Life’s a Beach

GA Days 60 - 63 (Feb 1 - 4, 2024). Another weekend in Floripa with absolutely beautiful weather - perfect for more exploration and experiences. To now I have benefited from a few “guided” tours hosted by the wonderful Brazilian peeps I have met thus far. This past weekend was going to include a little of that and the more spontaneous “whatever goes” adventures with Tracy and Norm.  Of course I should have been putting in the usual several hours of work work…but these distractions are forcing me to have some balance in life. I cannot decide if indulgence in balance is pure hedonistic decadence or, actually, something that is meant to feel natural. 🤔 Such is the torment I must deal with given my twisted Protestant work ethic upbringing…but I am finding that sharing stories, laughter, and great food is such wonderful source of therapy ☺️

To start the weekend it was suggested by Elaine to consider the Dia de Lemanjá no Campeche, a tribute and celebration to Brazil’s Goddess of the Sea. It is, technically, a religious celebration that combines the spiritual beliefs from African cultures with Catholicism - the parallel, being, that the Goddess of the Sea (Lemanjá) is similar to the Virgin Mary. As in many countries where religion (Catholic/Christianity) was a tool used in colonization, successful attempts to convert slaves and Indigenous peoples meant incorporating some of the cultural beliefs and values into the newly dominant religious paradigms. Of course, as with all concessions that were made around the world to gain conversion, the modest accommodations were minor such as not to compromise Church doctrines but, as we have seen, resulted in huge changes to culture. An example is that in many cultures, such as with North American Indigenous peoples, being Two-Spirited (inclusive of bisexual, gay, lesbian, and transgender) was celebrated as a gift and often accorded special status in communities. Catholicism and early Protestantism destroyed that element of cultures both within all their spheres of influence and the colonies they created.

I was asked if my desire was to observe Dia de Lemanjá or learn about it; my answer was learning about and experiencing it. Just as with my attendance at Pow Wows in Canada, going to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii, and using any opportunity abroad to explore Indigenous cultures it is not merely observing for me - there just seems to be something wrong simply being a voyeur. I had discovered before I came to Brazil that there has been quite a colonial impact on both Indigenous peoples and the African peoples brought over as slaves. In an earlier blog I shared my learnings about the challenges that Brazil, as a country, has had in dealing with their colonial past. I also understood that, during Bolsonaro’s presidency, the stripping of the Amazon rain forest and some of the policies related to healthcare were part of a design to further disadvantage Indigenous peoples here…some have equated it to a form of genocide.

And so it was that a troop of us (Tracy, Norm, Elaine, Perry, and Angela) met at Praia Campeche where the event was to take place. Tracy, Norm, and I went ahead in order to enjoy an early dinner - pretty much a shrimp-fest with a side of a whitefish that was incredible. Honestly, over this weekend I would probably eat more shrimp in three days than I have in the last three years. After a delicious dinner we all met on the beach and picked out a perfect spot to hang out. It was another spectacular beach with some of the finest sand I have ever run my toes through. Gentle rollers came ashore and, while there were a few people along the stretch of sand, it was quite sparsely peopled with only a handful of swimmers. As the evening twilight transitioned to a mainly clear and star-filled night, it was absolutely breath-taking - the light, the sound of crashing waves, and the occasional lit candle flickering in the winds.

And then about 9:00 p.m. the procession from the church to the sea arrived…and the crowd on the beach swelled to hundreds, possibly thousands (the year previous the crowd was 3,000). It was quite a poignant scene with a huge cortege (cleverly disguising a surfboard) carried by 6 or so “pallbearers” that would be placed in the sea and discretely pushed out past the tide by some brave diver-clad person while many others brought floral tributes to place in the water. There was some drumming and some chanting and singing, but it was quite understated in comparison to what I have already seen in warm-up to carnaval.

Saturday was a morning trip to Praia Barra where our same motley crew congregated for a couple hours on the sands. And this time it was pretty busy at the beach - much busier than our earlier visit here. The traffic, alone, was heavy in one direction which delayed our arrival. It is the height of Summer here, after all, and also the weekend ahead of carnaval. Once we got our spot picked out and all settled, some of us headed up the beach for a few kilometers of walking. On this particular day the breeze modified the intensity of the sun; if SPF was not liberally applied, the telltale sign of redness showed itself in short order. We had plenty of sunscreen, umbrellas, hats, water, and shades - well-prepared for the outing. In the area of the beach we were hanging out the water is quite shallow for quite a distance from the shore, so it is a great place for families and kids. And the long, shallow shelf also forces the water to break in such a way that it causes rollers that are ideal for beginning surfers. Hawkers of food and a wide variety of beachwear, towels, and mats were everywhere. Really, something for everyone. 

After a morning of sun, surf, and sand it was off to Rancho de Cano, a local restaurant right on the Canal da Barra for some more traditional food. Again, no disappointment here! A lovely shrimp appetizer, shrimp risotto, and shrimp/cheese skewers 😋 A most relaxing ambiance with a tropical feel as pleasure watercraft cruised the canal just off the deck and light socialization amongst friends.

I must say this kind of escape and distraction could be habit forming - it really is refreshing to just be enjoying the moment and not worrying about what needs to be done. Mañana! But the day was not quite done yet…a jaunt to the Havaiiana store (both Tracy and I found sandals to our liking) and then off to Nicolini’s for gelato. Yeah - that made the day pretty complete ☺️

Sunday was a very spontaneous affair. After early morning coffee and a couple hours of work work, Tracy and Norm invited me to go explore the most southern part of the island with them. So off we went in their trusty rental QUID, which rides as smoothly as the name flows, to visit another new destination. The area we would travel to, Praia da Caieira da Barro do Sul, was along a mainly coastal road that ran through several small towns and beach areas. Out in the channel between the island and the mainland were the buoys indicating oyster farms - Ilha de Santa Catarina is a high producer of oysters. It was another beautiful hot sunny day and the scenic drive afforded us views of water, tropical greenery, pastures with cattle, and high mountainous ridges. Similar to some of the other small coastal towns, like Santa Antonio, colourful colonial buildings lined the road along side a mix of high-end homes and more dilapidated structures. And while there were a fair number of people out it was not the same population or buzz as the beach areas to the north and west - a much more tranquil feeling.

The highlight of this day was stopping at a restaurant that had very good ratings - Ostradamus. While I am not a connoisseur of oysters, clams, mussels, or scallops (🤢) I am expanding my seafood horizons. And Ostradamus did not disappoint for choices, great tasting food, and ambiance. While I have had other wonderful food (and a couple m’eh experiences), this was at the top of the list. And our server, Paula, just made the experience all that more fabulous with her recommendations and patience. Topped off with another gelato stop at Nicolini’s…what can I say? Another really wonderful weekend comes to an end in this tropical paradise.