João Pessoa Off The Beaten Path

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It is something about 100km far from João Pessoa, although it seems that you will never get there because the roads are horrible. Getting here, you can relax, sail -just give about R$ 10 (around 4 dollars) to a fisherman and he will take you for a short trip around on his boat). There are Peixes-boi (manatee ) ,because the place is a reserve for them. I myself didn't see any that day! Take some food and drink and enjoy the silence of the place.
It is by Mamanguape River, in a place called Barra de Mamanguape.

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In this area called the Grand Canyon you will find small castles (castelinhos) and lots of different colors of clay, clay the locals collect seperate and they make wonderfull art with it in small bottles. Like drawing pictures, wel it is not easy to describe, please see the pictures for more details.

Açudes are artificial lakes to provide water for the local population, it stores water from the rain or they change the course of a river to a certain region where the drought is really severe. One of these Açudes are held in the way to the small town of Pedras de Fogo, one of the very unknown cities of Paraiba States, and it gives you many incredible and curious things to do!

After two hours of crossing the beach and two rivers by canoe, exactly like the first colonozers did some centuries ago...we finally found the Barra do Mamanguape where the locals preserve the mamattis...But when we got there, the animals got hidden, but it was really important and incredible to visit such a wild place!

June 16th, 2005

In the beaches of Traição Bay it is very common to find rivers ending in the sea, and this is one of the exits of Mamanguape River...This is the local habitat of the rare mamatti which we call here PEIXE BOI. It takes ages to reach the other edge by canoe, but we made it, thanks to a local which unfortunately I forgot his name!

During the afternoon the sea gets shalow, but it can be dangerous as the tyle can increase in any moment!

June 16th, 2005

The beach of Coqueirinhos has some entrances to two big rivers, Camurupim and Mamnguape, these has marshy and muddy vegetations and the so rare mamattis live in this area...the only way to reach is by canoe, that we can hire in the beach for a short money, this was my transportation to the place where they protect these animals, it took me two hours to get there....

Lots of effort in the oars... and one of my best experience in life!

June 16th, 2005

This church was first built in 1591.As it is high on a hill, it used to be a fortress. The Portuguese built it so they could observe the coast and a possible invasion coming from the sea. The style of the church is called "Tropical inspiration Barroc". It was built in limestone. Then, in the middle of the eighteenth century, the "Nossa Senhora da Guia Church" was finally finished.
It is located on Lucena Beach, about 30km from João Pessoa.

I can tell you; it is one of the hottest places I have ever been in all my life. I was so thirsty, so hot that I cannot describe it. Please, take a bottle of water when you walk around the rocks and becareful...there are cactus everywhere. But is is really very beautiful.