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Hello all.... What a fantastic five or six days we've had! We caught a bus last Wednesday (23rd August - it takes me a while to work out days and dates these days!) from Fortaleza to Jericoacoara, the last part of the journey by 4WD among sand dunes to the tiny fishing village, somewhat over-run by tourism, restaurants and pousadas, but with sand for roads, no street lighting and with an incredible setting....
The first evening we wandered from our pousada down to the beach and climbed up the sand dune at one end as the sun was going down. It was amazing being at the top of it, it being the first time either of us had seen sand dunes this big; we've been up dozens since, but that first time was very memorable...!
We stayed there a couple of days, swimming, watching sunsets and riding horses over the hills beyond Jericoacoara (Simon really fancying himself as the Lone Ranger... and of course "You can be Tonto, Linds!" Hmmm...) ... In the midst of trying to find out about transport further west and north towards the Amazon, we ended up signing up for a three day trip all along the coast from Jericoacoara to Barreirinhas and Parque Nacional Lencois de Marenhenses and finally onto Sao Luis, which is where we are now... last stop before Belem and the Amazon....
The trip was fantastic. Transport was a combination of 4WD and boat... 4WD along great stretches of beach and through some stunning scenery... 'scrub', dunes and lagoons... and speed boats from Parnaiba to Tutoia through virgin forest islands and mangroves (you sense we're approaching the equator and the Amazon now...), and yesterday up the Rio Perguica from Barreirinhas to Cabure near the sea.
After having spent much of the last month going from city to town to city, we've loved being right out in the wilds. The group was made up of Simon and me, an Italian couple, Daniel (the son of the travel agent) and the driver (whose name was difficult to remember, and I haven't...). We had places to ourselves all the time, being steered clear of the crowds in the national parks to swim in our own lagoons between the dunes and walk by ourselves over great expanses of nothing but sand... It's been wonderful.
We've been looked after so well, and stayed in a lovely pousada right on the sea in Tutoia the night before last... Every day's been one fab experience after the next, and I don't think we'll forget it in a hurry...
We were put on a minibus yesterday evening to here, Sao Luis, and seem to yet again be staying in one of Lonely Planet's "splurges" - the Pousada Colonial, which is exactly as it sounds - restored colonial architure - wrought iron railings at the windows, tiled on the outside, central courtyard... lovely....
Next stop Belem about a 12 hour bus ride from here. We've been having problems uploading photos at quite a few internet cafés now, but will keep trying. I think we've probably over-loaded you lot, too... so perhaps won't keep the updates quite so frequent!! I should think this'll be one of the last Brazilian entries at any rate... and probably a major highlight of our year!
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