paraty

I know what you're thinking, and I was thinking the exact same thing when i first read about the town of Paraty: the name is only one letter away from being 'party' and two letters away from 'pirate.' So it's bound to be great.

Accordingly, Paraty is a town that wants you to party, and is also a town that is all about pirates. We learned these things early on our walk around, by the plethora of shops selling nothing but cachaça, and the tour guide dressed as a stunningly hardcore pirate. If you've read my post about the meat-pirates of Fogo de Chão, you know that my keen eye can spot semi-pirates and ninja pirates from muito afar. But this was an uber-pirate. a pirate who wants you to know he's a pirate. He had a real parrot on his shoulder, full pirate robes and regalia, an undeniable pirate hat, an elaborate pirate moustache-and-goatee, and of course pirate boots. I think the tour he was giving was about how pirates used to hang out in Paraty.

(OK I just went against my principles and like, looked up real information: in the late 17th and early18th centuries, Paraty became a major port for the export of gold from Minais Gerais to Rio and on to Portugal. And pirates fucking love gold. so that's why there were pirates around. In fact, pirates changed the course of history in Paraty in a way. They became so ubiquitous and dangerous that people stopped moving gold by ships and built a whole road on land just to circumvent the pirates. Also, though it kills me to post irrelevant information, the word 'Paraty' is Tupi for 'river of fish.' But whatever. It looks like party-pirates.)

welcome to my home of cachaça

The other big Paraty thing: cachaça, which for those of you who don't know yet, is the KICKASS liquor used to make Brazil's signature cocktail, the caipirinha. Paraty has an annual cachaça festival, which is probably awesome in all the ways you might think a liquor festival in a pirate town would be.

(My Portuguese teacher tried pretty hard to also tell me about an international book festival that also takes place there, but I don't remember this much. Only cachaça and pirates made an impression.)

Another thing making an impression: the streets in the historical section. They are cobbled, and while I'm sure the cobble-job done was impressive in the 1500's, when paraty was first settled by whitey, it makes for a lot of stumblies nowadays, especially for people who have been drinking. Also hazardous: the multitude of adorable shops selling gifties and pirate paraphernalia and exquisite antiques and indigenous crafties. You can't look in windows and walk at the same time because the cobblies will trip you. Just saying. Cause like, someone else told me.
 





Lots of bars. Lots of little clothing boutiques. Restaurants of every level of fanciness, though most were fancy. People standing in the streets handing out flyers for happy hours and dance club parties. Oh! And torches in the streets, and very old street lamps.

Cachaça rules.