Hopefully this report will help some of you who like to travel in Brazil as well enjoy it's other natural resources. If you're just interested in women, I laid an egg but I wish I'd noticed Madvex's Isla Fantasia report from Jan O04 in discuss under Natal because it would have really helped though I wonder what his report would have been like in Sept?? I overlooked it or thought it was a report on an island I guess in my haste. Just got an email from Tomjr2 who's also experienced Isla but has preferred Pipa as a destination despite no pros.He is there now and also noted that pousadas don't allow "guests". My trip was in Sept. of O04 and I sandwiched it between hurricanes with the help of some weather reports from a Miami CH member. I had a Sky auction ticket for a TAM bid but was initially booked on Varig which was something I hadn't seen them do before. The ticketing changes were a nightmare and I paid the extra $50 so I could fly to Natal and out of Rio. Has anyone been able to pay more to add another Brazil leg when purchasing a sky auction ticket, or can you world travelers explain airline ticket options like open jaw to us less worldly folks more?

In retrospect, I think I ended up paying the price of a roundtrip Rio/Natal on my one-way leg of RIo/Natal, RS611 on VASP. Can any of you oh so wise souls in Brazil confirm that? It was much cheaper than anyone else other than the BRA (RS411) run that I'll mention later. The five hours on the ground at SP was a waste of time but I did get to wander around the airport and find where to take the TAM shuttle and the bus downtown for a future trips. (For those who don't know like me, the pay bus is downstairs and you buy your ticket at a booth a long walk down the sidewalk to the right, while the TAM bus picks you up upstairs outside the satellite TAM office and is TAM red with long gaps between pickups.) Do you need to show a TAM ticket to get on that bus?

Unfortunately I was there right during rush hour and didn't dare take the chance of a little excursion in a city I didn't know. I was also able to pick up a great little tour book in ENGLISH and wished I Od bought the two other ones that were gone when I came back through, because it's hard to find such items ( The Northeast a Phelps Guide O02 www.horizontegeografico.com.br tel 55 (1103022-5599 SP). I thought about skipping the Natal portion because I'd lost two days of my trip to the hurricanes, but it would have cost me too much and I travel on a budget.

TAM was a great airline with cute help and I've never seen such spacious First Class seating anywhere for those who can afford it. It looked pretty awesome up there! Wouldn't you know it, one of the few white boys on the plane was sitting right behind me and decides to put on headphones so he could practice his Pimsleur OUT LOUD!!!

Now I'm a pretty laid back feller, but it was very late and all of us had been through a lot of hours and hassles because of the hurricanes. He was not a popular passenger on that dark airplane and making us Americanos look really stupid and selfish. He was also on about lesson 7 which made it worse, so I finally went back and gently told him he was really loud and driving everyone crazy!!! It must have been his first trip but I never saw him in Rio.

On both legs there were just a handful of Gringos so going through customs was pretty easy. In Miami just go waaay to the right because you're not used to seeing only three people in front of you. Also, if you have oversized luggage they say it comes out to the right. Wrong, it comes out of the double doors waaay towards the right wall and they just set it out beside it. I carry body boards and another surfer and I missed our connecting flights as a result of trying to find our boards, since there was little or no help down there.

I like TAM a lot and I wished they'd fly out of LA, but don't count on changing tickets or just paying the $100 for missing your flight because you spent too long in that terma. The downtown office down the street from Bobby's is particularly difficult, so try to deal with the airport. Miami had changed my outbound ticket and it was such a mess that they told me my return ticket would be changed in RIo. Lesson learned, get everything changed at the same time, because I almost had to buy a one-way return ticket to get back after only being in Brazil for five days, ouch!!! My changed ticket had me going TAM to Rio then Varig to Natal with a five hour layover in RIo, just enough time for some fun. The TAM super in MIami noticed that and changed me back to my five hour layover in SP with TAM to Natal though, DAAAM!!

