2300 km in 10'

[ConRAD]

HERE some of my videos recorded during my recent trips along the coastline of the "Nordeste" of Brazil

[Veras]

Hello Conrad! I will have a look at the video later on when I get home. I have sent my bicycle to Brazil and I am planning to cycle from Recife to around Rio de Janeiro. How was your experience along the cycling trip? How long did you do it for?
Thanks
Ricardo

[ConRAD]

Hi Ricardo, I've actually been three times in Brazil:

1st time: 17SEP2011-18OCT2011, 2300km Salvador-Fortaleza, HERE

2nd time: 28MAR2014-24APR2014, 1514+100km , Salvador-Rio de Janeiro, HERE

3rd time: 06NOV2014-06DEC2014, 2238km Montevideo (Uruguay)-Asuncion (Paraguay), HERE, passing through Misiones (ARG) and Iguaçu Falls (BR)

If you go now, September-October from Recife to Rio you can only expect excellent weather, low season/good prices (it's spring time !)..
As far as you can go through beaches, it'll be an unforgettable experience, don't care too much for the bike, just wash it at the first petrol station on your way. Be always "self-confident" in all the places you go, avoid speaking english if you can, I've NEVER had problems of any type.
MANDATORY: get somewhere an updated "TIDE TABLE", you'll have the chance to cycle directly on the shore, between low and high tide you normally have 5-6 hours.
I'm presently planning to go back over there and go this time from Fortaleza to Belém and then to Guyanas (French, Suriname, British).

Good luck!

[Veras]

That's fantastic!
It seems that you had a really good time! I'm really looking forward to it!!
I'm going with my girlfriend, and luckily (or not) I was born in Portugal and therefore speak perfectly Portuguese.
The only other questions I have are:
- We are planning to cycle from Recife to Salvador and then getting a bus from there to close to Rio, as we won't have enough time to cycle all the way. Is it easy enough to get bikes into buses?;
- So far, I've read that on the way to big cities (ie. Rio and Sao Paulo) people recommend that you arrive to those cities by bus rather then bike, due to the "poor and dangerous neighborhoods". Is this something you also would recommend?
Thanks
Ricardo

[ConRAD]

...and therefore speak perfectly Portuguese...

… ahhh, that sounds good !!
I’ve been living and working in Brazil some time ago and therefore any time I’ve the opportunity I still try to exercise as much as I can my Portuguese.

Coming to your trip:

RECIFE-SALVADOR it’s about 900 km.
I made it in the opposite way South to North simply because I was advised to do so based on some alleged prevailing winds …
As you can see here below I’ve done it in 11 days.
September/October as I said is very low season and so far to find accommodation in some pousadas isn’t a problem at all.
Here my stages:
- Salvador de Bahia - Imbassaì, 104 km
- Imbassaì - Baixo, 70 km
- Baixo-Conde, 65 km
- Conde - Praia do Saco, 85 km
- Praia do saco – Aracaju, 70 km
- Aracaju - Trairas, 90 km
- Trairas - Feliz Deserto, 65 km
- Feliz Deserto - Barra São Miguel, 96 km
- Barra São Miguel - Ilha da Croa, 80 km (excellent lobster opportunities !!)
- Ilha da Croa - Maragogi, 65 km (excellent lobster opportunities !!)
- Maragogi - Porto Galinhas, 107 km (excellent lobster opportunities !!)
- Porto Galinhas - Recife, including the bikenight: 125 km

NOTES

1. 200 km approx before Salvador, some 30-40 km after Indiaroba, you’ll have to take the main road BA-099 better known with the name of “Linha Verde”. It’s a motorway but you’ll not have any other chance. Motorways in Southamerica are commonly free to cyclists, just get the lateral entrance on the right side of the toll portal. Maybe they aren’t the best places to cycle but are definitely the safest roads because their large emergency lane.

2. Going South, if you can, I’d try to arrive at least till Ilheus. To do it from Salvador you have to take a ferry to Itaparica (it’s an island) and from there get on the mainland again by a fisherman boat, ask in the port.

3. In Brazil any town has its own “rodoviaria” and it’s very easy to load the bike in the trunk of the bus without dismounting it at all.

4. I’ve been crossing “critical” areas in Rio as well in Salvador and Fortaleza but I must say that I NEVER HAD THE MINIMUM PERCEPTION TO BE AT RISK !!

5. In Rio don’t miss the cycleway Flamengo-Botafogo-Leme-Copacabana-Ipanema-Leblon-Sao Conrado, don’t miss the round trip around the “lagoa” and “o jardim botanico”.

6. Just a few warnings:
a. Leave as much as you can money and documents in the place where you’ve found accommodation
b. Try, as much as you can, not to appear too much a tourist
c. If from downtown to go to the beaches you have to take the tunnel along the avenue “Princesa Isabel” try to do it NOT ALONE, last time in the darkness I hit with a pedal against “something” … only later on I realized that it was a man laid down, totally invisible, probably over there just ready to assault some pedestrian !!!

Once in Recife don’t miss a bikeinthenight in OLINDA

Once in Salvador don’t miss a bikeinthenight in SALVADOR

About cycling Portugal, I’m simply in love with it, unfortunately it isn’t easy at all due to its terrible continuous climbing , but I do love it !!!
HERE MY PORTUGAL

Grande abraço and good luck !!!

[ConRAD]

2300 km in 10' … almost thinking to do it again !!

[Graham O]

I've heard a lot about Recife and it's beaches and those videos make me want to go, but I'm not sure about riding through salt water. For the time being I'll stick to Portugal.

A quick question if I may pick your brains. I've been struggling to find the correct word/verb for "cycling" in European Portuguese. I've spoken to native speakers and a couple of cyclists out there, but with different answers. Andar de bicicleta, ciclismo or pedalar all seem to be used, plus short forms and even "bike ride". I see that in Brasil you have pedalando, or "estar a pedalar" in European Portuguese. Any suggestions?

Sorry to other readers who aren't interested in Portuguese grammar!

[ConRAD]

Actually I'm not either Portuguese or Brazilian so I can't be a good teacher !!
Indeed when I'm in Brazil I use to say that I'm Portuguese and when in Portugal I "swap" my identity turning into a Brazilian ... simply because they understand that I'm not a local
However I've seen that either "andar de bicicleta" as well as "pedalar" work fine both in Brazil and Portugal.
Personally I normally use the first one: eu vou, você/tu vai ... etc.