Saturday, March 24, 2018

Teresina,the Green City

Teresina is the capital and most populous municipality in the Brazilian state of Piauí, a city in northeastern, at the confluence of the Parnaíba and Poti Rivers. It's the only capital in the Brazilian Northeast that is not located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Teresina is generally a degree or two hotter than neighbouring state capitals.

If you are just passing through, take a stroll down Frei Serafim, the main street, to the Igreja São Benedito (if it is open). Have a glass of fresh sugar cane juice, washed down with a pastel, in one of the small launchenettes, then walk across Praça Pedro II to the excellent Central de Artesanato to buy some traditional craftwork, before heading off to eat some meat or the excellent local crabs. 

Avenida Frei Serafim (Canteiro central)

Like Manaus in Amazonia, Teresina has its own "Meeting of the Waters", although the Parnaiba and Poti rivers are not on the same scale!

Teresina was Brazil's first planned city, with streets in the centre on a grid, before anyone had even thought of building Brasilia. It is known as the Green City on account of the mango trees lining so many of the major streets. It is one of the safest state capitals in Brazil.

Every June, Teresina hosts Brazil's national folklore festival (the Encontro Nacional de Folguedos) in the Park Potycabana. There is dance, music, culture and food from all over the country.

There isn't much to see in Teresina...but there are some sightseeing interesting:

Palácio de Karnak

It is in Greco-Roman style, with gardens designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, best-known landscape designer, in 1970. The palm trees are carnauba, whose wax is one of the state's most valuable exports

This pleasant neo-classical structure has been the official seat of the Governor of Piauí since 1926 and contains some works of art and antiques. For unknown reasons it is named after the Karnak at Luxor in Egypt, and local people seem to think the architecture is Egyptian. It is alleged that in the late '80s, the outgoing governor made a quick exit, together with many of the valuable contents. 

Nearby, the Master Dezinho Crafts Center market has stalls selling goods from around Piauí state.
Praça Pedro II: This pleasant green square is in the city centre. Several major buildings are here including the Central de Artesanato, the Theatro 4 de Setembro and the Clube dos Diários.

The Theatro 4 de Setembro is the large neo-classical flesh coloured building with Islamic influenced windows.

The Meeting of the Rivers

The small Parque Municipal do Encontro dos Rios is located in the north of the city. Here the blue waters of the Poti flow into the Parnaíba river. There is a statue of Cabeça de Cuia here ( "Bowl Head"). The legend is that a young man, Crispim, lived with his mother by the river. They were poor, and dinner was a thin soup with a bone in it. Enraged, Crispim threw the bone at his mother, killing her. Before she died she cursed him, that his head would swell up to the size of a bowl. He would not be released from the curse until he had sex with seven virgins called Maria (this is Brazil...).

There is a floating restaurant here. There is also a little ferry, so you can go experience the meeting of the waters from the water.

If you are driving up along the side of the Poty you will pass a number of small-scale pottery manufacturers. The area has the grandiose title of the Pólo Cerâmico Artesanal do Poty Velho.

At some points on the river you can see fishermen casting their nets from small canoes and women washing their clothes on the river banks.

Fossil Forest

Teresina's Fossil Forest (Floresta Fóssil) dates from the Permian period, 240 million years ago. Fossilised remains of trees are extremely rare. The forest was discovered in 1909. The most significant remains are now protected as the Parque Ambiental Floresta Fóssil, situated on the bank of the Poti river just 500 metres from Teresina Shopping. Unfortunately the authorities are not making sufficient efforts to preserve the remains, so their long-term prospects are in jeopardy.

Praça da Bandeira

A large green area in the city centre. The Museu do Piauí, Teresina's old market, the town hall and Igreja Matriz are all located here.

Ponte Metálica

The Ponte Metálica, the metal bridge connecting Teresina with the town of Timon in Maranhão is a local landmark and seen as a symbol of the city. It is, though, just a metal bridge.... It's proper name is Ponte João Luis Ferreira.

Ponte Estaiada:

The new bridge, Ponte João Isidoro, was opened in 2010. To the people of Teresina, and maybe the state, it represents their entering modernity. It is likely to become the new postcard image of Teresina.

It's a nice enough bridge, and has a viewing platform with capacity for 100 visitors at 95 metres above ground level. The viewing platform is served by two lifts. The bridge's main column is illuminated by blue spotlights at night.The view of the city is great, it's a 360 degrees view, which shows the whole beauty of the city.

Gelato & Grano: one of the best restaurante and ice cream place in Teresina with nice accents.

Mercado Troca-Troca

Troca-troca means "barter" in Portuguese. Actually, it is also slang for something else, but this is not a proper place to say it... 
Troca-troca a place to exchange your kitchen sink for an old bicycle rather than buy a memento of Brazil. The market started under the vast fig tree that now stands behind the permanent roofing, on the banks of the River Parnaíba. I include it here because it seems to be in all the guidebooks. Not really worth a visit, and the few tourist places in Teresina I would suggest going with a local friend.

O mais novo parque

Parque Estação da Cidadania