Smells and colors

There are also the smells and colors of the Caribean. Oh, yes, they are different. The colors, for example, I would compare with "chitão", a hard fabric from Brazil that mix strong colors such as blue, yellow, green, and red. It is almost composed of flowers, huge flowers. So, that is the Caribean. Chitão, considered a popular fabric, worn by countryside ladies, became now fashionable and it is a must in the wardrobe of famous clothing designers and home decorators.
The smell comes from the sea and from the pots in the kitchens, cooking fish with coconut milk, the traditional Caribean sauce.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo was my welcoming embrace to the Caribean sea. Yes, the Caribean is everything that you dream of and something else. Yes, there are coconut trees and a feeling of laziness that you may find only in Salvador de Bahia, in Brazil. Manzanillo beach is in the province of Limón, Caribean Sur de Costa Rica. It is a half-hour drive from Puerto Viejo, one of the most touristics areas in Limón and which reminds me a lot of Lagoa da Conceição, in my hometown Florianópolis (southern Brazil), because of its dreadlocks, tatoos and reggae. Reggae, by the way, is the prefered rhythm around here. Add to that, salsa, merengue and calypso.

Jamaica in Costa Rica

I went to Jamaica two weeks ago. Not physically, but sentimentally, torn by the waves of the Atlantic sea. Jamaica is in the Limón province, located in the South Caribean portion of Costa Rica. The region is mostly populated by blacks, descendents of Jamaicans and from other Caribean islands. From that interesting encounter, there came a language called patois, a mix of English, French and Spanish. Some call it "broken English". It sounds like music to the ears and it is matter of pride for its inhabitants.