After the bumby ride through the night from Atins to Barreirinhas and the ferry at the end we took another 4x4 to get to Vehlo Paulino which got stuck only once in the sand. Than from Vehlo Paulino to Tutoya with yet another Jeep and a ferry. Than from Tutoya to Parnaibo with bus and since all the connections to Camocim were sold out we took a cab for the last strech. 16 hours after starting the trip we arrived in the unspectacular town. It is just the last stop before getting to the famous village of Jericoacoara. A village that used to be famous for fishing, than hippies and now sort of both with the image of a party place.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Atins
A four hour boat trip along the river Preguicas took us to the Atlanic Ocean. Atins is a small fisher village which doesn't see a lot of turists. 
The reason we got there was to visit the sand dunes which are similiar to the ones in Barreirinhas, but you don't need a tour a there are almost no other people around which spoil the impression of being alone in a sand desert. So we did that and encountered the views and lagoons we were hoping for. We walked around for about five hours in the burning sun. 
The last strech takes you along the green flatlands along the river delta, which offers a lot of sureal views with the dunes in the back.
The reason we got there was to visit the sand dunes which are similiar to the ones in Barreirinhas, but you don't need a tour a there are almost no other people around which spoil the impression of being alone in a sand desert. So we did that and encountered the views and lagoons we were hoping for. We walked around for about five hours in the burning sun. 
The last strech takes you along the green flatlands along the river delta, which offers a lot of sureal views with the dunes in the back.In the evenings we grilled some fish at the posada.
To get back to Barreireinhas we had to take a Jeep at 4 o'clock in the night, which got stuck in the mud three times and we had to pull and push it out.
To get back to Barreireinhas we had to take a Jeep at 4 o'clock in the night, which got stuck in the mud three times and we had to pull and push it out.
Barreirinhas
The five of us travelled to Barreirinhas to visit the Lencois National Park. One of the main attractions are the sand dunes. Since it was a saturday during the high season, we were not alone. Brazilian turists were all over.
So expectations for the tour dropped fastly. But the bumby ride through the savannah style landscape with all the waterpools made up for the shortcommings at the ferry spot at the beginning. When we arrived we told the 15 year old tour guide that we will do it by ourself. The huge lagoons in the middle of those up to 40 meters high dunes is truly an amazing place. The water clean and refreshing - a highlight of my whole trip.
So expectations for the tour dropped fastly. But the bumby ride through the savannah style landscape with all the waterpools made up for the shortcommings at the ferry spot at the beginning. When we arrived we told the 15 year old tour guide that we will do it by ourself. The huge lagoons in the middle of those up to 40 meters high dunes is truly an amazing place. The water clean and refreshing - a highlight of my whole trip.The next day we were ready to go to Atins, but after waiting for hours with all our backpacks next to us, we had to admit that there was no chance of getting out of that town.
But Barreirinhas is not as bad as the first impression implies.
There is a huge sand dune in the middle of town at the river. Brazilians are playing football, volleyball, sliding down the dunes with sledges, swimming and enjoying the way to loud music.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREDDY (my brother)
But Barreirinhas is not as bad as the first impression implies.
There is a huge sand dune in the middle of town at the river. Brazilians are playing football, volleyball, sliding down the dunes with sledges, swimming and enjoying the way to loud music.HAPPY BIRTHDAY FREDDY (my brother)
Belem
Sam from England and Declan from Scottland accompanied me to look for a hostel. After getting rid of a tail while walking along the harbor we found a cool hostel.
Belem has a lot of nice parks where streetvendors sell their goods.
At the port is a huge market where you can eat and get drunk like the locals so passionatly do. There is also an old fortress which is their prime turist attraction. The buildings in the old part of town, and more or less also in the new part, are in a very bad shape.
I hung around with Declan and Sam most of the time. They are the youngest people I travelled with so far. They worked in separate jungle villages in Guyana for their whole gap year as English and math teachers. So they always had good stories to tell.
Declan turned 19 while staying in Belem. So we baked a surprisingly good cake in a cooking pan - the oven didn't work. With candles and everything.
The next day we went to see a zoo, which was amazingly quite in the middle of this noisy city. Afterwards we checked out the botanic garden, which also had crocodiles and other exotic animals.
At the last day we decided to go on our own to the "Parque Ambient de Belem" which is in the north of the peninsula. Since we only had a basic map of the city which was drawn in a perspective, we didn't really know how far the distances will be.
So we ended up walking for a long time. People started to tell us that it wouldn't be secure to walk around there. A 15 year old girl had the half hour time and patience to walk us to the entrance of the park. The guy at the entrance didn't really care. So we walked along a wide road without cars for another hour until we came to a turist information center. Police and military welcomed us and told us not to go any further because the park is not safe. So we chilled at the lake and played cards. Than an other guy from the military arrived and told us, that also the road we took to get there was unsafe. He suggested that we should wear military clothes so the thives wouldn't attack us. The british boys liked the idea more than I did. After a while a private citizen came who claimed to be the boss of the military - hmmm. But he had a car and the weather had changed to rain. So we drove of with him. He even showed us some nice spots of Belem, such as the university. Then he drove us home to the hostel and afterwards me to the terminial. I think this guy is just a genuinly a nice guy.
