By Tamashin
I have always been curious about Joćo Pessoa, especially when I read posts from the so called Captain Bill on the Gringoes.com forum. It did seem the ideal place for my young family to live in, and for me especially to retire to. Then I read John Fitzpatrick article, Joćo Pessoa - a Victim of its Own Success, which gave a different view and realised I really must go and see this place for myself. I didn't want to write a travelogue. There are many tourist information guides on the web which do a much better job than I could ever do. Rather, I wanted to something from the perspective of wanting to live there, with a few tourism gems thrown in.
Due to the problems at the airports (December 2006 strikes), my wife and I decided to drive the 3000kms, rather than fly. It was a good decision. We saw and appreciated a lot more of Brasil than we would have done by plane.
John started his article writing about the history of Joćo Pessoa and commented on the poor infrastructure to cope with tourism. Well I am pleased to say that the Burgers of JP must have read his article. I found the roads to be in excellent condition, with good road signs indicating the places to see. Getting the right road is especially important as JP is more or less the starting point for the Transamazonica (BR230). A wrong turn and you could off across the Amazon!
The roads themselves had street signs, making map reading much easier. There were plenty of road markings, traffic lights and speed cameras to control the traffic flow. Buses looked new with digital destination boards and while I was there new bus shelters were being installed.
Many places boasted signs saying "Amigo do Turista" (friend of the tourist) as part of a campaign by the Mayor. I experienced the results of the campaign first hand in the Tourist Information Centre in Tambau. I found the centre to be well stocked with leaflets about things going on in the area and on what to see and visit. The centre officials spoke English and were able to explain things comprehensively and patiently. I was given a large glossy booklet about sightseeing in Paraiba and a map, both free, which were infinitely superior to the maps costing R$4.99 at the local bancos. However, the guide book for R$9.99 was very useful.
The historical centre of the city has had a lot of work done to it. Many of the old buildings looked as if they had recently been repainted and looked particularly charming in the evening. Sadly there was a main shopping street leading up to the lagoa where the colonial type buildings were in a very sorry state and would cost a tidy sum to bring back up to standard.
In the main, I found all of the "praēas" (squares), churches etc. to be in comfortable walking distance of each other. There was always someone around to collect litter, and watering or cutting the grass, giving a well kept feel to the area. This feeling continued with the presence of the trees which are everywhere. The avenues are lined with trees and there are huge forests on the outskirts and in the centre of the city. Looking at a map, or on Google Earth, you will see swathes of green everywhere which makes you wonder why is it so green when it is so hot and hardly rains.
During the three weeks we were there, the average temperature was about 30c. We did see 35c on our thermometer one day. It took me some time (about three days) to get used to it, I'm from Minas, you know and heat like that isn't that common. Getting used to the heat means taking it that little bit easier and drinking lots of water.
There was always a soft, gentle breeze blowing in from the sea, day and night. It just wafted across your face like a silk scarf, cool in every sense of the word.
It did rain just enough, and as John said it evaporated quickly. The rain didn't bother some people who continued walking on the beach whilst others took shelter in the bars. There's another darker side to this breeze though and locals call it the "marzinho". Never buy a sea front house, I was told, because the sea breeze ruins everything in a very short time, particularly clothes and domestic appliances. I was talking to some locals at a carwash and they told me you had to wash the car ever week (don't we all?) because of the detrimental effect of the salt. No problem because the car wash I went to was very thorough and cost R$20 including a polish.
Part 2 next week...
Tamashin is a retired civil engineer who first came to Brazil in 1993 to help build a community centre for street children in Rio. He now lives in Minas Gerais with his Brazilian wife and children.
Previous articles by Tamashin:
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 6
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 5
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 4
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 3
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 2
Brazil: The Great North Road Part 1
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