NATAL, BRAZIL – APRIL 16TH

Firstly, a little bit of trivia.  In the nautical world, Michael and I would be able to get an anchor tattoo because we’ve crossed the Atlantic Ocean.  (We’d crossed the Atlantic before but had never heard of the “anchor tattoo.”)  Anyway, thank you but no thank you.

Brazil is one of the very few countries where we’d had to obtain a visa on our own prior to embarking the Pacific Princess.  Even if we never intended to get off the ship, if you’re in Brazilian waters, you must have a visa.  We did have to provide copies of the visas to the purser’s office a day or so before our arrival for Brazilian immigration officials to inspect.  It was much simpler than last time and I was able to get a tourist visa for a short period of time online, at a cost of $44.24 each, which is good for two years.  I’m not expecting to be back here anytime soon. 

Natal was founded on Christmas Day by the Portuguese in 1599 and translates to “Nativity” or “Christmas” in that language.  Its population as of 2010 is 803,739 and it is the capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande de Norte, which was the first state in Brazil to abolish slavery.  It is located on northeastern Brazil’s Atlantic’s coast at the mouth of the Potengi River.  Its currency is the Brazilian Real (BRL). 

From our balcony, we could see the Newton Navarro Bridge spanning the Potengi River and, at 5,834 feet long, this cable-stayed bridge is one of Brazil’s largest.  

This is one of the ports/countries we were warned about purse snatching, pickpocketing, etc. and advised to leave all jewelry on the ship.  We had only planned to go to a nearby shopping area by the free shuttle bus so on we went by mid-morning!

The port area, like in most places, was pretty rundown but interesting sights, like murals, can appear every so often.  The trick is to have the camera ready. 

 

At the little shopping area, the first store we entered had, as expected, unusual items for sale, including some type of beverage that had a pear inside.  Both Michael and I wondered how they got the pear inside the bottle.  This was also the place where we bought cashews.  As a matter of fact, one of the excursions brought passengers to the Pirangi Beach area where a 1,640 foot around cashew tree stood – the largest cashew tree in the world according to the Guiness Book of Records.  We knew something about cashews from our trip in 2016 to Mangalore, India, where we discovered that one nut comes from one flower.  After learning about how they’re grown, harvested, roasted, etc., etc., we never wonder why they’re so expensive.  The shopkeeper only spoke fluent Portuguese, which is quite different to Spanish, so our communication wasn’t the best until a gentleman, fluent in both languages, translated so we could make our purchase.   

Across the market was a beach and Michael was able to snap a picture what would be the closest to the “Girls of Ipanema” we’d see in Brazil.  With cashews and newly bought addition to our magnet collection, we returned to the ship.   That evening, we were happy to learn that many of the crew members visited the nearby beaches without any problem from gangs, which, apparently, can be a real threat in these parts.  The crew work so hard seven days a week, without a day off, for anywhere from six to nine months, so when they’re able to have a couple of hours off the ship, it’s always nice when they can do something they really enjoy like going to a beach.  Our waitress, for example, Sandra, lives in Serbia, a land-locked country, and is always excited when she can spend a few hours at a beach.  It was a good day.  

MICHAEL’S OBSERVATIONS:  Predictably, the weather was warm and humid.  So, when we found out that there would be an air-conditioned free shuttle to the nearby market area, we were very pleased.  We’d been hoping to get out early, which for us is about 10 o’clock in the morning.  I’m never motivated to join the passengers that are waiting at the gangway for the clearance from customs and eager to disembark at the crack of dawn.  I like to take a more laid-back approach with our focus on the purchase of a refrigerator magnet and anything else we might see as a bonus.  I guess some of the shop owners have the same attitude because I counted at least half a dozen shops that were closed.  I truly understand the custom of afternoon siesta in these warm, humid climates.  The sun and humidity can really zap your energy.  I like to save my energy for dancing until midnight.  It was fun to walk around the shops, talk to some of the shopkeepers who spoke a little English but I was glad to get back to the ship.  I always enjoy teasing Leona about my desire to move to these hot places and she always gives me the same response, “I’ll miss you.”