At the port is a huge market where you can eat and get drunk like the locals so passionatly do. There is also an old fortress which is their prime turist attraction. The buildings in the old part of town, and more or less also in the new part, are in a very bad shape.I hung around with Declan and Sam most of the time. They are the youngest people I travelled with so far. They worked in separate jungle villages in Guyana for their whole gap year as English and math teachers. So they always had good stories to tell.
Declan turned 19 while staying in Belem. So we baked a surprisingly good cake in a cooking pan - the oven didn't work. With candles and everything.
The next day we went to see a zoo, which was amazingly quite in the middle of this noisy city. Afterwards we checked out the botanic garden, which also had crocodiles and other exotic animals.
At the last day we decided to go on our own to the "Parque Ambient de Belem" which is in the north of the peninsula. Since we only had a basic map of the city which was drawn in a perspective, we didn't really know how far the distances will be.
So we ended up walking for a long time. People started to tell us that it wouldn't be secure to walk around there. A 15 year old girl had the half hour time and patience to walk us to the entrance of the park. The guy at the entrance didn't really care. So we walked along a wide road without cars for another hour until we came to a turist information center. Police and military welcomed us and told us not to go any further because the park is not safe. So we chilled at the lake and played cards. Than an other guy from the military arrived and told us, that also the road we took to get there was unsafe. He suggested that we should wear military clothes so the thives wouldn't attack us. The british boys liked the idea more than I did. After a while a private citizen came who claimed to be the boss of the military - hmmm. But he had a car and the weather had changed to rain. So we drove of with him. He even showed us some nice spots of Belem, such as the university. Then he drove us home to the hostel and afterwards me to the terminial. I think this guy is just a genuinly a nice guy.Amazon IV
Dimitri, Declan, Sam and me went to the harbor a found the biggest passenger boat I saw so far. Now there were a lot of gringos visible and brasilian turists. Hammocks were as close as always, but there was also a whole deck with suites for the wealthy. People got drunk most of the time. The Amazon was now extremely wide. Thats why we were not able to see a lot of trees. At the end of the Amazon 
their is a little island of the size of Switzerland.
their is a little island of the size of Switzerland.We mostly played cards all day. Thats also when I got to know the beautifull Liane from Romania. We had a really nice chat and I suppose we would of travelled on together if she wouldn't had to go on so fast to Rio.
The next morning we arrived in Belem. That meant that my month long journey along the river came to it's end. I enjoyed it a lot - the good and the bad parts - and was able to refresh my batteries while reflecting on the journey behind me and thinking of the adventures that are still to come.
The next morning we arrived in Belem. That meant that my month long journey along the river came to it's end. I enjoyed it a lot - the good and the bad parts - and was able to refresh my batteries while reflecting on the journey behind me and thinking of the adventures that are still to come.
Santarem
After arriving in the middle of the night, me and the Australians decided to spent the rest o
f the night in the hammock at the port. In the morning we checked into one of these hostels, that have huge rooms with high cealings. We pretty much went on for a daytrip to the small village called Altar do Chau which is famous for white sandbeaches along the river. But since the water was much higher than usual, we saw a lot of flooded houses and no beaches. Thats why are visit was fairly short. (2 beers)
f the night in the hammock at the port. In the morning we checked into one of these hostels, that have huge rooms with high cealings. We pretty much went on for a daytrip to the small village called Altar do Chau which is famous for white sandbeaches along the river. But since the water was much higher than usual, we saw a lot of flooded houses and no beaches. Thats why are visit was fairly short. (2 beers)Santarem is the major port up the Amazon river beside of Manaus. Taking into account it's size, Santarem is pretty sleepy. The riverfront i
s pitoresque and offers space to the hunderds of small and big boats. The Australians didn't have enough patience to wait for the boat that would have left in 5 days. So they took a ridiculous 72 hours bus from Santarem all the way to Sao Luis. Those 72 hours depend on good weather a generally luck.
A "perfect storm" diarreha screwed up my plans to go to the nearby jungle. So it was all about killing time with books, Internet and whatching other people living their daily lives at the harbor and the market.
s pitoresque and offers space to the hunderds of small and big boats. The Australians didn't have enough patience to wait for the boat that would have left in 5 days. So they took a ridiculous 72 hours bus from Santarem all the way to Sao Luis. Those 72 hours depend on good weather a generally luck.A "perfect storm" diarreha screwed up my plans to go to the nearby jungle. So it was all about killing time with books, Internet and whatching other people living their daily lives at the harbor and the market.
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