Lesson two, I've always flown back home the day of or day before work, but the last two trips (July-fog and storms and Sept-hurricanes and storms holding intra Brazil flights that held our international fight) have shown me that problems are quite common and can delay you quite easily when traveling that far with such few flights returning. I know that in July I was surfing merrily away in an awesome storm with great waves in Barra, showered, grabbed a taxi, and hit MC during a downpour before going to the airport for my 10PM flight. By the way, I wondered if you boys that were bragging about all the money that you save by getting dropped at the metro station instead of the Long trip around to L did pay to get dropped in front that night??? It was the only flight to get out during a two day span and they offered me a free return ticket which I couldn't take because I'm not in a job that you can't exactly show up for at the last minute.Now I give myself at least two days before work.


Back to Natal, I don't tend to plan trips very well, I go last minute, and don't exactly have a place to stay when I go either, though I do some homework. There was very little current info on the board about Natal, and others I contacted hadn't been in many years or didn't exactly have fond memories of the lady situation there either. I still wanted to go and thought it would be more interesting and unspoiled than Salvador. I've since concluded, after many hours in dunebuggys, that there isn't a square inch of Brazilian beach that doesn't have houses or civilization within walking distance despite all the pretty tourist pictures.

The fights into Natal tend to land you in the afternoon and with delays, it leaves you little daylight. I paid the taxi RS10 more than the set fees they use at the airport to take me through Ponta Negra, the nicest beach area to stay just on the southern edge of Natal. You will get on what looks like a freeway, but ask the driver to go just past the turnoff to the beach and immediately pull into an establishment with bright orange brick walls to the right. It looks upscale and was advertising Performencias at certain times of the evening. Nobody seems to recognize that as a Portuguese word and there was a convention of some sorts there that weekend so it could have been a special event and explain for the lack of talent on the beach. I could not find out if it was a love motel or if one could also find companionship there. My Portuguese is extremely limited but I couldn't get one hint or clue from a single taxi or buggy driver about women other than they're at the beach the entire trip! Some things like that are just universal and usually language isn't a barrier between a customer and taxi driver who wants to make money, so it was one of the great mysteries of my trip, considering I counted nine love motels that could been seen from the road back from Genipabu. All were on the poor, seedy side of the city across the river with the exception of the orange palace mentioned earlier.

My goal was lookee, stay there if niceee, or go on to Genipabu (Jennipaboo) by the best sand dunes so I could get a quick start in the AM to snorkeling on the beautiful reefs. You are a good 1 1/2 hours depending on traffic to snorkeling at Praiade Maracajau or 45 min. from the northern dunes (best ones) if you stay in Ponta Negra. You also need to get a very early start as I got to the reef by 7:30 and still had to wait 30 min. for a seat on the boat out to the reef. You can also buy a lot of nice cheap fruit to take back at stands along the way and you might want to buy something exotic like a big jackfruit that the hotel will cut for you. You only find them in Asia and Hawaii once in awhile. Just put lard or margarine on your hands if they don't cut the sweet yellow fruit out of the pod for you. There is a breakfast buffet at the beach so if you get up early don't waste your time eating at your hotel. It looked like it was free.

You can also wander around the beach while waiting and watch how they launch the jangadas. They're pretty shaky little flat bottomed sailing rafts for fishing made of plywood, and sticks that hay roll on logs that they just keep moving out to the water (a long way at low tide). Then they raise a cheap thin cotton sail. One man pushes from in the water while the one on board drops a rudder and throws water on the sail with stick that has a cup on the end of it. The idea is get some body to the sail and get enough momentum going through the surf so they other guy and jump on and sailing becomes possible. These things sail miles offshore and you too can be taken out in them, but but in good shape and a good swimmer, because this surfer isn't trying that too far out anytime soon. They also rent them in the bay at Ponta Negra and actually have sailing races on the weekend that are pretty funny to watch because they are slow and flip easily. I'd like to try that next time.

