The Ver-o-Peso Market is located in Belém, capital city of the state of Pará, in the north area of Brazil. It is considered the largest open-air market of Latin America and supplies the city with various types of food and medicinal herbs from the interior of the Amazon forest, mainly provided through the river.
It is called "Ver-o-Peso" following a colonial era tradition, since the tax collector's main post was located there, which was called "Casa do Haver-o-peso" ("Have-the-Weight House"). It was there that the taxes over goods brought from the Amazon forests, rivers and countryside should be paid to the Portuguese crown, but only after their weight was measured, hence the name, which later suffered a contraction. It is one of the oldest markets in Brazil.
I was reading a few bad reviews on Trip Advisor, and I can't deny it, they are right, the place does smell, it is loud, not too pretty, very crowded at times, no one speaks English and if you don't pay attention and follow the usual "traveling to South America" rules, you will lose your wallet. Still, one of the coolest places I have ever been, and all the gringos I met there, agreed with me (strangely enough, most of the bad reviews came from Brazilians).
The market is located in the old part of the town, by the port and besides a big old warehouse, it is open air covered by big fixed tents. There you can find: fruits, veggies, herbs, oils, cures, candles, folk medicine, dried meats and fresh fish, jewelry and crafts and a bunch of little kiosks selling quick food and drinks: croquettes, beer, juices, sandwiches and the local favorite, their staple food: fried fish an acai.
They usually serve a fish called "filhote" which literally translates to "tiny son" but, ironically, is a huge fresh water fish that can reach up to 600 lbs. They eat it pan fried with a light flour coat. Their acai is just the pulp blended with water. As I was sitting there eating it for the first time, the locals were trying to teach me how to eat it, asking questions and cheering me on.
Mangoes, starfruit, cupuacu and passion fruit pulp (in the yellow bags).
I had never seen quite a few fruits and veggies they sold there, while they do have the southern imported apples, grapes, watermelon and oranges, and some local known ones, like passion-fruit, guava, mangoes, soursop, the most fun part is walking around checking out all their exotic goodness. I felt like a kid in a toy shop, I asked questions, touched everything and, of course, bought a bunch of different stuff. I have videos of me trying some of them on my YouTube channel. While most of them are quite good, I don't recommend that amount of exotic fruits in one sitting... It may cause a week long war in your belly (caused in mine, and by then I was in Rio for Carnaval! I had no time for that!)
Pupunha, a little fruit that needs to be cooked and tastes like potatoes and the locals like to eat for breakfast with black coffee, local boys selling fruits.
Separating Cupuacu's pulp from its seeds is hard task and needs to be done with scissors - Bacuri. was quite interesting, strong smell and taste, not bad, just like nothing I have had before. A lot of the fruits from the north have thick, strong skins and white pulps strongly attached to the seeds.
Dried meat and fresh fish. The meat comes from the south of the country, the fish is locally caught and sold daily at the market and to restaurants. They don't use fridges for their fish, they lay them on a counter and use a thin layer of ice on top. It gets less weird the longer you visit, and by the third time you eat fish there, you don't worry about it anymore...
Tons of Brazil-nut and cashews, seeing these usually expensive snacks being sold for the price of peanuts, makes you go a little overboard. I was walking around with 5 kg bags. Grapes and apples brought from the south of the country and the local guava usually cultivated in community farms.
Their jewelry are made from seeds, fish scales and leather. They are colorful and either made by indigenous tribes or inspired by them.
Me, in white, probably bugging that bacuri vendor with a thousand questions.
The market has the, mostly commercial, old part of the town on one side, the river on the other, little bay with the boats that bring their goods on one end and the main historical port on the other.
It is an amazing place for the open minded and I hope to, one day, plan a Rainforest Chica group trip to Belem with friends and customers!
#1
Soak your hair with fresh water before jumping in ocean or pool. Wet hair will absorb less water, therefore less chlorine or salt.
Rinse with fresh water again every time.
#2
Scrub your body before tanning, I use Passion Fruit Oil (light, calming, easy to rinse off) and raw sugar. Scrubbing will remove the dead skin and leave you new skin ready for an even tan.
#3
Dark skin also needs Summer care as it is more prone to having hyper-pigmentation problems. Just because you were born with more melanin on your skin, it does not mean you can skip hydrating, scrubbing and protecting.
#4
If you hair is chemically treated either by straightening or dying, you need extra care. Wet you hair (fresh water) before the beach/pool, apply a good oil (I like Brazil Nut for thin or blonde hair, and Ojon or Pracaxi for dark or thicker hair) and make a bum with a good hair tie that won't break or get stuck in your hair. Wear a hat.
#5
Most of us don't have the famous Brazilian butt, including most Brazilian girls. But we can work with what we have.
