Culture and caipirinhas in Paraty, Brazil
Kate Walker explores the picturesque colonial town of Paraty in Brazil and samples the local nightlife
Saturday night is Samba night. Well, in Paraty, every night is a potential Samba night...
By 11pm ‘Armazem Paraty’ is hotting up. Local musicians group together over bottles of red wine and jugs of caipirinhas and … simply jam. Cuíca (a hollowed-out drum), flutes, harmonicas, cavaquinhos (similar to a banjo) and a mighty zurdo (drum) thump and pulse. And the crowd only grows larger.
There’s no room for awkwardness; if your moves prove mechanical, the
closest local will pull you in close and quickly correct foreign hips.
For the shy souls out there, this can be a little flustering at first,
especially when met with confident hands and a strong, tanned beaming
face; but after a few lugs of home grown cachaça (sugar cane liquor) it’s liberating to just let go and enjoy the scene for what it is.
Five am came around all too quickly, signally the end to our night, but
Kathy and I left on a high. Pumped from the dance, the songs and the
laughter we had a 15 minute stroll over aged cobble stones and along the
Perequê açu River to Vivenda – our home for four nights.
Located in a safe and quiet neighbourhood, Vivenda emanates
tranquillity. John, the owner, greeted us on day one with open arms
(literally) and a genuine interest in our plans for exploring the
colonial town.
White washed bungalows with splashes of colour from Paraty’s local
artists and the subdued recordings of French and Brazilian jazz
musicians in the background makes for a chic home away from home.
Consisting of two bungalows and one double bedroom, up to six people can
be accommodated at any one time.
Breakfast is a decadent affair. John’s team of local ladies serve up
seasonal fruits, natural yoghurt, a variety of cheeses, ham, eggs, fried
banana and an array of breads including pão de queijo - typical mini Brazilian cheese breads.
Sitting on your own private patio around the swimming pool, dressed in
just a crisp white bathrobe and it’s easy to while away the morning
hours. However, mornings spent drifting in a post chow-haze should be
kept to a minimum as Paraty – although small – has so much to
offer.
Exploring the town by bike, like a local, marvel at the cobbled streets – dating
back to the 17th century when the Portuguese traders first arrived – and
the myriad of brightly coloured doors, often near-hidden by a tangle of
foliage. Pass through impressive doorways, peruse boutique stores and
discover the work of over 100 artists in the nooks of well-preserved
historical houses.
Meandering around the town and shopping is all well and good but an
island hopping day trip should not be overlooked. Tens of boats line up
in the early mornings along Paraty’s jetty and you can take your pick.
Pay dearly for the more intimate, luxurious vessels or part with only a
few bucks and spend the day aboard a much larger boat and with a great
many more people.
The Bay of Ilha Grande – boasting clear, peacock-blue waters and isles
draped in lush vegetation is your playground for the day. With an
acoustic guitar being strummed quietly below deck and a frozen,
condensed-milk smoothie in hand, we were quite happy to relax on board,
but we dropped anchor a handful of times for the thrill-seekers amongst
us to scale the rigging and leap off the boat with whoops of pleasure
(or terror) into the cool waters.
For the sun-baked and boat-weary, take time out in any one of the
historical centre’s cafés and restaurants. A particular favourite of
mine was Margarida Café. Here you can sit, unhurried, amongst the dark
colonial furniture and the warm glow of lamplight and unwind with a
proper coffee to the tunes of a live piano.
Or, if your head and liver have recovered well enough from the previous caipirinha-infused
night, then head to ‘Bar Coupê’. People-watch with a beer in hand and
if you feel like getting more involved, join the animated individuals
propped up at the bar for a televised game of local futeball (football).
You’ll be sure to make friends, even a team of them. Just make sure
your rooting for the Brazilian side.
By Kate Walker