A friendly and hungry visitor at our hotel breakfast table.
The tour today was through the southern coast of the Rio Grande do Norte state.
First stop was at the rocket launch base Barreira do Inferno (translating: Hell's Barrier).
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
The base's current activities are:
- Tracking of the Ariane launch vehicle , in conjunction with the French Space Center ( Kourou , French Guiana ), in accordance with the provisions of an agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Continuation of tests and experiments of interest to the Air Force Command.
- Availability of operational means for the benefit of experiments of interest to the Navy and the Brazilian Army , aiming, in addition to participating in projects of interest to the Brazilian Air Force , to increase cooperation between the Armed Forces
- Sale of suborbital rocket launch and tracking services to national and foreign organizations, making operational means available to the international scientific community to carry out space operations, especially those related to research and monitoring of the environment, mainly through observation of the atmosphere . As is the EXAMETNET project, which was aimed at studying the atmosphere in the range between 30 and 60 km in altitude .
Next stop: the world's biggest cashew tree, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Cajueiro de Pirangi.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
The Cashew of Pirangi (Cajueiro de Pirangi), also called the world's largest cashew tree (maior cajueiro do mundo), is a cashew tree in Pirangi do Norte, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. In 1994, the tree entered the Guinness Book of Records. It covers an area between 7,300 square metres (1.8 acres) and 8,400 square metres (2.1 acres). Having the size of 70 normally sized cashew trees, it has a circumference of 500 m (1,600 ft). The vicinity of the World's Largest Cashew Tree in North Pirangi is also a main place for the sale of lace and embroidery in Rio Grande do Norte state.
The spread over a hectare of land was, unlike other trees, created by the tree's outward growth. When bent towards the ground (because of their weight), the branches tend to take new roots where they touch the ground. This may be seen in the images of the interior. It is now difficult to distinguish the initial trunk from the rest of the tree.
The tree is said to have been planted in 1888. However, based on its growth characteristics, "the tree is estimated to be more than a thousand years old." The tree produces over 60,000 fruits each year.
Have you walked underneath a gigantic tree???
This is definitely a must stop and visit attraction.
Tourists can go for an adventure underneath the tree, walking on a path through brunches and leaves.
It's really an incredible experience. I've never seen anything like it.
My delicious cashew girl. :)
As I mentioned a couple of days ago on this blog, most of people in North America are surprised to learn that one cashew nut come from ONE SINGLE FRUIT.
It's the small hook shaped nut on the bottom of the fruit that must go through a very detailed and long process to get rid of its toxicity in order to make it eatable.
One tree can produce fruits, nuts, oil, animal feed, juice, alcohol and shade.
There is an observatory area for those who wish to appreciate the massive tree from above.
This is what it looks like on the top.
It takes a huge space of an entire street block.
Us and the World's Biggest Cashew Tree.
FROM WIKIPEDIA - ABOUT CASHEW TREES:
The species is native to Northeastern Brazil and Southeastern Venezuela, and later was distributed around the world in the 1500s by Portuguese explorers. Portuguese colonists in Brazil began exporting cashew nuts as early as the 1550s. The Portuguese took it to Goa, India between 1560 and 1565. From there, it spread throughout Southeast Asia and eventually Africa.
The top ten exporters of cashew nuts (in-shell; HS Code 080131) in value (USD) in 2021 were Ghana, Tanzania, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Guinea.
I grew up enjoying cashew trees and it's fruit.
We kept going, heading south, with an UBER driver who offers tours with a fixed price.
I guess it's pretty common here people doing private tours, with their own cars.
Again, this was a friend's contact, but I am sure hotel can recommend drivers too.
Next stop: Cumurupim Beach and it's giant sea turtle!
FROM: https://beachsearcher.com/en/beach/76202337/praia-de-camurupim
Praia de Camurupim is in the 9th place out of 75 beaches in the Rio Grande do Norte region 33.5 km away from its center, the city of Natal. It is one of the beaches of Camurupim settlement, just 0.7 km from its center. The beach is located in an urban area.
It is a with crystal turquoise water and golden sand, so you don't need special shoes. The entrance to the water is very smooth. This beach is suitable for different categories of people, lonely travellers, relaxation getaway lovers, seniors etc. It is not crowded place during the season.
Praia de Camurupim coast is free for all. This beach has the following amenities, loungers and umbrellas, beach restaurant, changing rooms, showers, toilets, sea pool. .
Please note, that this shore has a significant low tide.
In addition to swimming and sunbathing, you can also take part in other activities, sup-surfing, sea kayaking.
This beach is easily accessible, it is located very close to road. Parking is located directly on the beach.
I love driving through the small towns.
The colonial style Portuguese church found from North to South in Brazil.
This Baobad tree (árvore Baobá) is located in the municipality of Nísia Floresta.
The seed of the tree wasbrought here from Africa by an enslaved woman (Amelia-Black Mother) who received it from her father as an inheritance.