Anyway, the water was an ugly brown and I was very disappointed with Ponta Negra, compact, crowded, and not the northern paradise that I dreamed about, so on to Genipabu.The taxi out there was about RS 60 as prices are set at the airport and can be checked at the info booth there which was a very good resource though not in English. On the return it was RS50 using a local Genipabu taxi. I had emailed them to get prices and check availability, so they were a little surprised to see blondie show up at sunset and I was relieved to find they had a room. RS277 for two nights and I ate two supper there. Selection was limited but good, free breakfast buffet, and large portions. The rates were cheaper than quoted to me by e-mail when asked I asked about them at the desk as I arrived, so so it might be worth doing some bargaining when you arrive or ask about ³cheaper' rooms as they're all the same.

The Genipabu Hotel(not Casa Genipabu) www.genipabu.com.br is supposed to have two English speaking owners who never showed, and communication in English was difficult so you're forced to practice your Portuguese, a good thing with a Pimsleur washout like me. The hotel is clean with large rooms and a big balcony overlooking the ocean, very pretty during a storm and at sunset. It also has a large clean pool that's great to swim in or sit around at night or in the morning. Some people do come in to use the pool during the day, but they're gone before dark. The guide books tell you it is a short walk to the beach and about other wonderful places to stay there. It is a good long 2 mile walk down the hill in hot muggy weather to the beach and base of the dunes, so take the free hotel Toyota FJ40 and they'll pick you up when you want. There are little shops, restaurants, dune buggies, and yes camels,don't ask,to be hired there, but again boring brown water. Don't even think about staying at any of the other places, stay up on the hill with the breezes and views even though you're isolated.

The next morning I thought I stuck gold as I waited for the dune buggy with two hot midtweenties sweeties in small thongs. We were the only ones up for the start of breakfast at 7 AM, I knew there weren't many guests, and it sure was lonely up there. Then two overweight pasty dudes showed up, husbands it seemed. The girls deserved much better than that, but that's the story of my life when it comes to the women I dream about versus get. They also went to a beach resort for the day down from where you catch the boats out to the reef so no bouncing eye candy during the ride for me.

It was not a fun place to be at night when the hot young Brazilian couple next to you is banging away, you hear him slapping her ass, and she's making just all the right sounds for several hours every night as you ask yourself why you're alone in Brazil. I even thought about climbing out on the tiled roof to crawl onto their balcony for the show the next night. Because I'd squashed a very large toad on the way back from supper in the dark, and he was beyond repair with me beloved duct tape, I considered it another bad sign of things to come. Unfortunately, I just have really bad luck on my Brazilian trips, and I wanted to save myself for that special someone who loves the ocean and will travel in Brazil with me. You'd think some kindly ole board member with numbers, the wisdom, and private stock to spare would take pity on my poor soul and provide me with the proper guidance in said quest.Speaking of gray-haired wiremen, SF, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask for the name of that good but inexpensive Copa seafood restaurant again as I didn't get to it last trip, and I've lost the name of it, sorry!

The water was an ugly brown everywhere though it did start to clear up little as you got below Pipa. I know there's a lot of wind, shallow muddy bottoms with significant tide level changes, and estuaries, but can someone Osplain that to me? Also, I'm curious what planes their Air Force flies up there, are they French??? The trip out to the reef was an e-ticket ride in an overloaded speedboat about RS32. Notice that the driver attaches a line to his arm to kill the motor if he gets thrown overboard or the boat flips in the waves. Sit on the right side towards the back going out and the same deal left coming back if you don't want to get wet or want a better chance of getting thrown clear of the boat. Up front is the e-ticket ride. Also notice that they insist everyone including the driver wears and correctly ties a life vest, this in a poor country. The reef is several miles offshore and each boat goes to their own pontoon and you must swim in their own little designated area of the ocean. They give a little briefing on the boat and the pontoon and nobody noticed I didn't understand a word until I suddenly dove off the pontoon out of boredom. They take their little talks veeery seriously, and despite fala um poco Portuguese they made me get out of the water and listen to the whole thing.

