The Amazon - The Rough Guide to Brazil - page 346

W pousadaventania.com. This excellent Belgian-run
pousada is set on a windy headland with exceptional views
over the beach. Accommodation is in nine, rustic, colourful

rooms with mosquito nets; there are also four more
spacious rooms sleepin g three and four. Bathrooms have
cold water only. R$130

5

EATING
SOURE
Delícias da Nalva 4 Rua 1051 between Travessa 20
and 21 T 91 8301 0110. This friendly family-run place is
Soure's best restaurant - the food is lovingly prepared by
Nalva who has been rustling up excellent local dishes for
nearly three decades. At R$90 the recommended
banquete marajoara, an excellent introduction to the
island's cuisine, is not cheap, although it's worth the
splurge. Along with buffalo meat dishes (R$50), the
menu also embraces chicken (R$50) and fish (R$50),

along with home-made desserts (R$10). Don't forget to
try the delicious home-made liqueur made with seasonal
fruits. Daily 10am-10pm.
Patú-Anu 2 Rua corner Travessa 14 T 91 3741 1780.
This laidback restaurant attracts locals and tourists alike
who head here for the reasonably priced grub; the
bestseller is the caldeirada de dourada (R$45), a broth fish
soup with vegetables. The executivo dishes are much
cheaper at a reasonable R$20. Mon-Sat 7.30am-11pm,
Sun 7.30am-5pm.

SHOPPING
Ilha do Marajó is renowned for its beautiful ceramics and buffalo leather products. It's worth taking the time to have a
look at one of the places below - you can see craftsmen at work at all three, who are usually delighted to tell customers
more about their trade and give a live demo where possible.

Arte Marajó Travessa 23 1069, between Rua 12 & 13
T 91 8763 1738, E [e-mail]. This
pleasant little shop with a leafy work area at the back sells
pretty ceramic bowls and pots as well as wooden crafts.
Daily 8am-noon & 2-6pm.
Cortume Marajó 2 Rua Travessa 4, Bairro Novo
T 91 8078 4215. Displays a selection of ceramics, buffalo
saddles and buffalo leather products such as sandals and
purses. The attached shop has a larger selection of leather
products; make sure you take a look at the work area

behind the shop where workers dye leather at the
tanneries. Daily 8am-noon & 2-6pm.
Mbarayo Cerámica Travessa 20 between Rua 3 & 4
T 91 9822 2862. This itty-bitty shop displays a small
selection of tribal ceramics including masks and pots, as
well as necklaces. The owner will happily demonstrate how
the ceramics are made - a fascinating process that involves
using wild pig and anaconda teeth, a fish spine and a
stingray barb. Daily 8am-noon & 2-6pm.

Amapá
The state of AMAPÁ , north of the Amazon, is one of Brazil's poorest and least populated
regions. Traditionally it was dependent primarily on rubber exports, but manganese
was discovered in the 1950s and this, together with timber and other minerals, is now
the main source of income. A standard-gauge rail line links the mining camps to the
northwest with Porto do Santana , near the capital Macapá, crossing the dry, semi-
forested plains of the region en route. Amapá doesn't have much going for it, other
than as a transit route to French Guiana , and it suffers the most marked dry season in
the Amazon, running from June to December, when it can get extremely hot. Macapá
fights it out with Palmas in Tocantins for the title of dullest state capital in Brazil, but
at least it's cheap.

Macapá
On the north bank of the Amazon and right on the equator, MACAPÁ is the gateway
to the state of Amapá and home to three-quarters of its population. The countryside
around Macapá is, like the Ilha do Marajó in the estuary, roamed by large herds of
water buffalo. In town there is not a great deal to do, although there are a few sights
that will keep you entertained for a few hours.