Porto de
Galinhas, or “Port of Chickens,” is a city in Pernambuco famous for its natural
oceanic pools. It is difficult to walk more than five minutes along the sand or
city streets without someone offering a tourist package. I spent a couple days
with my family enjoying the beaches, scenery, and seafood in this coastal area.
Buggy rides are a
common way to get around the bumpy roads and muddy trails to access popular
spots for swimming. After a morning ride through a shady forest path, we
arrived at a secluded beach with very calm, warm waters. A few steps into
pristine tranquility, and I had already spotted a hermit crab, snails, and fish
darting around. I also briefly saw what looked like an amphipod disappearing
into the sand.
We named the hermit crab “Olive(r).”
A buggy on the beach
After about an
hour, we headed over to an estuary where boatmen provide ecotours as part of
Project Hippocampus, named after the seahorse genus. We stepped onto a jangada, a small man-powered fishing
boat, and drifted past mangroves to some rocks closer to the sea. That area
serves as a nursery and habitat for many marine animals. A guide from one of
the stationed jangadas showed me where to look for the featured organisms. Wearing
a snorkel mask, I held onto a sunken branch and pulled my way along it. A meter
down, a crimson seahorse clung to some foliage. This was a very fulfilling
experience for me because I had yet to see these elusive creatures in the wild.
Patient sentinel
Wrapped around a leafy post
Hovering at ease
Here is a link to
more information about the project:
For lunch, we
went to a nearby outdoor restaurant and tried a couple traditional dishes. The peixada is a standard broth of fish,
eggs, and vegetables. We especially enjoyed a more modern dish of grilled fish,
potatoes, mango, and a special mango sauce.
Peixada
Mango dish
In
the evening, we went for a walk around town, politely telling guides that we
had already had our buggy tour. I enjoyed documenting the different chicken
statues that evoked the panda ones exhibited almost a decade earlier in
Washington, D.C. (http://www.jophan.org/pandamania). Here are some of the sculptures and
other chicken-themed items:
Chicken phone booth
Scuba chicken
Traditional chicken designs, chicks, and
a more modern “space chicken”
Chicken souvenirs, a very common sight in
Pernambuco
The
buggy and boat tours were a great way to explore Porto de Galinhas. There are
many other opportunities available for visitors, including several scuba diving
sites. While I was short on time to dive in Brazil, below is a
link for anyone looking for dive sites in Porto de Galinhas:
On
that note, I had a fantastic diving experience when I got certified in Cozumel,
Mexico, back in July. I intend to blog about it sometime in the future, once I
have finished my travels in Brazil. Até logo!
1 comment:
Hmm I wonder whose hands those are... :D
Post a Comment