Flat cerrado plain runs to the horizon, and the towers rise from it like a row of white dominoes. Up close, the city is all small details. Art Deco facades line Praça Cívica, where three bronze men lean into a granite pillar as if moving it an inch at a time.
Away from the center, joggers circle the lake at Vaca Brava, the Feira Hippie fills a whole square with stalls, and pamonha arrives stuffed with cheese and spicy sausage. Rain falls from October to April, then months of dry sunshine follow. A Local Friend can lead you to the bench, bar or fair stall they love and tell you why it matters.