Do squats - 10 to 20 every time you go to the bathroom.
Massage your legs and butt - massaging stimulates the circulation an helps with many issues we have in that area. ANDIROBA oil was proven to help prevent cellulite.
Even if you have no intention of ever wearing a Brazilian bikini, choose well. A bathing suit that is too big on your butt just makes your butt look bigger. That extra fabric hanging back there is not flattering AT ALL! Try to buy something that is cut like a V (it can be a big V) on the back NOT a U. Trust me on that.
Drink water, lots of it!
#6
Curls, coils and kinks also want to have fun! But they are so fragile!
Again, wet your hair before the beach/pool, apply a good oil (I like cupuacu/murumuru/pracaxi combo) avoiding the scalp if you have oily scalp. If your hair is long enough, make a loose braid, if not, take advantage of cute bandanas and scarfs! If you have very short hair protect your scalp, a sunburned scalp is not fun!
#7
Have fun, don't just sit there roasting. Go for a swim, for a walk, go beachcombing, bring your hula hoop to the beach (I am assuming everyone has one), bring games, a snorkel, try something new.
Most Americans just have few warm months out of the year, make the most it.
If you are drinking alcohol make sure to still drink water.
RAINFOREST CHICA WISHES YOU A BEAUTIFUL TANNED SUMMER!
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Maracujá (passion fruit) - Cut the fruit into two halves. From here, scoop out the jelly-like pulp with a tablespoon.Seeds and all.
- Ice
- Cachaca, vodka or rum 1 1/2 oz.
- Sugar 2 1/2 tbs
Put it all in a mixer and pour on a glass, that easy! It is absolutely delicious!
Melasma. January 07 2015, 0 Comments
Melasma is a chronic skin disorder that results in symmetrical, blotchy, brownish facial pigmentation. It can be a big hit on our self esteem. I know it well, after a change in birth control pills, the skin on my cheeks, forehead and chin started getting pretty dark. I, who had always taken pride of my good Brazilian skin, all of the sudden, had to start wearing makeup. But unless you wear a thick mask, sometimes makeup just makes the melasma look worse. I remember not wanting to go into very bright places and looking at my feet a lot.
I did treatments with every new, expensive product in the market. I remember the acids making my skin so thin, I tried to get my eyebrow waxed, the skin came out on the wax! OUCH! These products also made little veins start popping on my previously flawless skin.
It was a long year...
Then in one of my trips to Brazil, I stopped in the Amazon forest on my way to Rio, and an indigenous looking lady, with absolutely beautiful skin, told me about Pracaxi oil. I got it, started using it at night and in 2 weeks I could see a difference. It is a process, it is not an overnight miracle, but the oil feels great on my skin and I like the smell of it. I also avoid sun on my face, I still go to the beach but I wear a lot of sunscreen and hats! Once you have melasma, you will have it forever, but you can learn how to live with it, and keep it under control. Nowadays I use a mix of Pracaxi + Acai oils. I still have a little bit of discoloration on my cheeks but NOTHING like the black mask I had for quite a while.
CAUSES
What causes melasma is not yet clear. It likely occurs when the color-making cells in the skin (melanocytes) produce too much color. People with skin of color are more prone to melasma because they have more active melanocytes than those with light skin.
Melasma appears on women’s skin much more often than men’s skin. Just 10% of people who get melasma are men.
People with darker skin, such as those of Latin/Hispanic, North African, African-American, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean descent are more likely to get melasma. People who have a blood relative who had melasma also are much more likely to get melasma.
Common melasma triggers (what starts it) include:
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Sun exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun stimulates the melanocytes. In fact, just a small amount of sun exposure can make melasma return after fading. Sun exposure is why melasma often is worse in summer. It also is the main reason why many people with melasma get it again and again.
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A change in hormones: Pregnant women often get melasma. When melasma appears in pregnant women, it is called chloasma, or the mask of pregnancy. Birth control pills and hormone replacement medicine also can trigger melasma.
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Cosmetics: Skin care products that irritate the skin may worsen melasma
Whichever way you choose to deal with it, chemicals, natural, laser,
I wish you good luck, and remember to ALWAYS wear sunscreen and hats!
FAIR TRADE: people making your stuff overseas are not slaves, starving, kids and/or working under horrible conditions.
WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU: better stuff + good karma+ better world.
SUSTAINABILITY: nothing is getting destroyed in order for you to get your product. Amazon self sustainable resources are usually wild harvested and/or cultivated with no damage of native environment.
WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU: lungs of the planet, animals, local and indigenous people and YOU will be around for a bit longer.
You just need to change 10% of your consuming habits to make a huge difference in our planet. Recycle, don't buy bottled water, have a coffee mug, don't buy stuff you don't need.
Obrigada!
