Have you ever looked closely at Brazil on a map? Do you realize how big the country is? You could in fact cover Australia with it and fit 206 Switzerlands, or 16 times France in it! In the little we saw, we discovered varied landscapes, interesting architecture, welcoming people and experienced very rainy forests as well as many many rivers. All of this in our next few articles.
Checking in and free bus tickets
We arrive on the island Fernando de Noronha early in the morning, a few hours before our friends on their catamaran Touka. We discover later that this island is a dream destination for a short holiday for all Brazilians. Before going on shore, Jean-Luc has his hair cut… by me! Very courageous of him. Then, we go on shore and settle all the custom and immigration papers, which are dealt with by a very friendly harbour master. They even offered a coffee!
But without one Brazilian Real we can’t even get to the first supermarket (which is needed after 9 and a half days at sea) or a bank or at least a hole in the wall… We find the bus station as we don’t fancy walking 3 km at 35°C in full sun. Most probably we look a bit lost until a very friendly gentleman pays all our bus tickets to get to the first village (Illika and Touka = 7 tickets!) and doesn’t want a refund or our Euros. We’re speechless!
Beautiful, but all has its cost!
The following days we discover the Island of Fernando de Noronha by bus and on foot. The south of the island is basically all protected area, that you can visit only if you’ve paid the park entrance fee of about 70 € / person (after already haven paid an environmental fee of nearly 20 € p.p to the harbour master).
On top of that, the access to most of the beaches is either limited in time and people, or can only be hiked to with a guide. But the guides and places are fully booked months in advance – but nobody tells you that before you haven’t bought the entrance tickets!
Money is spent very quickly on Noronha. Also, restaurants and even groceries are very expensive. So, we only buy what’s absolutely needed for the 4 days there and the remaining 3 days to get to Jacaré, our destination on mainland Brazil.
Anchorage amongst all the other boats, dolphins around us every day! 
Our first steps in Brazil 🙂 The beach of the small “harbour” with all the boats, which bring the tourists into the bay to see the dolphins every day 
One of the most beautiful beaches on Noronha. No swimming allowed, because of the sharks and sting rays… 
The next beach was stunningly beautiful as well, but with more waves and a very restricted swimming area: to the left “no stepping on the stones”, to the right: turtle area 
and swimming with caution 
Other beaches could only be seen at low tide. Here completely covered at high tide. 
Steps leading down to yet another beach, right next to the main town Dos Remédios 
The town’s catholic church 
… and it’s bell 
Other historical builings in the centre of the main town Dos Remédios 
Walking around we found this impressive tree, appearently one of the sites on the island 
We went to have a drink at this bar-restaurant overlooking the sea. It was very relaxing and difficult to leave again, so we stayed to eat. 
We did not expect to have Sushi as a first restaurant meal in Brazil! 
Lamp shades and a lot of other decoration are made from shells 
The view from the restaurant was spectacular 
The next day we went to see some of the “restricted beaches”. Here we had to wait to get down on a step ladder through a tunnel, one by one 
This is the beach that is regulated by timeslots and one-way traffic to visit 
The ladder through a tunnel in the rocks 
…leading down to a passage and another flight of steep steps. 
The most famous shot on the island is also within the nature reserve, for which you pay a fortune to be able to access
Let’s go surfing
Not only the south with multiple bays, but also the north coast is stunningly beautiful with its long-stretched beaches. We spend a full day at the beach and in the waves with all kinds of boards with great fun. Watch Alexander’s little video of that day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw5TzCSd84Y
The challenging part was when the two men had to get back out to the anchored dinghies. A little worried, we (as well as everybody else on the beach) watched them struggling out over the surf and crashing waves. The mothers (Margot and I) took the children back to the harbour by bus.
The beaches on the north side of Noronha are breathtaking 
The swell can be quite important and dangerous. But the whole coast is a dream surf spot 
We had a picknick lunch brought by Margot and me on the way by bus. From the bus stop we walked at least 30 minutes and got VERY wet to get to the agreed spot 
All the men and boys (Jean-Luc with Oliver and Alexander and Christophe with Léo) had anchored the dinghies beyond the rollers. The waves increased during the day, so the men swam out to the dinghies on the boards alone, over crashing waves! 
Flamboyan (or flame tree) along the road in the villages on Noronha 
Iguana or giant lizard? 
The same evening we didn’t need much food anymore, everyone was very tired. But we found this very charming place hidden away in the bushes close to Dos Remédios. 
Our last evening on the island, very nice sunset with live music. This time without our friends, they had already left to Jacaré
Arriving in Jacaré / Brazil
We had decided not to go more south on the Brazilian coast than the marina of Jacaré as the currants and winds make it difficult to come back up north once past this point. We hang around in front of the buoyed channel at Cabedelo waiting for the sun to rise; approaching an unknown place is always quite tricky in the dark. A couple of hours after sunrise we drop anchor close to the pontoon of the Jacaré marina. Jacaré means alligator in Portuguese, but we get told straight away that there are no caimans or alligators here. But we do see little monkeys in the trees of the marina – amazing! – as well as donkeys and horses grazing freely in the patch of grass next to the club.
