We headed on our first over night coach 500 kms south of Fortaleza to Natal. When we arrived at the bus station at 7 am and handed the taxi driver our hostel address, the fact that he had to ask directions should’ve been a sign, we weren’t exactly staying in Natal as we thought, we were going on a AUD 55 trip to Pirangi do Norte. It cost AUD 55 because it was 29 kms out of Natal and when the driver asked for more directions we realised he also had a bad memory...yep we were taken for a ride!
On arrival at our beach house hostel we were greeted by a very welcoming Lu and a very excitable Lucky. She took us in and gave us breakfast and made us feel very at home.
A short nap later we were out exploring and wow what a place! The hostel is a 30 second walk from the beach and the water is absolutely perfect.
The town of Pirangi do Norte is a very laid back place where you walk everywhere and the locals are friendly. It is a holiday town for the wealthier Brazilians as they all hire apartments for their summer.
One of the more obscure reasons this town is on the map is because it has the world’s largest Cashew tree. This tree covers an area of 7500m2, with a perimeter of about 500. The tree was planted by a fisherman in 1888 and grew to its existing size due to 2 abnormalities; it grew sideways instead of upwards and eventually downwards because of its weight. Secondly the branches created new roots which started to grow upwards again instead of on the ground, giving the impression that there are several trees growing, when in fact there is only one.
The town is now very concerned that they might lose the title of “World’s Largest Cashew Tree” to a town in Venezuela....keep an eye out for that!
Our day consisted of waking up, spending the best part of the day at the beach, having a nap and cooking dinner.
Lu and Ivan put on a great Brazilian/South African BBQ for us....mouth watering cuts of steak, picanya and sausages with 2 huge salads.... the word EPIC will describe it.
We spent a week with Lu and Ivan (and Lucky their basset hound) and we have gained two wonderful new friends. If you’re ever in the area you’ve got to stay with them.
Check out Albergue Da Praia Backpackers Beach House through http://www.alberguedapraianatal.hostel.com/ or www.travellerspoint.com .
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