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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Apr 11, 2014 04:00 PM Broken plane to paradise island...
Today my dream will come true - we fly from Brazilian Natal to the tiny island Fernando de Noronha!
To get to the Natal airport from beach quarter Ponta Negra you have to take two public buses, changing at Natal Shopping center.
Only two airlines fly to Noronha: Azul and Gol. We arrived to the airport well before depature. At check-in counter I got a window seat in the plane. Security allowed to bring your water. Turbo- prop ATR72 arrived on time. But they announced that the plane is... broken. We were waiting in the departure hall 3 hours. In the meantime Azul airline invited us for lunch and... A miracle! They decided that we can fly!
I had anice view of Natal just after take-off. An hour later I saw in the blue ocean rocky towers and white beaches surrounded by the lush, tropical green. It was Fernando de Noronha - a paradise island from my dreams...
From the tiny airport a minibus took us to the only settlement - we found our cheapest Lua Bela pension. One more travellers dream came true!
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Apr 10, 2014 04:00 PM Natal is more beautiful...
After spending a day in Natal I am convinced that Natal is more beautiful then Fortaleza. The Portuguese landed here in the Christmas Day (Natal) of 1597and that's why they named theplace after Christmas. Then on 6th January they started to built the little fortress called Forte dos Reis Magos (we say: Three Kings and celebrate 6th January). Natal has 800 000 inhabitants and is divided by the Dunes Park. Old part lies at the mouth of Rio Potengi where they built high, picturesque bridge and tourist beach quarter Ponta Negra lies some 10 kms south bordered by high coastal dune Morro do Careca.
Three King's Fort lies on the tip of the Old Town peninsula. We took city bus to Praia Areia Preta. Then tourist police want you to take a taxi to go through the dangerous area to the fort. Isn't it a big shame? Why they do not put there two police patrols?
Taxi cost us 12 reales. Fort (1,50 entry fee) is small but worth to see. It offers great view of the high bridge and downtown.
In the afternoon I have been to Ponta Negra beach to take for you the pictures of Careca dune. It is protected so you cannot climb it. Nice place. Only few Brazilian tourists on this great beach. Maybe it is too hot?
So now you know: if you are forced to make a choice - go to Natal!
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Apr 09, 2014 04:00 PM 70 minutes in the traffic jam
Today we travel by bus from Brazilian Fortaleza to Natal - some 550 kms away. But first we have to get to the bus station (rodoviaria). Public bus 73 goes from Praia Iracema to rodoviaria. We boarded the bus at 7.30 paying 2,20 for the ride to the conductor (no tickets!). After a quarter the bus stuck in the heavy traffic jam in the main Fortaleza' street. 10 minutes, 20, 30, 45... You are stressed but you can do nothing... Taxis stay also in the jam... We had a hard time - our long distance bus was departing at 9 am!
Thanks God we left the hotel early, we reached rodoviaria at 8.55. Uff!
Allow a lot of time going to Brazilian bus station! Next 9,5 hours we enjoyed the views of Brazilian province: bush, rivers, little houses made of brick. It was already dark when we arrived to Natal. I knew that bus 66 goes from Natal's rodoviaria to the town. But the bus stop opposite station is dark and completly empty. In front of the terminal you can't see any single policeman. Instead, I see a group of few local men coming from the dark and shouting something to us. Aha! This is not a good place to wait for erratic bus... Hurry, turn back and take a taxi at the entrance! This was the best choice. Half an hour later we reached our hotel in Ponta Negra quarter...
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Apr 08, 2014 04:00 PM Rainy Fortaleza
It was raining in the morning. But it is warm rain if the temperature is around 30 deg Celsius. I was waiting an hour or so and when the rain stopped for de moment I decided to take the walk to the center of Fortaleza. Then the rain came again. Well - first few hours I was walking in the warm rain (and get almost completly wet).
Fortaleza has huge cathedral (similar to that one in Cologne) and nice cultural center surrounded by the old houses. Free Museum of Ceará' Culture is worth to see - there is a nice story of vaqueiros - Brasilian cowboys. In the former jail the organized tourist center where you can buy local products and how they make famous laces from Fortaleza (introduced centuries ago by Portugeese).
In the aternoon the strong sun appeared and this was the best time to see the best of Fortaleza - the beaches. I stay in the Iracema Quarter - just two blocks from the beach. During last 20 years they built along the white beach a line of high hotels and apartament buildings. 4-kms long promenade tempts you to walk and enjoy the views.
It was nice walk, but I had to return to hotel to dry :)
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Apr 07, 2014 04:00 PM 28,5 hours in the bus...
In the morning our bus passed through the lush green jungle of Ubajara
National Park. It is very picturexsque place with rocky cliffs and the road descending gently in many swithbacks. Then we entered green mountains with some interesting formations like spires and columns...
Short break for the breakfast, and we were on our way again.
Fortaleza - a city where 2,5 mln people live appeared on the horizon at 11.45, but it took us almost an hour to get through the traffic jams to the rodoviaria. Heat! Getting out of the building I turned left, then right on the firtst traffic light. Bus stop. I need bus 73 to get to my hotel, is this the stop for 73? They do not understand. Some 20 people stay here. I desperately shout:-Anybody here speaks English, ou Francais? They smile, seems that nobody can understand me. I am drawing a bus with number 73 on the piece of paper. Aaaa! They show me another bus stop on the opposite side of the street. It took me more then 30 minutes and 2,20 reales to get to the booked hotel... Shower, 3 big cups of the tea... 28,5 hours on one bus - no, I do not want to beat any record, but it seems that it was so far my longest bus journey! In Tibet to Lhasa I travelled longer, but with overnight stops.