The pictures of the reef are gorgeous and the water is a beautiful blue. People come from all over the world to them and there are boat trips from Ponta Negra and even Pipa that bring snorkelers there. If you have a sweetie, go for the trip and experience. There is healthy current so do use their cheap fins, mask and snorkel, and stay close to the rope that you can pull yourself along like all the other tourists if you aren't a water person. What I saw was brown water with a very dead reef, one eel, some sponges or soft coral, and five kinds of fish in murky water with about 15 ft visibility, just like I've seen in Buzios, Cabo Frio and elsewhere in Brazil. Waves were minimal in front of the reef, surf was 2-3 feet everywhere and my body boards never made it out of their bag, so I would be curious to know if the water is clearer doing the big wave season.

All buggy trips everywhere run about US $100 with it being cheaper to go with someone and the tack on a little for the extra people. They are your basic VW dune buggy with one person in front and a very tight fit for three in back unless you sit up on the seat more dangerous but a lot more fun. I know that a previous poster didn't go on a buggy because of rain, but it's warm and you can't come up here and not go into the dunes. I've traveled a lot in Baja and been to Glamis Dunes but it was still a blast for me. On most buggies only the front is shaded so you want to look for one that has a complete cover if you don't want to get fried being in a buggy out on the sand all day. You also want to select your own buggy, don't let your hotel do it. You want a young driver with the best looking sand tires and hottest motor. Ask for a driver that drives with ³emotion² that means he's crazy and will throw buggy sideways on the beach in heavy sand, take you airborne in all the bowls, have the power to climb everything, and take you straight down the dune faces with out burying the front end.

After the reef your driver will stop at his choice of a beach side restaurant where he of course gets a free meal and possibly??? One day it just happened to be at a relative's of course and they fed the little monkeys like you see up on Sugarloaf bananas while we were eating. Either way it's going to be a huge seafood feast with a variety of food you'll recognize and many other dishes you can try. The area is known for its shrimp and the food is cheap. When I ordered fish in Ponta Negra it filled a huge platter that was about four US servings. I usually only eat twice a day in Brazil anyway because of the big servings.

The trip to the reef is via blacktop and some sand tracks through coconut trees and small villages, but the trip back is along the beach at low tide, thus the long lunch break on every trip as they wait for a tide change. Then you end up with close to a hundred other dunebuggys at some little shacks on top the Genipabu dunes. You can get something to drink while watching people ride zip lines into a natural lake in the dunes. You swim to a raft and a very very old VW engine pulls you back up the steep dunes in a little cart.

A short walk away you can also sand board on a small wooden plank into a little pond. The advantage there is they have an outdoor showerhead so you can wash off. Do be aware that the fine sand goes everywhere and can create a very nice rash on your legs and johnson. Come to think of it, I didn't like the feel of it up my ass either. Wash everything carefully, especially inside your shorts. If you choose not to does this, don't freak out when you first notice a possible rash or apply anything like duct tape to said area in hopes of eliminating further chaffing or pain while clothed. I speak from experience here as I have found new ways to chaff said parts on each trip without ever entering a terma though the terma girls have been very understanding and sympathetic.

Sporto suggested wearing speedos under board shorts, and SF suggested wearing a condom, though I pointed out to him that though surfing is an orgasmic experience, I have never had a boner even at night or surfing naked. I think it has something to do with being out there with a bunch of guys in cold water. Of course he was also the one who suggested wrapping it in cotton or going down to the desk and asking the sweet like Brasilera at Casa del Mar (a very nice Princess hotel in Barra) there for a dick doctor. Am I the only gringo that chaffs himself on a regular basis in Brazil, because I can understand what some of you guys are doing between trips at home. PLease send me solutions now as I'm going down on another quick trip here sometime in Jan. as long as skyauction will give me a date and I can find a place to stay.

