Teresina (PI) – Unexplored History

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 24/06/2012 the 26/06/2012

Saímos of: São Raimundo Nonato - PI (Serra da Capivara)

Destination: Teresina, PI

Distance: 503 Km

Travel Time: 7h30 (considering the stops for lunch, supply and some photos).

Path: We took the Transpiauí PI-140 which then turns the BR-343. The road is generally very good with a few stretches of difficulty.

Where to sleep: Grand Hotel Arrey

What we eat good: Arroz com Capote (bird also known as moorhen Angola), mush of country chicken and pork sausage home. E as a beverage: Cajuína (bebida típica do Piauí) - No Longá restaurant

Filled Tire : interview with the owner Maria de Aguiar Moraes Genovefa - A Dona Genu Moraes (how much history!)

Tire murcho: terms relied on information from a tourist who told us that the viewpoint of the cable-stayed bridge was closed and, by consequência, not played terms.

A few hours on the road and fell behind the last remnants of the dry vegetation of the Caatinga. The landscape changed, became greener. So, we left the hinterland and the only capital rumávamos outside the Northeast coast.

Known as the Brazilian Mesopotamia, Teresina is cut by rivers Poti and Parnaíba. In a known development process, the city has an excellent index of HDI and other good scores that stand among the best cities in quality of life in the country. Not for nothing, then, of which around 18h ​​on Sunday you get there, we have seen dozens of Teresinenses walking and running by the river Poti.

Founded em 1852, Teresina is a new city became the capital of Piaui mainly due to its strategic position - despite the former capital and hurt, Oeiras. Being longe do mar, Teresina would be less subject to attacks and marine invasions. Moreover, its geographical position facilitated the flow of products also important for other northeast capitals (former: St. Louis, Fortress, Recife and Salvador). Another issue that influenced the choice of the city as the capital of the state was the meeting of two mighty rivers that pass through there and cut the city today.

Night fell and, we run after little more than an hour through the city following some recommendations, gone to the newly opened Grand Hotel Arrey. Ali talked to the manager and present Edinaira Expedition 4×1 and our intentions in the city. Very friendly and helpful, She became interested in the project and we got the hosting courtesy! We were therefore very contentess, beyond the structure of the hotel is amazing (empty site), still would sleep in beds (after several nights sleeping in tent)!

We went up and soon we were settled in order to go out to eat. But, shortly before entering the Tanajura our "luck" in the city change. It all started when we went to the concierge for dinner only get RECOMMENDATIONS. It, without imagine, received a shower of knowledge and culture, not only about Teresina, but about the history and curiosities of Piaui, hair do hotel concierge, Sr. Edson, who is also professor of tourism in the city!

Recommended by Edson a delicious steak dinner with Maria Isabel (seasoned rice with shredded beef) and Paçoca (dry shredded beef with farofa) Piri Piri no restaurante. And even better than the food was the price! R $ 54 including drinks and the friendly welcome of the waiter who served us.

The time was short Teresina, because there were going to Jericoacoara-CE. So the next morning we left for the traditional walk around the main sights of the city. First we went to the Theatre 4 September, carefully presented by proud employees who insisted on taking us behind the scenes!

Dali, and also the center, we went to the beautiful palace of Karnak, headquarters do Governo Piauiense.

The Palace all white and very well maintained main attraction is its front garden whose work has been done by the famous landscape architect Burle Marx. Talking to the guard managed to enter the palace that still holds ancient pieces and finished the ride in the great hall of the governor's speeches, where the Brazilian flag on the side of the Posas Piauiense.

We left the palace and a few meters was the church of St. Benedict. The church was built by slaves and completed by the white. Two curious facts mark the church: the first is that the main door, which was carved by slaves, was declared even before the church itself; the second is the patron saint - who gave the name of the church - was placed on the outside, because no white would bow to a black saint (Today the saint is already within the church).

