Maringá: Humidity, Street Art, and a Whole Lot of 'What Was That?'

okay, so maringá. i didn’t even know maringá existed a week ago, honestly. it just…appeared on my radar after a particularly disastrous gig in são paulo (don’t ask, involved a rogue fog machine and a very angry sound guy). i just checked and it’s…like a warm hug right now, but a sticky warm hug, if that makes sense. the air is thick enough to chew, honestly.

i’m a freelance photographer, mostly shooting gigs and the occasional wedding (pays the bills, you know?). i’m always chasing that perfect light, that raw energy. and maringá…it’s got something. it’s not obvious, it’s more like a feeling. a slightly off-kilter vibe. the humidity is at ninety-three percent, which is…a choice. feels like eighteen-point-one-five, which is just rude. the pressure is a solid one-oh-one-one, though, so at least something is stable.

i’ve been wandering around, mostly getting lost in the side streets. the street art here is…interesting. not the polished, instagrammable stuff you see in bigger cities. it’s rougher, more political, a little bit unsettling. i overheard someone at a *pastelaria saying it’s all done by a collective called “Os Fantasmas” (The Ghosts). Apparently, they only work at night and disappear before anyone can catch them. Sounds legit.

someone told me that the Parque do Ingá is amazing for birdwatching, but also that there are a lot of mosquitos. like, a lot. i’m seriously considering investing in a full beekeeper suit. i checked out TripAdvisor and the reviews are…mixed. a lot of people rave about the green spaces, but also a lot of complaints about pickpockets. standard, i guess.

i found this tiny little boteco near my hostel (Hostel da Vila, highly recommend, super chill vibes - check them out on Booking.com). the owner, a guy named josé, makes the best caipirinhas i’ve ever had. he also warned me about the traffic. apparently, maringá drivers are…enthusiastic. “They see a yellow light,” he said, shaking his head, “they see a challenge.”

i’ve been trying to find some good vintage shops, but no luck so far. i heard that there’s a flea market on saturdays, so i’ll check that out. if you get bored, londrina and paranavaí are just a short drive away. i’m also thinking of taking a day trip to the Cataratas do Iguaçu - apparently, they’re incredible. Here's a link to a tour.

i stumbled upon a local forum (Maringá Online) and someone was complaining about the pigeons. apparently, they’re fearless and will steal your pão de queijo* right out of your hand. i’m now officially terrified of pigeons.

honestly, maringá is growing on me. it’s not glamorous, it’s not perfect, but it’s real. and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. i’m off to find more street art and maybe, just maybe, avoid the pigeons. i'll update if i get mugged or eaten by mosquitos. wish me luck!

You might also be interested in:

• https://votoris.com/post/doha-baby-a-drummers-dizzying-dive-into-the-desert-heat
• https://votoris.com/post/a-messy-humanstyle-title-sustainability-in-tijuana-how-green-is-this-urban-space
• https://votoris.com/post/sustainability-in-morelia-how-green-is-this-urban-space
• https://votoris.com/post/top-industries-driving-the-economy-of-ark
• https://votoris.com/post/pretoria-is-a-place-i-guess