When it came time to leave and make plane plans which they told me would be no problem from the hotel via e-mail, suddenly computers were down, communication was a problem, and they couldn't seem to reach the airlines. There was a pay phone, but I had no phone card, add that to the list of must have things to carry in my Brazil wanderings. Then again I can't understand what they're saying when you put the card in anyway.

I'd really planned to stay in the region for 4 or 5 days but could not handle watching all the eye candy with other men for that long. So after breakfast I just ordered a cab and went o the airport. surprise,almost all flights leave Natal at the 5-6 AM hour. BRA had a very nice flight for RS 411 that would have taken me up to Manaus and five other cities all over Brazil that I'd like to go to. It takes all day but hey I'd get to see Brazil for cheap from the air and still get to the local airport in RIo for supper. But then they noticed my body board bag, and despite having only a backpack, they wanted another RS150. A man has to have his principles so I decide to spend a night in Ponta Negra. I probably should have just taken the bus down to Salvador.

Back to my Portuguese speaking young lads at the info booth and I got the name of what turned out to be an excellent little pousada 1/2 a block from a classy hotels (Manary Praia-small intimate hotelRS 350 range) that runs all the land rover tours to the interior through dinosaur land. You couldn't see the beach but it's a great place and the 40ish owner who may be worth a try for those of you with game, speaks English as does her night lady. Only the artist late night dude doesn't understand you well. Offseason for a nice little room by the desk was RS181 for two nights with a great breakfast. It has a nice bar and little pool but high season is RS180-220 and low season RS 90-130 range. Das Flores Inn Pousada www.dasfloresinn.com.br. (55)842192457It was an easy and safe walking distance to the beach and all the shops, restaurants. and bars at the nice end of Pont Negra.

She has a computer with free internet in the lobby and she can arrange about anything and rents out her dune buggy if you want to drive which around town or to Pipa. Don't use her offer of a travel agent friend with good deals, as they tried to keep me an extra day by saying there were no seats and she booked me on an expensive Varig flight late in the afternoon that got into Rio around PM. Because I figured that out on her free internet.I just went to the airport at 5 AM and got a seat on VASP for RS611 without any problem. The taxi to the airport will jump on the freeway like road and head towards downtown, but he's not taking you for a ride, just taking the safest route early in the morning. You'll also find out that his nighttime meter fare is almost exactly the same price to the airport as the fixed daytime fares which means the set day airport fees are a rip-off. You could also take a bus right in front of the terminal with one transfer to the beach but I was carrying boards so I didn't try it.

You could look at the Free Willy Pousada www.freewilly.com.br for an ocean view though sideways, Casa do Sol, or others at that end of the beach because the other end where another poster stayed by the dunes (southern end-Pousada Castanheira) is a little dicey and dirty. Then there are several big nice mega beach hotels that you may get a very good rate at like Praia Mar (value), Visual Praia (expensive), Hotel Esmeralda, Hotel Rifoles(rates on hotels.com) or some tourists hotels on top of the hill by a lot of nice shopping and restaurants like Hoel Olimpa though it's on a busy noisy street and a very steep climb back up from the beach. LIke the previous Natal poster I'll warn you that bringing a girl into the pousadas or small hotels from the street could be difficult.

The dance/diner show Zas-Tras is worth going to if you enjoyed Plataforma though there is a long section with a boring monologue between sets. See their web site at zastras.com.br and click on any picture to get to a screen that lets you select English. There also is a shrimp place that claims to have something like 100 different shrimp dishes, inexpensive, that has a free music/dance show and a good crowd every night. Natal is a tourist town so things stay open on Sunday like the cambio down on the beach and everything closes including the old fort on Mondays.

Now the bad news, I searched high and low for two nights and spent four hours down at the beach each night, even walking the streets two blocks up listening for music.I only saw five 25 something hard looking working ladies and seven shemales. The girls hang out at a little sandwich shop with a green awning and the boys on the street. Contrary to what the other poster said you will recognize the difference between them easily, so he must have been drunk or from South Dakota.They speak English unlike the hookers, and they will also surround you, grab your ass, place hands on your chest, you get the idea. I slapped hands away and learned to cross the street when I saw them coming. I don't even want to know which one of you boys taught them their English because they weren't using English words that I was saying to them.

