Today we travel from Brazil’s most African city, Salvador (28% black, 52% mixed and 19% white) to the south where it is rather white. Our destination Blumenau is 90% white, 8% mixed and less than 2% white. It has a strong German history.
We have a flight on Gol at 1400 to Rio de Janeiro’s Galeao airport where we have a 40 min connection to Navegantes, the nearest airport to Blumenau.
We had a leisurely breakfast chatting with Joe, the owner of the pousada before leaving at 1100. A car was parked quite considerately outside the pousada but the streets were narrow enough to not let a bus through. That held up our Uber ride a little.
The ride along the motorway gave us views of hillslopes covered with orange brick houses (pictured above); not quite shanty houses but rather obviously poorer areas compared to some of the stunning apartment blocks not far away.
We got to the airport around 1200. After dropping off Kim’s bag, we walked around landside and saw lots of beautiful food. Unfortunately we were still full from breakfast. Airside, there was next to no food available apart from some empanadas/pastels. Much of the airport was being renovated and some outlets were closed.
We got some food around 1300 as we didn’t want to buy overpriced inflight food from a very limited menu. At 1330 when I expected the plane to arrive, I wandered to our gate and was surprised that boarding had already commenced but there was no queue.
I hurriedly called Kim over and boarded the half-full flight. I thought we had missed the general boarding but then recalled that the flight had started at Natal and most people on board had come from there. A small number of people boarded after us before we closed up ahead of the scheduled 1400 departure.
Flying in Brazil gave me a few insights:
- For a country that is 50% white, 43% mixed and 8% black, the people on flights and in airports seem largely white. I’ve been told that racism is an issue in the country, but with so many mixed people, I’m sure it is less of an issue compared to other countries.
- Brazil is a huge country and a lot of flights are largely overland. Both our flights did not carry life jackets but had flotation seats. The GOL planes had three kind of setups: Flotation seats and evacuation slides; life vests and evacuation slides, life vests with evacuation slides and life rafts.
- The search for airfares also revealed that airfares are pricey compared to other parts of the world.
- The booking process shows a very strange pricing methodology. Our flight to Navegantes via Rio was cheaper than the same flight to only Rio. My research also showed that flights to Rio were cheaper via Sao Paulo and vice versa. Yes, I know that’s the case sometimes but in Brazil this kind of pricing seems quite rampant. I imagine flights between the two hubs of Rio and Sao Paulo would be full of people inconveniencing themselves to get a lower fare, generating little yield to the airlines.
Our flight of 2h10 from Salvador to Rio on a very noisy 737-700 went quickly with complimentary savoury or sweet biscuits and a complimentary drink, served by an all-female crew. Our 40 min connection in Rio went smoothly as the two flights were only one gate apart.
The second flight on a newer 737-800 was slightly quieter. It was only 1h35 and had an all-male crew. The landing at Navegantes was very hard, especially for us seated overwing.
Kim’s luggage was outside the terminal awaiting to be loaded on the conveyor as we walked into the small terminal building. We rushed out as the bus to Blumenau was scheduled to depart at 1845 following our slightly late arrival at 1830.
For some reason, the timetable wasn’t right and the departure was 1920. Playing with Uber while connected to the airport internet, I realised that we could have Uber’ed to Blumenau for around BRL80 as opposed to the BRL110 for two people on the bus.
However, when we were on the way in the bus, I realised the 1h05 ride was along dark unlit bumpy roads. It was one lane each way but with a new expansion for dual carriageway being built. I think it may not have been easy to get Uber at this time in the night.
We got to our Ibis Hotel in Blumenau around 2040. The internet wasn’t working in our first room so we shifted to a second, only to realise that it wasn’t working in all areas except the lobby. Aaargggh! If only the staff had been more straight-forward with the truth, it would have been easier for everyone!
Because of the unhealthy lunch of pastries at Salvador airport, we didn’t feel hungry. It’s funny how certain foods just sit in the stomach forever. We had also shared a sandwich upon arrival at Navegantes so was able to skip dinner tonight.