Cabedelo & Ilha Vermelha - Final Beach Entry

Oi, Amigos. This is the last of my travel-log beach entries -- for now. It's time to get real about life here on Planet Brazil - it's not only a beach. Plus, we're gearing up for Carnival, the grand festival of the FLESH, which commences this weekend in Joao Pessoa. And I figure it's my duty to provide you some insider accounts of the good, the bad, AND the ugly. So get prepared.

But in the meantime, let me give you a final taste of the bright, easy side of Brazil - the beaches of Cabadelo and Ilha Vermehla - and lots of pretty pictures too. Cabadelo is a small fishing town just north of Joao Pessoa – a 15-minute drive by car, or 50 minutes by horse cart. Because of it's expansive beaches and calm, warm waters, this poor villiage gets invaded in the summer by rich vacationing Brazilians from other parts of the state and country. They come in their mini-vans packed with beach paraphernalia, and blast their radios onto the streets, and drink all day long, leaving piles of beer bottles decorating the beach. (Hmm, sound a little like Dewey beach to you?) I try to avoid the place on weekends. But during the week, it’s low-key and inviting - and you can hang-out and watch the local kids play and enjoy at lunch at Sume Bar with the regulars.

The other day I took a drive there, bumping and bobbing on the dirt and sand backroads, and was greeted by Sume himself, the owner/chef. As usual, he was in his long white cook's coat, moving from table to table, breeting his customers and grilling them for compliments. I ordered the speciality of the house, risotto com peixe, and watched while two boys carried dripping slimy octopus fresh from the sea into the kitchen. I figured I'd be eating them soon, smothered in rice with tomatoes and plenty of garlic. Gostoso! I also sampled Sume’s “sopa de lagosta”, lobster soup, full of creamy coconut milk and tomato, and briming with chunks of lobster. Yum. I looked up from my soup for a second, to catch a glimpse of the sea before me, and watch some kids playing on a raft. Later, as the sun began to set, and I lounged under evening shade of a palm tree letting my lunch digest, I spotted a sailboat race drifting by - swatches of red and green sail, the color of peppers, against the blue sea and sky – as simple and beautiful as a child’s crayon drawing.

About a mile off the shore from Cabedelo and the beaches just north of Joao Pessoa, sits an island that only appears each day during low-tide. It’s called Ilha Vermelha (red island), because the sand, when it rises out of the green sea, is an orangy-red color. And when land appears, the recreation boats race out there, loaded with people and snorkeling equipment and coolers of beer - and the festa commences. Sometimes you find a band of musicians who have setup shop right in the water, next to their boats, like Luis and his group in the photo here, with their shakers and panderas and obligatory cans of beer. You can join in singing and samba-ing in the sand, sipping your cacasa drink from a pineapple cup. (That's me and my namorado, Cristovam, with our caiperinha smiles.) Or you take a seat in the warm coral pools that surround the island, and enjoy the scene from afar. Maravilhosa!