28,5
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Apr 06, 2014 04:00 PM Brazil by bus... day one
In Brazil the bus stations (rodoviarias) are located on the outskirts of the big cities. That's inconvenient because you have to use local transport to get there. In Belem it is not too bad - I walked to ave Presidente Vargas and jumped on one of many buses heading to rodoviaria - ticket cost 2,20 reales. They check your passport before boarding - only 2 companies make this long trip to Fortaleza, Ticket for Guanabara bus costs 250 reales.
They offer a/c in the bus - in the night it gets cold so keep your sweater handy, but do not expect any other service - at the end of the bus is distributor of drinking water - that's all.
Travelling whole day I enjoyed the views of pasture country. When we stopped for the lunch people were buying at the roadside restaurant meals per kilo paying 27 reales/kg.
This is not a mororway - just regular paved road with little houses with red tiles. Sometimes you can see also tatched mud housed, like century ago. In the evening we raached Santa Ines. Sorry - nobody in the full bus spoke other language then Portugeese...
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Apr 05, 2014 04:00 PM How to survive in Belem
-Do not enter empty, narrow streets, specially in the Comercio district! Keep the eyes open, if somebody is following you. Do not stop for a long time, know your way before you go. After dark stay at your locked guesthouse... That's what the locals say.
Belem has more historic buildings then Sao Paulo. In the colonial time many ornate churches and palaces was built here. City was growing fast also in the rubber boom time.
It was early morning when I was going to the old town. On the riverfront they converted old port warehouses into elegant exhibition hall and restaurant hub where you can buy chosen meals paying per kilo :)
Then I saw mercado-market Ver-o-Peso with huge fish from Amazon on sale and clock tower standing close to the vege market. Then cathedral where the bishop was just conducting the Sunday mass. Fort is just nearby - built in 1616 this was the first European settlement in the Amazon. Few more churches are under renovation.
Rubber baron Antonio Lemos had a big palace in the Old Town- Cidade Velha. Now it is open to the public and you can see for free exhibition and some of the ornate rooms. Can you believe that I was the only visitor in the building?
In the city center I saw many patrols of Policia Militar. It was very hot but interesting day - I overburned my neck...
Tomorow I start 28-hours bus journey to Fortaleza, and the strong sun will not bother me...
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Apr 04, 2014 04:00 PM Amazonia - no internet when it rains...
Residencia B&B - little pension protected by two sliding grilles, where I stay in Belem has very good location in relatively safe quarter. Shaddy Praca Republica is just 50 m away. On the opposite side of praca (square) you will find money changer and down the praca, after theatre - Yamada supermarket where I buy my daily bread (6 reales for half kilo loaf). I pay 65 reales for the single room with shared bath and breakfast. They do not speak English here and I have a feeling that they do not want to learn even yes and no :) Why? You should start with SIM and NAO and then BOM DIA and OBRIGADO- thank you. In the morning I took a long walk to the rodoviaria - the bus station. Once in the terminal I was desperately looking around for somebody with a basic knowledge of English or French - no way! I wrote desired destination and date on the paper showing it to the clerks. It works!
Teatro La Paz is nice. I visited also ornate Basilica Santuario Nazare. In the afternoon it rains here. I just returned to my pension, taking a shower (you are sticky and wet after such a 6-kms walk) and then wanted to send my letters. No internet! The staff told me: -Here is Amazonia, no internet when it rains. Be patient! I am.
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Apr 03, 2014 04:00 PM Riverboat to Belem
I do not know how they can navigate in the night without radar and any navigation lights on the islands. In the morning I recognized that we are sailing another channel, passing other boats from time to time. The knowledge of English is zero. I tried to ask another Brazilian passengers about expected time of arrival. Who knows...
30 deg Celsius and extreme high humidity... You are all the time sweaty, even without any effort!
In the midday we reached a huge riverarm with the port accommodating big sea vessels. Not, it is not Belem yet! ... and we jumped to the next narrow channel framed by the tropical green on both sides. At 1 pm I saw in the distance the skycrapers of Belem. Great contrast! The jungle in the channel and a huge 1,4 mln people city just nearby... We disembarked at the little dock in the old town. I as happy to find my Residencia BB pension. It is time for the rest, the solid shower and loundry!
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Apr 02, 2014 04:00 PM Through the Amazon' Delta
To get from Macapa to the nearest big city and transport hub -Belem you have to cross huge delta of Amazon River. There are expensive planes (340 reales daytime flight) and boats whare you pay 100 for the hammock space and 170 for the bunk in crampy cabin.
I decided to go by boat because I want to see more. The name of the boat is Almirante do Mar. They say that departure time will be 9 am.
But the boats do not start from Macapa, but from Santana - some 40 kms away. I took the city bus (2,35 reales) to get there. Stressing journy for me: I did not expect that it will take almost an hour and you still have about 1 km to walk to "porto". At 8.50 I saw my ship crossing the port gate: little, rusty and dirty. Similar to the one I once sailed on Upper Amazon Brazil to Peru.
We departed with the solid delay, but it should not be the rule...
For me it was great adventure: the route took us to the hunderesd of channels, rivers, bays and lakes. We sailed close enough to the coast to appreciate the lush rainforest and to see the houses on the poles and people living there. In the evening I enjoyed a moon and stars shining above me and reflecting in the water.
I should advise: bring you food and drink with you: the canteen on the upper deck is expensive!
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