  still rustic and has a rusty edge and earthly scent to it,  and then you wander past the real people down to the waterfront which has been converted into... wait for it, upscale Restaurants, a happening micro brewery and (drum roll) Shopping.   Then,  50 meters past the retro-piers,  the Franciscans are feeding the hungry in a public plaza at dusk.
Meanwhile,  I'm booked into a four star hotel again for less price than some of the lesser establishments I've been finding on the road -  turns out Brazil has over built these (thanks World Cup and Olympics) and they're cheap if you book online (hotels.com) This one is 112 reals a night (US$ 50), garage and nice  breakfast included.
Tomorrow I'm going to check out Amazon excursions but I'm skeptical of the advice which tells me that I must go up the river to Manaus (population 2.5 million) to begin exploring the Amazon.   I suggest you overly the area using Earth -  they're cutting and burning up there just like around here.   I'm not realistically expecting to spy on a panther stalking it's prey or a tribe of semi-naked indigenous people dancing and shoot g monkeys for a group dinner to which I've been I've been invited - so I might just try to find a group of hikers with a guide familiar with this area.   
Having driven through this terrain for days it's increasingly obvious that the deforestation is completely sanctioned,  proceeding at 100% capacity and with no sign of abatement.   Want proof,  come up here and look at the multiple  government road crews working 12 hour days; then follow new road development and look at the huge swaths of denuded and burning jungles that branch off of these new roads.  Also,  Brazil has more federal police than anywhere I've ever been; they are  highly respected/feared,  there are lots of them and they have modern equipment stationed at check points every 100 km along every road I've traveled throughout Brazil.  They could stop the logging in a day if given the mandate.   Perhaps policy will change with a  new president (yes,  I'm guessing, based on people I pseudo-speak with).
Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.
PS.  When in Rome... Try to take the local bus.   This got me several new friends. They have ticket sellers at a gate on the buses.

Close to Belem

850 km (500 miles)  yesterday.  

Alianca do Tocatins, on highway 153, in the middle of Brazil

I feel like I've finally arrived in Brazil - real people, real prices (as opposed to 17 dollar subway sandwiches). I pulled over at a wide spot in the road as the sun was going down after running the afterburners all day.  I made 700 km (420 miles) on a 2 lane highway heading north towards Belem.  Dinner was boiled mystery meat over rice - at least partly chicken because I could make out the feet in the mix.  There was a pan of something that looked like ginormous Lima beans but when I tried to eat one a woman hurried over and abjectly forbade me.  I still don't know what it was or how to eat it...
Its hot with nothing to do so people (and hungry pets) sit around outside chatting (hoping food will fall) while watching the road. 
Today I passed hundreds of miles of what had been sub-tropical forests that has been clear cut and burned; some still burning. 
I'm going to get up early and do it again tomorrow - I might try to sit out the hottest part of the day as the sun is brutal.  The plan is to get to the amazon region soonest and then slow down. 

Brasilia

I rolled into Brasilia yesterday and checked into a 4 star hotel,  as compared to the frightful dump I found last night.   I spent 1/2 the day cleaning up and getting new set of (pricey) Metzler Tourance tires installed; all I  could find.
What a strange and interes city,  I can't decide if it's a 20th century architectural wet dream or nightmare.   Either way,  it's HUGE and impressive.    Trip adviser listed the Number One attraction as a church; I swore I'd never visit another Cathedral in South America,  but I have to admit it was worth the visit.   I arrived as the sun was going down and Saturday evening mass was beginning so I experienced it as it was designed.   The entire building is constructed of blue stained glass -  360 degrees.
After a week I've finally begun to develop an ear for Portuguese, admittedly my Spanish sucks but I get bye -  it's a bummer having to travel as a deaf mute again.
My Zumo died a final death so I picked up a cheap substitute -  my bad -  going to have to hunt around eBay for a replacement Zumo. 
Argentinos: I haven't been commanded to present my "Documento"  since I entered the country,  not to check into 5 different hotels,  not when using my credit card to buy US$ 512 tires,  never.   And they don't constantly honk their horns,  at all,  never.
I'm probably going to press on via the center of the country despite the fact that it is BORING - I had hoped to see more jungley stuff but they've  logged and burnt  all the forests and are turning the forests into the Imperial Valley - I'm pseudo-committed now (literally in the middle of nowhere) and speeding North will give me more time cruising the coastal route when heading  South.
Brazilians are happy people (but they don't all look like the pictures you see from Rio de Janeiro,  got to work on that )

Cheers,
Nick
from my phone.

Maringa, Brazil

I hadn't considered that riding to the northern reaches of Argentina was much of an adventure given that I have done it before, and crossing into Foz do Iguazú, Brazil, although easily the simplest EVER, still didn't rate as an adventure.  Now I'm in Maringa and its more attuned to driving through Georgia in the summer.   I'll post again when something interesting happens.