After the previous day’s exhausting hike up Mamangua, we were both ready for a little down time and relaxation in Paraty. Which didn’t mean we had nothing planned. After a late start and leisurely breakfast, we headed into the historic center to do some gift shopping. We realized the time was getting short before our first scheduled appointment of the day, so we ducked into (yet another) food-by-the-kilo joint which was actually pretty decent and very affordable. The first activity we planned was to spend the good part of the afternoon at Shambhala Asian Day Spa, just a short 10-minute walk up the hill from our pousada. We booked several treatments to loosen tight muscles and take care of ourselves, including a Balinese body wrap (scrubbed with herbs and spices which warmed you up, then wrapped in plastic sheeting and blankets…a bit claustrophobic for my taste), massages, Japanese sauna and whirlpool, facial and pedicure. All in all, it was a great way to unwind from the hike and all the other stresses that had accumulated before the trip.
As evening fell, the owner Hans drove us back to our pousada for the evening’s festivities. Did I already mention I had booked us the top 3 things to do in Paraty, according to TripAdvisor? Well, we had done the hike and the spa. The last item would be a Brazilian cooking class at Academia de Cozinha e Outros Prazeres (Academy of Cooking and Other Pleasures). We didn’t know what to expect, and I think that’s why it turned out to be our most favorite thing on the entire trip (and that includes seeing Cristo Redentor, Sugarloaf, Iguazu, etc. etc.).
At 8 PM, Richard welcomed us into their lovely home, the downstairs portion of which doubles as the cooking school with kitchen, dining room, and living room. We met two other couples who would be sharing in our culinary adventure: a couple from Buenos Aires, an American exchange student, and a young fellow taking a year off to travel South America. The composition of the group would make for interesting conversation throughout the entire night. Richard started off by showing us the “proper” way to make a caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink made with cachaça (sugar cane liquor). Wowee zowee, that drink nearly knocked us both on our butts, but it was a good way to start the evening.
The menu was “Fruits of the Land”, with the land being a play on words. Ingredients were from Brazil, but the main dish would be a crab-stuffed sea bass. Yara demonstrated the different ways heart of palm would be used, and kept all of us up and moving and staying engaged in the cooking. Other dishes included grilled heart of palm, fresh heart of palm salad, rice with bechamel sauce (thanks to Kirstin!) which was almost like a risotto, and a caipirinha mousse. Everything turned out amazing, and even more memorable than the meal we enjoyed together around 10 PM (South Americans and their late meals…) was the camaraderie, stories, and banter we all shared around the table. Yara told us stories about how different ingredients came to Brazil, about Brazil’s national identity borrowing from African slave, European immigrant, and native Indian cultures. Just fascinating.
After a little cachaça tasting and dessert, we wrapped up the evening and vowed to return to see our friends again. In fact, we hope Yara and Richard will come see us in Portland some day! We stumbled down the cobblestone streets into the cool, Paraty night around 1:30 AM, back to our pousada.
Ahhhh, saudade!
