We have had so much trouble with SIM cards and phones. We discovered too late that you need a different SIM card for every state in Brazil. We had registered to use the Uber taxi services in Brazil but you need a phone number for them or internet access. We managed to get a SIM that covered all we needed but we had misread the number we had been given and were not able to recharge the pre-pay phone. After finding a nice, patient lady sitting on the street with a stall we got our number sorted. However we couldn't recharge as we were leaving but managed to get our first Uber taxi ride to the Salvador bus terminal ready to take a bus to Lencois in Bahia State, Brazil.
Lencois was a diamond mining town and sits in a leafy valley beside the river. We were met at the bus station by Paulo who was organised by the pousada we booked as he is a trekking guide and and we had let them know we were interested in trekking in the Chapada Diamantina National Park.
After settling in we walked up the pretty dry river to get an overview of Lencois.
Saw several birds and disturbed several lizards along the way.
The town was being titivated up for the annual festival of Saint John (Sao Joao) and it is the largest festival outside of Carnival.
Houses have to be built of brick because of the termites. These infest fence posts, lamp posts and trees and can be different coloured depending on the soil and termites.
As well as the upcoming festival there was a 25 kilometre horse ride as the farming communities rode into town and met for various activities at a venue outside town. They then had bands playing and ate and drank the night away. Paulo advised us not to go as they can get quite boozy but we did hear all the festivities from the centre of town.
The festival of Saint John celebrates the harvest. 'Guys' were stuffed with straw and hung about the squares.
Lencois was a diamond mining town and sits in a leafy valley beside the river. We were met at the bus station by Paulo who was organised by the pousada we booked as he is a trekking guide and and we had let them know we were interested in trekking in the Chapada Diamantina National Park.
After settling in we walked up the pretty dry river to get an overview of Lencois.
Locals were washing their clothes in the tannin coloured water and drying them on the conglomerate stones in the hot sun.
Saw several birds and disturbed several lizards along the way.
The town was being titivated up for the annual festival of Saint John (Sao Joao) and it is the largest festival outside of Carnival.
Houses have to be built of brick because of the termites. These infest fence posts, lamp posts and trees and can be different coloured depending on the soil and termites.
As well as the upcoming festival there was a 25 kilometre horse ride as the farming communities rode into town and met for various activities at a venue outside town. They then had bands playing and ate and drank the night away. Paulo advised us not to go as they can get quite boozy but we did hear all the festivities from the centre of town.
In the main plaza was a rebuilt room that was used as a slave trading hall and nearly every night there was some kind of activity. We saw a capoeira group displaying their skills one night. This Brazilian martial art apparently originated from ritual fights in Angola, Africa to gain the nuptial rights of young women. In Brazil it developed into a technique of anticolonial resistance, disguised from slave masters as a dance.The dance is accompanied by the berimbau.
Bonfires were lit in the streets and fireworks let off.
The buildings were decorated and lit up
.
The pedestrian streets were filled with diners celebrating and people came from other states to join in the festivities. Bands played forro music and women dressed in multi-coloured dresses dancing to the music.
This restaurant was in an old cachaca distillery. Cachaca is a liquor made from sugar cane and used in the Brazilian caipirinha cocktail made with limes and sugar.
Groups of children paraded around the town dressed up and danced what looked like barn dancing. It was impossible to get photos as people pushed and shoved to get a view of the action.
The pousada we stayed at was just out of the town a bit and it suited us as it was pretty noisy around the squares with children letting off loud fireworks and sky rockets and music blaring. We were the only ones in the pousada and got VIP treatment from the manager and delicious breakfasts of tapioca and home made cakes and tropical fruits.
One day we walked a couple of hours to find a grotto but there were no signs and we got conflicting information from the locals so we gave up. On the way back we met a local walking into Lencois and he joined us and prattled on to us in Portuguese the whole time. We could understand the topics he talked about but not the details. It didn't seem to bother him and he just kept on chatting and was probably happy for the company into town. We spotted him a few times later and he greeted us like old buddies. When we ate at a restaurant and saw the waitresses in the street they called out and came and gave us handshakes and beaming smiles. It was pretty warming being acknowledged that way especially as they didn't speak English.
A mud brick house was put together in the square especially for the festival.
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