The club
We really enjoy the atmosphere at the Jacaré marina club: a big open but covered area with tables to work at or to have lunch or at moments even a Caipirinha. A small library with plugs for computers and WIFI connection at all times. At disposal for everyone: a grill, hammocks and a small pool (unfortunately sometimes not usable, its colour being questionable – yes Neil! Questionable 😉…) and a couple of rusty bikes, good enough to take you to the next mini market.
Every Saturday morning children from the surrounding come for a Capoeira lesson. Daily there are sailors arriving, meeting up, exchanging information about sightseeing or the next anchorage or the wind forecast. But also talking engines, sails, batteries, compressors, generators and looking for technical solutions together.
Not all fun
We had something to deal with rather quickly after arriving: Alexander had developped an infection on his little finger and we needed to find a doctor. Obviously it was the weekend… But someone managed to get antibiotics (illigally) which unfortunately didn’t quite do the job. So Monday we went to the public hospital (after having tried to get an urgent appointment in several privat clinics). After waiting a few hours we got an appointment for the next morning early. All went well and it was dealt with in a very professional and friendly way.
Arriving from Noronha, you enter the river and follow a buoyed channel for about 10 miles 
At low tide sand banks show up. Here we were crossing the river in a little pirogue-like boat with an engine that sounds like a very noisy lown mower 
Interesting way to recycle a bus. The passenger boats crossing the river are basically a top of a bus put on a boat 
The marina’s openspace work and dining area. It was great to meet up with Touka’s Team yet again 🙂 
Capoeira lessons in the marina 
Further along the river from Jacaré marina, there is a restaurant and souvenir shop area. The “sunset tourists” only come for the sunset and listen to a saxaphone player on a boat. After that, all restaurants close (like at 7 pm) 
One of the palm fruits, we think it’s the palm oil fruit. There are many different palm trees, difficult to remember them all. 
While Alexander has his infection dealt with… 
….Oliver gets creative on the boat.
Carnaval in Olinda
With an Uber taxi we arrive at our cute guest house in the centre of Olinda one day before the carnival opening ceremony. The meaning is to see it all without and then with the carnival. We spend all of our first day walking our feet off in this very colourful and pretty town. It is surprisingly quiet, but then it’s probably the effect being one day before carnival? On top of that, everything and everybody seems to be preparing for the big event, so museums are closed.
The ”opening day” of the carnival is not very spectacular in Olinda, but lively anyway. Food and drink stands are spread around the town’s historical centre and a live concert as well as some groups in costumes are banging through the streets without any clear organisation. We didn’t see anything looking like a procession that we know from TV. We get informed later, that it isn’t very structured in Olinda.
Better in Recife?
Being only a few kilometres away from the 2,5 million-city of Recife, also popular for their carnival, we book a hotel for one night in the centre. We couldn’t have chosen better; we are located exactly beside the bridge with their famous giant carnival rooster! Well, the hotel management did try to give us a room that looked more like a broom-room, with only a small opening overlooking an inner shaft and the lifts… Jean-Luc went back down to the reception very quickly (really very quickly!). And when he’s really angry, he suddenly speaks many languages fluently, including Portuguese (with some Italian and English…). Anyway, after a few minutes of rather noisy discussions, the reception team decided it wasn’t a good idea and we were given a new room, this time with a perfect view! It helps to speak Portuguese…
We spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in the crowds, going from street to street, from stand to concert and then on to the next one. I can’t really say that we enjoyed being pushed by and rubbing up to wet skin of unfamiliar people, but it was certainly a unique experience 🤣.
Very central, our pousada in Olinda was on a very colourful street and motive for many photos 
They room decoration was certainly made with lots of love and attention. 
The very narrow guesthouse anyway manages to host for about 25 people 
In our first restaurant in Olinda we had food we really didn’t know and I will never remember what they’re called… The the pub was called Bar-rico” (barril) 
Olinda is on a hill, so sightseeing is quite tiring with alot of up- and downhill walking 
Olinda’s Sao Bento Church on top of the hill 
View from the top of Olinda over to Recife 
The first evening of carnival 
… with a few groups walking through the streets 
… and others dancing to loud music, as we had expected all along 
Another place worth visiting in Olinda: the convent of Sao Francisco with amazing wall paintings 
All over Brazil we were fascinated of their wiring… how can you understand which cable to repair when there’s a problem? 
In the day, a different view over to Recife 
From our hotelroom we could see straight onto the famous rooster. Here the streets were still quite empty. They filled up later! 
Night atmosphere when walking from one stage to the next 
Easy shopping in Brazil
Back in a very modern world, after all the months in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde, we even take time to go to a gigantic shopping mall. You get lost in it! Inexistant in Switzerland! We buy shorts, t-shirts, swimming trunks und underwear – all desperately needed. Beside that we also enjoy windowshopping and realize how quickly you can get tempted to buy things that are clearly not needed, especially living this no-frills-life!
Back in Jacaré we have a few days to deal with boat questions, get back to a certain rhythm with school and plan our trips to the inside of the country and amazonian rain forest.
Eye bee most imprestified… now to watch Alexander’s vid! Take care.
Great! looking forward to the jungle report as well!
xxxx
What an incredible landing and welcome to a new continent. Absolutely love reading (and seeing!) your adventures x
Thank you Pip! More to come soon 😘
great pictures.
it all looks so beautiful