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Belem is situated at the mouth of the Amazon River
in northern Brazil. It's the capital and economic centre of
the state of Para. The famous Ver-O-Peso Market stretches
along the waterfront and is a curious combination of fishmongers,
vegetable market and tourist attraction.
Foods to Find Here
The market is open all day, but you should aim to arrive early
when boats laden with fresh fish, meat and fruit bring their
cargo to market. This is the best time to bag the freshest
produce.
Belem has a distinctive regional cuisine featuring an astounding
array of fruits from the rainforest and fish from the Amazon
basin. In fact, biologists can only identify 70% of the weird
and wonderful species of fish on sale at the Ver-o-Peso market.
Stranger still are the peculiar medicinal herbs derived from
rainforest plants and roots, cures for uncommon ailments -
such as crocodile teeth, bottled snakes and three
toed sloths - and amulets to ward off the evil
eye. Ver-o-Peso is a colourful market which provides the traveller
with a window into local culture,in a remote and challenging
environment. |