She planted and cultivated the plant which still exists today, more than 100 years later.
The Baobad can reach almost 6 thousand years old.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Baobabs are long-lived deciduous, small to large trees from 5 to 30 m (20 to 100 ft) tall with broad trunks and compact crowns. Young trees usually have slender, tapering trunks, often with a swollen base. Mature trees have massive trunks that are bottle-shaped or cylindrical and tapered from bottom to top. The trunk is made of fibrous wood arranged in concentric rings, although rings are not always formed annually and so cannot be used to determine the age of individual trees. Tree diameter fluctuates with rainfall so it is thought that water may be stored in the trunk. Baobab trees have two types of shoots—long, green vegetative ones, and stout, woody reproductive ones. Branches can be massive and spread out horizontal from the trunk or are ascending.
Like in Brazil colonial of 16th and 17th centuries, we still can find sugar cane fields in this region.
It gives me goosebumps to imagine how these fields were operated back then.
Unfortunately, I visited one in a neighbouring state for a work project, and wasn't that different. :(
Most of tour guides take you to a huge restaurant: Mirante Sunset Bar. Although the food was not bad, I just didn't enjoy the atmosphere too much. There was too many people, not the best service, they were trying too hard to process as many customers as possible. Not my thing, since I prefer small, local, family owned restaurants. But I have to admit I was pretty happy to find out the place has a swimming pool in the back, so the girls could cool down as we waited for our food.
Like most restaurants along the coast, this one also has hammocks for a siesta after lunch.
The view is spectacular but the beach was actually far from the restaurant, down from a cliff.
Still, you can't go wrong, right?
Finally we got to enjoy the beach a bit in the end of the day.
Our tour guide was more concern about showing us as much as possible, while all we wanted to do at this point was to get down to the sand and go for a swim.
This is Madeiro Beach, a very isolated beach, not too far from famous Pipa Beach.
Paradise!
FROM: https://www.vivepipa.com/en/beaches/12-madeiro-beach
MADEIRO BEACH
It is one of the most paradisiacal beaches in the region and also ideal for tourists who want to know the wonders of Pipa. Due to the quality of the structure, it is the perfect environment to enjoy the day and appreciate the sea. You can also delight in the delicious taste of grilled fish or enjoy a wonderful drink.
The coast is 1 km long, perfect for hiking and always in contact with the sea and nature. It is very frequented by surfers and also by marine sports practitioners. This beach has a calm part, ideal for bathing and some sports such as kayaking, stand up paddle, among others; It also has a part with waves, suitable for surfers. It is the best beach for those who want to learn to surf. There are several surf schools and rental equipment for you to start practicing.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
PIPA BEACH
Pipa was a small fishing village until the 1970s. Then it was discovered by surfers and backpackers, attracted by a set of natural attributes rarely found even in other Brazilian beaches: crystal-clear waters, fine, white sand, areas of preservation Atlantic Forest, 10-meter-high vertical cliffs, and friendly locals. However, one should be very careful with the strong currents in the sea and the huge waves loved by the surfers but really dangerous for those willing to enjoy these warm waters.
After the Brazilians, it was the foreign visitors who discovered Pipa, which grew very fast. Soon, it became not only one of the most popular beaches in Brazil, but also one of the most cosmopolitan.
Today, many businesses in Pipa are run by foreigners who visited the town and decided to stay. Pipa, still small in area (expansion is limited by law, with the creation of Environmental Protected Areas around the village), has a high density of hotels, restaurants, bars and other tourism-oriented businesses.
My babies running free and happy....
... contemplating nature.
Us being silly, of course.
Close to 6pm is time to head back home.
The sun will soon go down and our bodies need some rest after a long day of excitement and sun.
Still we find a couple of minutes to check out people paragliding...
... and say goodbye to the south coast of Rio Grande do Norte.
Our last night in Natal ended in one of the best restaurant of the region: Mangai.
Right at the entrance you find the "cangaceiros", or the rebels of the inland, who used to have a very harsh life, yet showed lots of bravery.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
Cangaço was a phenomenon of Northeast Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This region of Brazil is known for its aridness and hard way of life, and in a form of "social banditry" against the government, many men and women decided to become nomadic bandits, roaming the hinterlands seeking money, food, and revenge. By 1834, the term cangaceiro was already used to refer to bands of poor peasants who inhabited the northeastern deserts, wearing leather clothing and hats, carrying carbines, revolvers, shotguns, and the long narrow knife known as the peixeira.
I highly recommend this restaurant for tourists who are interested in diving into the local cuisine and history. The restaurant is a buffet style, with lots of space, great service and delicious food. Go with an open mind, because most of the specialties here are unique to the northeast region of Brazil.
Fifi never pass on an opportunity to drink fresh and cold coconut water - which is incredibly affordable here: less than $1.
Live, local, beautiful decoration.