The late afternoon was approaching and would still have the best surprise that rapid passage through Teresina. Appointed by Edson (are seeing because it changed our luck in Teresina!) went to talk with Dona Genu simpatssíssima Moraes!

We arrived there ignorant to the history of Piauí and the very life of Dona Genu. With some loose started the interview questions. After a few minutes and with the help of journalist Kenard, co-authored a book on the history of the father of Dona Genu, the details of his incredible life story have emerged through a very relaxed conversation. Dona was born in Genu 1927 and was the daughter of Euripides de Aguiar, an influential regional politician who was deputy, Governor and Senator of the State of Piauí, Besides being one of the founders and influential leader of the old UDN (National Democratic Union, opposition party the Getúlio Vargas).

Sr. Eurípedes was Vargas and disaffected from the President, When visiting the Teresina, to have done an invitation to meet you. However, Dona Genu told us that Vargas heard an ironic refusal, extremely courageous act given the political scenario of the time!! Dona Genu was really a woman ahead of her time. Still young at the time living in St. Louis (MA) was the first woman president of the Union of Journalists of Maranhão and years later was invited to conduct a program on a defunct TV channel. Journalist charismatic and influential, she embarked in politics like his father, with a variety of positions related to state government and is now the ONLY person still alive among the active members of the UDN!!! We were more than 3 hours with a real lesson (mainly from the years 50) someone who actually lived this story and that the country had about Juscelino (it was like she was referring to former president Kubitschek) with charm and humor, with stories like a childhood friend! Ah, and without speaking that the conversation was accompanied by coffee and biscuits kindly provided by Dona Genu in your home that is truly a living museum - with parts used by their parents and still preserved by her!

At the end of the interview also found that the stories of Dona Genu and Dr.. Nièdi Guidon (we know in Serra da Capivara) were together in a book that put them among 10 high-profile women in the history of Piauí! And we had the honor of knowing them personally and interview them!!

We finished the day with a lavish dinner in one of the most traditional restaurants in Teresina: the Longá, with 22 years of existence. Longá is the name of the river that cuts through the hometown of the owner of the restaurant, sra. Jesus de Carvalho, who received us with great sympathy providing us with the most traditional dishes courtesy of the house: Arroz com Capote (bird known to us as Chicken of Angola), Mush Chicken Homemade Pork Sausage and Caipira. And to drink famous Cajuína (bebida típica do Piauí) made by the Longá!

A curiosity about the Longá is that Jesus owns occasionally go to Sao Paulo to make the rice to coat Rep. Frank Aguiar (which is also Piauiense) in commemorative events!

Before we left we still in the 'Meeting of the Rivers', where the waters converge with those of Poti Parnaíba. Ali had founded the first povoado of Teresina. Across the river one can see Parnaíba Maranhão and its first city: Timon. Just cross the bridge. And although we have gone in the morning, Teresinenses strongly recommend the visit to the meeting of the rivers is done near sunset! Unfortunately we have not had time to see.

Another traditional tourist city, but that due to wrong information we get from a tourist could not visit, was the Belvedere Bridge Estaiada. The 100 meters high it is on the majestic Stayed Bridge that crosses the river Poti and provides a panoramic view of the entire capital.

At breakfast, on our last day at the Gran Hotel Arrey, closed the visit to Teresina with a golden key. It turns out that morning was occurring event official opening of the hotel, Teresina and the press was there in strength! To not lose the opportunity to Tanajura parked right in front of the hotel and gave no other, the beautiful Tana drew the attention of some journalists who soon discovered that it was our. After we tell our story sympathetic journalist Dalyne Barbosa managed to put a story in our largest newspaper in the region, 'Jornal do Meio Norte' and the other also on the hotel website!

Check out the matters herein:

Newspaper the North Half

Articles on the website of the Gran Hotel Arrey

Piauí is left behind, but will carry us the whole story of a state often overlooked by tourism and the Brazilian government.

For more photos of our visit to Teresina, click here.