I thought I saw a love motel on the left of the wide street that turns off from the airport, but the orange place I mentioned before is probably your best bet or business is bad off season. There sure were a lot of disappointed tourists looking though and no one ever mentioned Isla Fantasia, but many of the clubs were closed for the season so it may have been too. You also might try some of the party places and clubs the next bay over or in town. Most of the bars were dead and couples or families dominated the beach scene. There were a lot of nice craft shops on the road at the top of the hill so I got most of my Christmas shopping done inexpensively.

I also spent a day doing a dune buggy trip all day way beyond PIpa. Personally I wouldn't stay in PIpa for more than 2-3 days though I would have liked the region below it towards Salvador because it gets more desolate. There's a remote beach area on a peninsula that the last Natal poster stayed at that I'd like to hear about if anyone has been there. Is that where It's a small little town with dirt streets that sprawls down a hill to a nondescript beach full of shops and cafes. The pousoda coming into town with the turtle emblem named Tartaruga looked like one of the better ones. The place to stay would be the very nice resort on the cliffs above the bay of the dolphins before Pipa, Hotel Village Natureza (www.villagenatureza.com.br doesn't work on a MAC so access it off a great little website for PIpa called www.pipa.com.br and just click on it. It's a beautiful location and steep steps(many) take you down to a very nice cove and beach. There is a restaurant and rentals of good surfboards, bodyboards, and anything else there, but try to go down early or late as everybody comes there during the day, especially Sundays. They fill up quickly because the outclass everything in the area and are also beside the nature reserve where you can walk. I believe airport transfers in vans to Pipa run about RS70 but you could also go by bus.

This buggy trip will also take you to a place where you can zip line into a freshwater lake behind the dunes. This trip is quite different and more beautiful because you travel extensively on more desolate beaches and make several estuary crossings on small rafts and a very old very ferry (notice, there is a little john on board that will be the only one of the day except for the restaurant so use it even though you have to climb over buggys to get to it) whose engine died during one of our crossings. That crossing has a very nice and expensive hotel Hotel Marinas Tibau do Sol that seems very popular with foreign tourists, but is quite desolate, in a very lousy beach location, and on the backside of hill behind a small town that makes it very muggy. You'll notice they don't show you a lot of pictures on their site and there's a reason for that. No worries, another boat comes and tows you back before you wash out to the surf or Africa. Remember that Natal is the closest point to Africa in the Americas and that's why so many lucky GIs were stationed in bombers there during W II. The smart fellas even started a tradition of a community wide dance night that still goes on today. The last segment that they'll talk you into for an extra RS100 goes to another great seafood place but you travel over rock cliffs that make for a much longer and bumpy trip, simply not worth it.

I was really surprised to see that 15 minutes into climbout how the terrain completely changed from being arid to lush green landscape with many lakes, like Minnesota. The hills coming into Salvador were full of large homes with pools, Orlinda I presume? I think I would have liked the Salvador area more than Natal and had more to do though several posts have stated otherwise. The local women are petite and very pretty much like the young thing from Forteleza with the fiancee in Bobby's office. I definitely want to go to Fortleza now and it would have been a much better choice all around except for the matter of sharks in some areas for surfing and snorkeling.

The highpoint on the beach for this trip was seeing a very pretty thing in a tiny suit who was so pregnant that she was waddling and most of her dark brown suit was invisible, followed by watching a little Dachshund puppy swim into the surf and tow a big coconut back onto the beach and then try to open it. That sums up the need for company on this trip, but I believe Hunterman and some other guys have mentioned plans to go north soon so I'll be curious to see their experiences and views of the area and if I just went during a dead month. www.natal-brazil.com is a great little honest website about the Natal area with pics and maps. I also stumbled across a website tonight that has lower airfares and deals for Brazil than I see elsewhere called www.bt-store.com <http://www.bt-store.com/> . Cross referenced from www.tripadvisor.com. Another interesting site is www.brazilspecial.net, anyone used them??

