Living
Edward Finney
Oct 2 2008

Northeastern Brasil has about the nearest to a perfect climate on the planet. Divided into two seasons which are both agreeable. The winter is a little cooler and wetter than the summer which is hot and dry and somewhat tempered by the constant balmy sea breezes. Both seasons are perfect for warm/hot weather afincionados who prefer tank tops to overcoats. So, leave your winter clothes behind and pack your shorts and tee shirts and head on south. . . . . .that´s all you need. Formal wear is jeans, polo shirts and sandles. Combine the wonderful weather with the layed back life style with emphasis on seaside fun, cold beer and good food and you have found a place in the sun worth visiting, investing or retiring.

João Pessoa, the eastern most city in South America, is the most desireable city in NE Brasil in my opinion. Two hours north of the large city of Recife and three hours south of the smaller tourist oriented city of Natal, it is off the beaten tourist path and largely overlooked and underbooked. But, this is rapidly changing. The world is slowly discovering João Pessoa´s fantastic beaches and less chaotic lifestyle. A small expatriot community is slowly growing, investing and enjoying the desireable seaside life of Cabo Branco and Tambaú beaches. They are abandoning the more famous cities for the tranquil pleasure and low cost of João Pessoa.

This city has all the traditional attractions of any tropical seaside city and so many more. Foreigners who are lucky enough to find João Pessoa usually want to stay and many of them do. It has less of the negative aspects of an urban environment. There is only 1 car for each 4 residents therefore reducing street chaos to a minimum. Industry usually settles in the larger NE cities and what is in João Pessoa gathers in a special area outside of the city. Because of less cars, little industry and constant off shore breezes pollution is almost nonexistant. The usual coconut palms abound and the usual white sandy beaches seem just a little nicer. The numerous beach bars and restaurants are open air and ON the beach instead of air conditioned places on the OTHER side of the street. The beer seems colder, the sea breeze balmier, the women prettier and the bikinis smaller.

On top of all the superlatives, you can add: No hurricanes, earthquakes, tornedos, floods, blizzards, riots, forest fires or any other disasters that I can think of. And, to make things a little more desireable, add low real estate costs, a population that is responsive to developed country innovations and people that have absolutely no animosity to foreigners. If you have ANY inclination to travel, invest or live in a tropical climate, it would behove you to take a good long look at João Pessoa. Pack your tank tops, shorts and sandles and leave your suits behind(except your swimming suits of course). You might consider changing your bank account to the Banco do Brasil. Like so many other of our expats, you might just decide to stay.