They even had a nice selection of appetizers as well if you just wanted to sit, have a drink and just a bit to eat and pick on while sitting and looking at the Ocean. After having a huge breakfast buffet with everything imaginable served it took you quite a while to get your appetite going again.

My girlfriend and her son simply loved the place and that is very unusual for Brazilians to say .To them their city where they come from is always the best! Not this time they absolutely fell in love with Joao Pessoa as I did.

Love at first sight !!

We spent the most relaxing week we ever had in Joao Pessoa and really did not want to leave at all. We could have stayed a month without any problem at all. There is just something special about this place. It invites you, it welcomes you, it soothes you and it wants you to stay. Although there was a clear absence of Americans and even Europeans we were very welcome and felt very comfortable and at home there. I was probably more comfortable then I have felt in some places in The States. It actually reminded me very much what I would consider a nice beach town in the States, but unfortuantely I have not been able to find such a town in the States as they have all been built up and turned into very crowded tourist areas like many a city in Brazil as well.

They have a beautiful street that runs along the Ocean from Cabo Branco to Tambau and it is closed to traffic each morning from 6 to 8 AM for people to walk, jog, bicycle ride and exercise by the sea. As the sun rises in Joao Pessoa at 5 AM there are plenty of people out doing their thing each moring. The evening falls early about 5 PM as the Sun goes down and many people go to this little spot on the river on the other side of town where they sit and eat and have a drink, you guessed it capariha, and listen to this Sax player that is absolutely wonderful. He plays in the restaurant and then goes out on a boat and while standing in the boat continues to play for all to see, from the restaurants and passing tour boats. I guess that may be the last stop for the tour boats. The sunset is to die for as is the sunrise in Joao Pessoa.

At the end of the beach strip just passed Cabo Branco is Ponto do Seixas, a lightouse with a wonderful view of the sea and the city. It is the eastern most tip of land into the Atlantic in all of the Americas, North and South, a special place in a special city. South of the lighthouse is another area called penha which is less busy but what a spot to look for a piece of land to build a house. Not as busy as the other areas by far but close enough and far enough away for my tastes. Being born and raised in New York City I have looked and enjoyed spots like this  most of my life. Sure when I was younger I liked the spots with all the action going on but now that I am older, I still like that sort of thing once in a while but do not want to live in the middle of it any longer. Penha is not built up but I suspect it will become an exclusive residential area in the near future.

The prices for real estate in Brazil are not to be believed however: you either build your own place or get used to rooms that are considerably smaller then we are used to here. There are some rather large houses but they do cost more then the advertised 2 and 3 bedrooms that are actually very small by our standards. Construction costs are half of what they are here. And the quality has different ranges but the construction seems to be very good.

Joao Pessoa is not one of these party towns but it does have its places to go and even quite a few clubs for those that enjoy dancing and music. It start to settle down after 11 PM during the week and not much later then that on the weekend. I have never been out late in Joao Pessoa, but imagine the nightlife is good. To repeat Joao Pessoa is a great city, so great that I will be returning this month to look for a place for me and my family. I want to buy a piece of land we can build on and call our own!!

I will surely keep you aware of my findings as I look deeper into this wonderful place. I have only scartched the surface so far but the deeper I go the better it gets.

The following is the first article Richard wrote for the magazine:

• My Brazilian Experience ~ And Brazil's Best Kept Secret