AN ILLUSION OF PARADISE

Published August 14, 2019 | By Dr. Jack Wheeler

This beach has been voted the most beautiful in the world…

Right along with its adjacent cove…

What do you think? If not, how about this?

Or this?

This one has the fascinating feature of baby sharks playing in the waves…

No worries, they’re harmless, too small to bite. Maybe though you’d prefer here…

Where it’s always party-time – discretely, with no crowds…

Paradise, right? And where are we? An island 220 miles off the northeast corner of Brazil in the Atlantic called Fernando de Noronha. Mention it to almost anyone in Brazil and their eyes get misty, for here is where they all dream of coming.

The beaches are gorgeous, pristine with no condos or permanent buildings, immaculate and litter-free. The water is gin-clear, teeming with tropical fish. The weather, especially at this time of year, is Goldilocks perfect – warm, not too hot, not too cold, not too humid, just right. No mosquitos, no snakes, nothing poisonous – and it’s safe, virtually crime-free.

Yet for all but the tiniest fraction of Brazil’s 200 million, it’s just a dream for they never get here. For all their lives, it will remain an illusion of paradise. Why?

Because they can’t afford it. And it’s not worth it. Because it’s both ramshackle and expensive at the same time. There’s not a decent place to stay on the island, only small “pousadas,” people’s homes with rooms to rent, really – some nicer than others, but even one room with a bed and no chair plus a small bathroom can be $200 a night.

The only bars are shacks. There’s no night life at all. No really good restaurants so everyone orders pizza delivery, which will set you back $40 a pie. You can’t get out of the airport on arrival without paying an exorbitant “environmental fee,” which escalates rapidly into hundreds of dollars if you stay longer than a few days.

Then to go most anywhere, you must pay an exorbitant “national park fee” – then hire a guide to take you there. There’s only one paved road. Unless you walk, the only way to get around is via a tiny dirt buggy contraption that can negotiate the amazingly rutted and boulder-strewn paths, but only at 2-3 miles an hour.

Which is why, other than the occasional foreign visitor, most people you see are young Brazilian honeymoon couples whose parents are paying as wedding gift.

While there’s almost no trash or litter, most all homes are shacks, rusty and run-down. I haven’t seen one really nice home. Almost all businesses are holes in the wall. It’s like this is the world’s costliest backpacker haven.

The lesson is that paradise can sometimes be an illusion. The disparity between a dream and the reality behind it can be jarring – disillusioning.

We all have dreams – and I hope yours come true. Just choose your dreams wisely, so you’ll be happy when they do.

And if one dream isn’t what you expect – well, enjoy the sunset anyway. All of us are so privileged to be alive in a wonderful world.