Natal "Christmas" is the capital and largest city
of the state Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeastern Brazil.
This was our first time here. I was not able to find any
independent tour operators here (that spoke English), so I booked the only
Princess tours on this cruise. The sail in was very scenic and offered great
views of the Newton Navarro Bridge which spans the Potengi River and the 5,843
feet long cable-stayed bridge and is one of Brazil’s largest.
We met in the Cabaret Lounge to wait until our tour was
called. Our morning tour was Capoeira & Handicraft Market.
We boarded the “big bus” and were taken to the community of
Boa Vontade for a performance of Capoeira, acclaimed by UNESCO for its
"intangible cultural heritage." Performers called capoeiristas used
quick and complex moves, speed, kicks and spins, and cartwheels and handstands
to create a rhythmic show. While it looks like a spirited dance, the capoeira
was initially designed as a serious fight held between slaves who needed to
disguise the fight from their owners.
At the school where the performance was, we high fived the
kids as we entered. We took our seats and what a show they put on. All the
performers young and old seemed so proud to perform. It’s a free school
designed to give the children a place to go and learn something they can be
proud of in hopes that it would keep them off the streets and not get into
gangs or drugs.
Our guide translated their Portuguese to us in English.
Much like our martial arts, they progress through different colored belts as
their skills improve. What an awesome show.
Next, we went to the local Tourism Center for a look at
handicrafts. The craft market is housed in Centro de Turismo de Natal, a former
19th century penitentiary where prison cells have been converted to
shops. We had an hour here which was plenty. We also had a cold soda while we
waited after the shopping was done. (yep, got my token magnet)
After that we were taken back to the ship. We had an hour
or so to have some lunch and then went back on shore to meet for our afternoon
tour which was Natal Highlights.
It began with a drive through the Ribeira area, Natal's
historic center and a National Heritage Site. Although the city dates from
1599, most of the historical buildings were constructed in the 19th and early
20th centuries including the grand Governor's Palace, which dates back to 1873.
We were supposed to tour the 16th century Fort Reis Magos,
another Historical Heritage site, but it was closed for renovation. The guide
said it was just an empty shell anyway, nothing remained in it. I’m sure there
would have been beautiful views from the fort if we could have gone. We did
stop for a photo op of the area. We saw a baggie of what we are sure was drugs
on a ledge near the ocean.
Next, we took a scenic drive to the world's largest cashew
tree at nearby Pirangi Beach. Measuring 1,640 feet around, it's earned a place
in the "Guinness Book of Records." Wow, I wasn’t prepared to be blown
away by this tree. I don’t think a photo can do it justice. It covered a really
large area. After taking the boardwalk that weaves through the tree, we climbed
the stairs to get a better view from the top of it. There was a market there as
well to buy cashews and trinkets.
After we finished there, we were taken across the street
for coconut water. I don’t normally care for those drinks in the shell, but
this one was very good.
From there we went to the downtown area and did a short
walking tour before heading back to the ship.
While the morning tour was OK in a large group, the city
tour would have been better in a smaller vehicle with less people. It’s hard to
see anything from the bus window unless you are the one right next to it, and
too many things are just a “drive by”.
It was a pleasant day and we both enjoyed the port very
much. We would have preferred an independent tour with just a few people since
ship tours waste a lot of time getting on and off the bus and going back to the
ship to make it 2 short half day tours instead of staying out all day and
having a local lunch. However, our guide was fantastic, and we did get a great
overview of the city and surrounding areas. They have beautiful beaches here as
well.
We got back about 2 minutes before all aboard, but the ship
does wait for their tours if they are late. (unlike private tours)
We got back in time to clean up and had dinner in the
dining room and then off to the entertainment which was a 3rd
performance by Branden & James. (Cellist & tenor) They are very good,
and we really didn’t mind the encore performance.
Then, back to the cabin to upload some photos and watch a
movie.
Natal, Brazil https://photos.app.goo.gl/RucxaMXGqRpreM5j7
Tomorrow, we are in Fortaleza, Brazil.
No comments:
Post a Comment