Petrolina: Yoga, Humidity, and the Mystery of the Random Numbers

i've been in petrolina for three days and i'm still trying to figure out if the humidity is a blessing or a curse. don't get me started on the numbers-yeah, those numbers 3397154 and 1076632040. they keep popping up: scrawled on a bathroom stall at the hostel, whispered by a street kid who just pointed and laughed before disappearing into the market crowd. probably nothing, but my sleep-deprived brain won't let it go. i keep seeing them in the steam rising from my morning coffee, like a glitch in the matrix. so i'm here as a yoga instructor for a retreat, which is ironic because i can't even do a proper downward dog without my hands sliding off the mat. the air is so thick it feels like i'm breathing in liquid. i just checked my weather app and it's...24 degrees celsius, feels like 25, but with 94% humidity. i mean, that's basically soup. you might love that kind of thing if you're a fan of breathing through a wet towel. i'm not. if you want to see exactly where i'm babbling from, here's a map:

petrolina sits on the banks of the são francisco river, which is both the lifeblood and the mist that clings to everything. i've been wandering along the riverfront at sunrise, trying to catch a breath of air that doesn't taste like mildew. the river itself is a wide, reddish-brown slash against the green cane fields. they call this place the 'california of brazil' because of the grapes and the irrigation, but to me it just feels like a sauna with a view.

the river traffic is fascinating. there's this old ferry that shuttles cars and people between petrolina and its twin city, juazeiro, across the water. it's a rusty beast that groans with every load. if you stand close, you can hear the metal sigh like an old man. plus, i've been hearing gossip about a hidden waterfall just upstream that only appears during the rainy season. someone told me that it's accessed via a trail behind the abandoned hotel, but also i heard that the trail is guarded by a very territorial goose. i haven't verified either rumor yet.

food here is...interesting. i've been sampling the local acai, which is served with tapioca pearls and a drizzle of condensed milk. it's like eating dessert for breakfast, which i'm not mad at. but i also heard from a barista at a third-wave coffee shop that many places add sugar to everything, even the savory dishes. if you want to avoid the sugar bomb, try the grilled fish at the fish market. tripadvisor has a decent list of cheap eats: Petrolina Budget Eats on TripAdvisor. i also found this local blog that's less polished but more honest: Petrolina Divertida - Comida. for coffee snobs, there's a place called 'Café do Rio' with proper pour-overs; you can find it on Yelp: Café do Rio on Yelp.

traffic is a whole vibe. the streets are narrow and lined with colonial buildings that are crumbling in that charming way. red moto taxis zip past like wasps, often with two or three passengers hanging off the side. i tried to take one to the outskirts once and the driver just shrugged when i asked for a helmet. it's an adventure. if you get bored of the humidity and want a change of scenery, a short drive (or a ferry ride) to juazeiro is worth it. the vibe there is more artsy, with a couple of cool galleries and a riverfront park that's less crowded. i'd recommend it for a afternoon escape. i'm still haunted by those numbers, 3397154 and 1076632040. last night i had a dream that they were coordinates for a treasure buried under the mercado central. i woke up and went to check. the mercado is a labyrinth of stalls selling everything from spices to bootleg dvds. i asked around, but everyone just gave me a blank stare or laughed. maybe it's nothing. or maybe it's a code for the wifi password at the hostel. i tried it, no luck. i'll keep you posted if i ever decipher it. as for my yoga practice, i've resorted to early morning sessions on the rooftop of my hostel, where the breeze is slightly less oppressive. i still end up drenched in sweat, but there's a certain peace watching the sun rise over the river while holding a tree pose. the humidity makes every stretch feel like i'm moving through honey, but maybe that's the point: to learn to move despite resistance. or maybe i'm just dehydrated. either way, i need to go untangle my yoga strap before it becomes a third arm. stay weird, travellers.