Soon after we decided to go to Brazil and after we bought our tickets in late October, I got on the internet to find out what I could about Maceio. I excitedly emailed Rebecca the websites I found that were most promising, like the one that pointed me to the village that sold filet, Pontal da Barra. Then, Ernani realized I was reading about the place, but not seeing any pictures of it. He remembered how beautiful it is, so together we went to You Tube and watched people’s vacation pictures of Maceio.
I was awestruck by the beauty of the place, even on a grainy website that was showing me palm trees, dark blue water, sand and a windy and perfect beach lined with coconut trees. It was really hard to even believe I would be there in the flesh in late December and early January. One of the videos was about the passina natural, natural tidal pools which reveal the reefs that make the bays so calm and beautiful. They only exist in a few places and Maceio has five. Ernani told me that he and his Mom had never been out to one. It was immediately put on our to-do list.
Tuesday, January 5th was to be the day we were going. We had told Flavio the night before that this was our plan and he said he would go with us and find out the best times to go. We were to go in the morning and he and Thais met us in the lobby of the apartment. We walked across the street to the jagandas, small wind powered boats, that take you out to the reefs. The weather was fine when we walked across the street. It was sunny, the sky overhead was blue. But, to the north out on the ocean, the sky was a deeper blue and after we found a boat owner who said he could take us and we paid him, the wind started to pick up. We took our picture in front of the boat. Then, the wind really picked up and we asked our guy if we really could go. He kept saying yes, but I looked at the bay and saw whitecaps and the other men who had boats begin to talk to him. My translators told me they were telling him we could not go out there because a storm was coming in. The idea was to wait it out.
We sat under an awning and it poured and poured and continue to pour. We decided this was not to happen today after about 20 minutes of the rain not letting up. We retrieved our money and headed back home. Flavio and Thais decided to go home as well, but told us that we would have lunch with them and Eduardo later. Eduardo wanted to take Rebecca and Ernani to a place near the university that he said had the best feiojoada in town. Feiojoada is a traditional Brazilian dish and contains countless meats and black beans cooked into a kind of stew. When Ernani told Eduardo they wanted some, he said, but Lisa cannot eat that! I do not eat meat besides fish. I told him not to worry, I would eat lunch before and just sit with them. It was important that Ernani and Rebecca eat this dish they had not had in ages.
So, Flavio, Eduardo and Thais picked us up for a late lunch, around about 1:30. I had an egg and cheese sandwich at the apartment on fresh bread from the padaria. I was not hungry, and ready to spend the lunch conversing and watching Rebecca and Ernani enjoy a meal they could really only get in Brazil. I was not even hungry enough for dessert and thought I might just possibly get something special to drink.
We all piled into the truck. Thais, Ernani, Rebecca and I sat in the back, which meant I was sitting very uncomfortably on Ernani’s lap. My leg was wedged against the door and I had to duck my head a bit. The truck was a 4X4 with very bad suspension, so I did hit my head a couple times as we zoomed and shifted our way from the ocean back to the airport. Poor Ernani had my boney butt cutting of his leg circulation. Eduardo kept asking us if we were okay. Traffic and lights worked against us. It was taking a very long time to get to the restaurant called Cantina Maritel: Feiojoada da Maria Gorda. Thais was very hungry and approaching what our friend Brian calls being hangry. Huger anger. She was complaining mainly to her father and we told her in North America kids would repeatedly say to their fathers when they were on a long car ride: Are we there yet? The restaurant was off the main road on a dirt road and because of the rain we had early in the week and this morning, the dirt road was a red, muddy mess that only a 4X4 could traverse. This meant more bumped head for me.
Eduardo dropped us off at the curb and we jumped over the mud onto the grass that lead to the open restaurant. It was not very full, but we sat down and even prepared to order and where ready, when the waiter came out and told us there was no more Feiojoada left today. Rebecca puffed out her checks and her did her very distinctive lip sound she does. It is like blowing a harmonica without a harmonica. It means shucks or disappointment of some kind. Thais put her hand to her head and rubbed her eyes. Rebecca put her head on the table. Thais declared it was “the day everything wouldn’t work they way we planned.”
We moved to a second location. A Churrascaria. A vegetarian’s nightmare. But the meat lovers were in heaven. They bring every kind of meat to the table on long spikes and cut off the piece you point at and want. And as much as you want you get. Eduardo was excited about one in particular he made Rebecca and Ernani try that was lamb. I had a juice and tried not to look. After lunch, we went back to the apartment.
That night we were to go to Luciana’s for dinner. She was having a special shrimp dish and all the cousins and some aunts would be there. Eduardo picked us up and took us there and stayed longer than he planned. Mario Jorge said he would take us home. Alini made Ernani his favorite dessert: torta branca. It was a dessert his Aunt, Luciana’s mother made. But, she and her husband had both passed away, so Alinia made it tonigh. It is a layered frozen chocolate dessert and I have been looking everywhere for the recipe. It was heaven. Alini said it did not set right, but we did not care. It was fabulous. We took a lot home with us and made sure we ate it all. At one point we had it at lunch because we could not bear to let it go uneaten.
The cousins were fantastic. We chatted and I wish I knew the language. I like the women a lot and wanted to talk with them, but we had that language barrier. I vowed to learn more Portuguese that night and after we move to Iowa, I am going to start taking some classes or find a tutor. There is nothing more frustrating than being unable to talk with people and when they are family, it is even worse. I was so grateful for those who were translating for me. They made it much easier and I was very grateful for them.
That night as we were going home with Alini and Mario Jorge, we discovered how big a fan of Lampião he was. He talked about him and again I wished I knew the language. But, the universal language is passion and I saw he had that for this topic. I love the openness of human emotion. It can cross the bounds of language.
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