Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Sun, sand, sea and selling everything!

First of all I just want to acknowledge all the new people who have been stopping by my blog and leaving comments.  Thanks for all the positive feedback guys!  It's nice to know that a select (or miniscule) group are reading my blog! 

I've been back about two weeks now and I'm having severe beach withdrawals! 

It's not just the sun, sand and sea, it's the whole atmosphere and the rituals that go with beach life that I love.  Drinking ice cold beer at 9am, - who doesn't love that, if they're honest - eating deliciously fresh seafood (we're stuck inland so can only get frozen) and just generally hanging out as if there isn't anything else more important to do in the whole world. 

The other side of beach life I love, in Brazil that is, is the exhausting amount of wares that are endlessly paraded up and down the beach by vendors.  I mean, never have I seen anything like it.  You can buy usual things like beer, ice cream and sarongs but how about grilled cheese, chains, rugs or maybe a chess table?

Whilst I was on the wonderful island of Floripa, at Praia das Ingleses, (yes that does mean Beach of the English or English Beach, something to do with a sunken ship) I managed to catalogue as many of the vendors as was humanly possible.

Buying some Milho Verde (Corn on the Cob)



















Grilling my cheese in the sea


































My grilled cheese with oregano

















 Rugs, mats or hammocks?


Bracelets and anklets                                             Beach bling!



Um, Bolivian? rugs                                              Me getting a henna tattoo






My tattoo which I managed to smear off about 30 minutes later and had to get redone on the other shoulder.  We got chatting to the guy who had travelled down by bus from Bahia (for those who don't know this would be like coming from Iceland to England) to work on the beaches from Rio downwards.


Can't believe I nearly left out the chess table! 



7 comments:

  1. I love your blog Miranda! It's awesome the way you tell people how life in Brazil is! :)
    amazing!

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  2. I couldn't get the formatting right on this one :0(

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  3. your blog is a breath of fresh air, if we ever get down that end, I'll look you up.

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  4. The first time I saw the guys selling cheese on the beach I was so confused, and a bit skeptical, but it sure is gostoso!! Yeah, it can be really entertaining to watch everyone parade by, as long as they're not too pushy about selling their wares. By the way, love your blog :) I just recently started one related to my journey dating a Brazilian, feel free to stop by if you get the chance: GirlMeetsBrazilianBoy.blogspot.com

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  5. Lovely post! I have made some Brazilian beach purchases including gorgeous beaded rings made with different stones like agate, moonstone, turqouise etc - we loved them so much we got the lady selling them to come to our hotel so the rest of the team (we were shooting there) could all buy them for their friends. I have also bought an enormous bag of cashews (bit of a misunderstanding, i thought he was selling me a handful from the bag, not the entire contents) and a cream bedspread. Best way to shop!

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  6. I just stumbled across your blog. It's so interesting the things they sell on the beach!

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  7. Yea rite, who doesn't enjoy ice cold beer at 9 am??!?! Although those days for me are limited now that I have a child.
    It's so funny, you love the vendors and I on the other hand can't stand them :) But I think that is for the pure and simple reason that I live on the beach, in a tourist village and never get left alone. Who knows, but I do love the grilled cheese.

    Tanya @ thelocal.com.br

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