Feed the craving. What craving?

Catarino’s guest house is a basic but friendly hostel just off the main strip of Bonito (one block down and two across). Upon arrival we meet Catarino who is a middle aged Brazillian with a work in progress silver hairstyle verging on full silver completion. Welcoming in spirit, Catarino has a slightly older co-worker called Santos who does the communicating to us in English. Santos wears a mix of hunting and Safari clothing and we warm to his gentle orientation of the hostel and the main strip of Bonito. We are shown to our room which feels minimal after the near luxury of the Lontra Pantanal, but the welcome from the management bypasses any minor gripes we might have. The temperature is still chilly and we are forced to resort to two blankets on our firm (but comfortable) bed.

Bonito itself is small and tourist friendly with a refreshing sleepyness to it, far removed from the tensions of São Paulo and Rio. Phone boxes are contained in fun, giant fibre glass animals (Leopard/ Toucan/Parrot) and people are welcoming in the bars and restaurants of which it seems there are just about the right amount. We walk the main strip up and down a couple of times, and after a while it resembles the designated gift shop zone at a theme park. We decide to eat at Taboa, a chilled bar/restaurant with scrawly non-graphic graffiti on the inside and out. Without doubt, we order the best thing on the menu and almost get emotional about how good the food is.

One thing we have noticed is how controlling food can be of your moods whilst travelling. Initially we were really impressed by the quality of the food in Brazil, but have started to crave simple things like chips and spice. When possible, if you feed the craving it can lead to an almost euphoric reaction when you get what you need. Chips and a well cooked steak with Madeira sauce nearly blew my mind in Taboa. There is also a sharing culture embedded into the menus and dining experience in Brazil. Most menus have a “para dois” section and is much cheaper to eat that way. Lucy washes it all down with a Caiprinha, but starts taking the odd sip of my beer here and there.