By Tamashin
Here is part 2 of Tamashin's article about Joćo Pessoa. To read part 1 click the link at the end of the article.
There is a definite small town feel to Joćo Pessoa. There are several wide avenues running through the city, though you feel like you are always driving through the suburbs of a larger city. One moment you are driving along, the next you are confronted by a large sandy, grassy praēa with people exercising or lounging at a bar. Even so, it‘s hard to believe that 600,000 people live there because you hardly see anyone. Even the beach front was virtually void of people and there were plenty of places to park.
For the moment parking is free except for the parking maniacs. These were the people who would stand in the middle of the road gesticulating wildly with a red cloth in their hands indicating a space for you. Most of the time you didn‘t need them, but of course they need you. As you park they dart from side to side and back to front performing windmill like arm movements to enable you to manoeuvre your precious vehicle into position. When you deign to alight from the vehicle they ask you if they can wash it. Be careful, they use washing up liquid and wash the car in the sunlight, while it is hot, using the same cloth for the wheels and the paintwork. Do you really want grey, scummy marks on your paintwork? Methinks not. Parking correctly is important though because there are traffic wardens. So you must only park in the free spaces provided and not in the Taxi rank or bus parks which are well marked. The warden I spoke to spoke English as did some of the police.
There is a very heavy police presence. Why, I don‘t really know. The officer I spoke to said that they were taking extra precautions this year because of what was happening in Rio. However, John mentions it too in his article. They walk in pairs, ride around on bicycles, there are the special ops teams (the blue land rovers) and quad bike squads for the beach. For New Year they were accompanied by the military. All very no nonsense.
I did flick through the papers now and again and the sort of things that go on were much the same as in our own little town in Minas. A burglary here, car stolen there, the odd mugging, someone picked up for possession of drugs, that sort of thing. However, when you looked around the bairros you did notice that the walls surrounding the houses were lower or next to non existent, there weren‘t so many electric fences, there was the odd big dog and people left their garden furniture unconcreted or not chained down. Furniture and belongings were left on the verandas too. So in the main, neighbours were very trusting of each other. Very reassuring.
During the day, there wasn‘t much traffic around and at least two roads were closed on the sea front area in the morning so people could walk freely. Many people cycled, roller skated and skate-boarded which some may find annoying but I found quite refreshing. All these people exercising made me want to join in and gave a good example for the children. While the beaches were relatively empty, those people that were there were swimming or playing volley or sand tennis. I also noted several fitness areas and there were a few fitness clubs on the beach frontage.
The beaches are beautiful to say the least. Every morning a team of sweepers start at Manaira, where the cafes and restaurants start to build up. They walk along the sea front in a long line clearing the road, pavement and beach. I watched them start one morning, wearing their red uniforms, standing in a huge circle, on the beach. They started with a few songs, followed by what appeared to be "feel good" chants, then a happy birthday which I found myself joining in to and then finally prayers. It was very uplifting for me, how must they have felt? Ten minutes later I was collecting rubbish... no, not true, but had they asked me I probably would have!
Part 3 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:
Around Brazil: Joćo Pessoa Part 2
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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