Web Info for Pipa lovers

Pipa Distance from Natal: 85 Km Pipa is a combination of white sand, clear water and falesias; dolphins come to mate, and turtles lay their eggs in Pipa. This combination made Pipa turn from a small fishing village into one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Brazil; foreigners from all the world come for tourism and never leave; several businesses are run by foreigners. The nightlife is also remarkable; there are several bars and clubs playing rock and local rythms; the crowds move from place to place until dawn. The infra-structure tries to keep up with the influx, but fact is that the place grew too fast. There are several restaurants and hotels, but prices are higher than in Natal (pre-booking of hotels is strongly advised). If you drive your own car, be prepared to be patient to go around the narrow and packed streets.

O03 info

For you real beach lovers the Northeast of Brazil is a paradise of endless opportunities to find your perfect beach. There are beaches to surf, canoe, sunbathe, windsurf, swim, take long walks, horseback ride, watch dolphins, ride the dunes with off-road vehicles, take boat trips, snorkel, people watching on crowded beaches, or find your own secluded piece of sand and waves for as far as you can see. I have seen most of the Northeast and the place where all of these pleasures to be found for true nature lovers is the small town called Pipa (say peepa).

This charming little town of about 3000 inhabitants lies 50 miles south of Natal the state capital of Rio Grande Do Norte. Natal is the fun capital of the Northeast. It means Christmas in English because it was founded December 25, 1598, Christmas Day. This was the first city in Brazil where people used ketchup, chewing gum, and blue jeans because of the presence of US military base duringSecond World War. Pipa's charm comes from its beautiful natural setting combined with its colorful international and Brazilian native inhabitants. Here you will find surfers, artists, hippies, businessmen, from several countries mixed in with the local population.

More than half of the local businesses are owned by foreigners who created their tropical Brazilian paradise mixed with their own international ideas and backgrounds. Pipa offers a wide variety of excellent restaurants, pousadas and activities blended in total harmony with the natural surrounding of thegreen forests, the golden sand dunes and blue ocean. A typical day in Pipa begins with having a breakfast of local fruits, freshly baked bread and cakes, accompanied with coffee or freshly squeezed juices. This is the only meal which is typically included in your pousada's daily rate. After breakfast you can either take one of the interesting excursions, or just walk down to one of the beaches in town. There are four of them and each one is different. All of the pousadas have a list of the available excursions, some of the best are, canoeing in Tibau do Sul, 2-3 hours and about 10 dollars.

Make sure you choose a fish to be grilled for lunch at the restaurant on the beach the excursion departs from; you will be hungry when returning. Another interesting trip is a dune buggy ride to Sagi, it is 5-6 hours of gorgeous beaches one after the other. Do not forget to douse yourself with sunscreen before you go! This trip is about 60 to 80 dollars for 4 people, depending on the buggy and season. There are other trips to the ecological reserve, north to Natal, and Maracajaú to snorkel.

After taking one of the trips, watch the sunset or the local fishermen returning from sea with their catch.In the evening, there is an excellent choice of restaurants to have a relaxing dinner. Some of the best are: Casita de Don Arturo (Spanish cuisine, very good paella for about 18 dollars for two); Pizzeria Pipa Brasil (about 100 types of pizza); Cruzeiro do Pescador (excellent seafood); and Soparia Chez Liz, which serves some of the best soups I ever had. Basically in my experience you can't go wrong with any of the restaurants in Pipa. After dinner there are a couple of good bars. The most popular one is Boate dos Calangos for dancing or drinks, but don't go there before 11 pm.

