Porto Seguro, Brazil

Porto Seguro – loosely translated as safe bay – is known as “Brazil’s birth certificate”. The port was the first place that Alavares Cabral and his crew set foot on while on their way to India in 1500. This makes the town the oldest in the country at 500 years. With three churches and around 40 buildings (both private residential houses and public institutions), restored by the state government for the 500th anniversary celebration of Brazilian discovery, Porto Seguro wears its age well.

We took a tour to the Jaqueira Reserve. In this region, the nature reserves are sacred areas for the Pataxó communities. Those areas work mainly as centres of cultural tradition and affirmation, sustainable tourism (there is supposedly a limit on the number of people per day allowed to visit each reserve, but from what we saw there seemed little restriction on numbers, and I saw literally hundreds of other tourists there when we were there), and the preservation of nature. Located in Santa Cruz Cabralia, near the city of Porto Seguro, Jaqueira Reserve received its name thanks to a huge trunk of Jaqueira trees that fell naturally many years ago. Today, approximately 34 families live on the reserve.

For my taste the whole thing was too much a a tourist mill, and I doubt that these people follow much of what was shown to us, as part of their normal everyday life. There was even an enourmous Gift Shop selling imported trinkets. We walked up through the jungle to the centre of the reserve. and a welcome presentation at this traditional meeting place. After the welcome ceremony we were led round the village. Past the school where children learn the patxohã (their own language), there is also a taste of tropical fruits, a fish cooked in the banana leaf, and tapioca snack. Finally there was the "opportunity" to participate in the Awê, the Pataxó ritual of thanksgiving with singing and dancing.

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On to Abrolhos Archipelago, Brazil

Silver Cloud Dakar to Buenos Aires