Some of the best places to stay if you are looking for seclusion are Pousada Ponta do Madeiro andHotel Village Natureza, for around 60 dollars per night. Now US 125-135 with a waiting list. (my info Sept.'04) These two are about 3 km from town perched on top of a cliff with fantastic views. You shouldn't take small children there though. In Pipa an excellent choice is the Pousada Mirante de Pipa, walking distance to the beaches and all the restaurants and shopping. Here the air conditioning is the Atlantic forest, the pousada's grounds are all under the lovely trees, which keep the whole place comfortably cool all day and night. Instead of TV the rooms have picturesque views of the town and sea, the entertainment provided by the tiny monkeys begging for bananas on your porch.

The friendly and helpful owners, Gisella and Heitor speak English and will pick you up at the airport in Natal. Daily rates are from $20 to $50 depending on season. Another good choice is Pousada Cavalo Marinho with beautiful grounds and pool, although a little more expensive.

Is it just me?....but I am totally confused as to why you took this trip?......mongering?

Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. Even if I had to do the 30-something cook's wife in the back of the bar, I try not to score a goose egg when I spend money to go someplace.

I went there in early Dec. with little knowledge and had an unusual adventure (TripReport to come when I get home in late Jan), but at least I got laid and did some mongering research for the next guys.

Also, I found the beach/water at Ponta Negra to be absolutely wonderful, azure seas with bath-warm water, no strong currents--I hated to leave to beach. So maybe you were there at a bad time.

I took the trip for mongering, surfing, and to see a new place to go ot take a women with me. Remember, I speak and understand very little Portuguese and I think some of you forget how hard that can be when you can't find even one person who can hold a conversation with you in the airport . I don't expect them to either, but that's not going to stop me from traveling and I've experienced a lot of Brazil as a result. I went a lot of places, asked a lot of questions, and walked all over Ponta Negra trying to find women but I' wasn't interested in doing hardcore old street hookers for a variety of reasons that are private. Also remember that there was very little current info on the board about Natal as even Hunterman points out. My guess is I went during a really bad time of year, cold, dirty water, few women, etc. If I'd had even a fraction of the info in this report and language skills I could have had very different results, that's why I left for Rio after 4 days. Both Hunterman and the other person currently there for several months that I've talked to had very different results in Dec and Jan as well as good language skills. I'll be curious to see their reports. Sorry if you don't find general info like this helpful, but maybe some will and I knew others were planning trips up there soon. I also asked a lot of questions in this report that many of us who aren't world travelers or who can only travel for short periods in Brazil would appreciate answers to.

The Brazilian website GPGuia
http://www.gpguia.net/phpbb/phpbb2/
says that two of the newspapers in Natal have classified ads on their websites for Acompanhantes or Relax. The addresses are:
www.tribunadonorte.com.br
www.diariodenatal.com.br

Wow, great website and the section on other cities has me wanting to go to Vitorio if those models are anything like what's there. It's amazing how far a little Portuguese can get you when looking at these sites. Not all of the Natal ones would worked on my MAC. Does anyone know of a good translating program for a MAC?

there is no place on earth......THAT WITH A LITTLE CHARM AND A WAD OF CASH....that I can not be the most charming individual of earth....what the heck was this repot about....was it a Sunday School trip....or did you mean to fugg everything moving???????????????????

I have been to Rio 10 times and speak adequate Helpyyy portugese!

Kinda goes like this:

I say: Oi

She says : Oi

Smile look her up and down and start the "interview" Fondle her for a while. See if she's a good kisser than say: "you me apartmento?"

She says: apartmento o hotel?

I say: apartmento

She says: Ok

I say: Completa si?

She says: si si

I say: 150 Reais

She says: 300

I say: 200 all noite and camera

She says: OK. One drinky for me?

I say: OK

IMHO thats all the portugese you need to get laid by some of the best looking women in the world!

Wonderful Portugese lesson....help me out guys....since reading Hombre....I am sold on Brazil, but I have a 4 day weekend coming up soon.....I have also enjoyed the Domenican reports and pic...for a thursday through Sunday trip would you suggest Rio or DR????