I’ve barely scratched the surface of Brazil – having only visited Rio de Janeiro on a couple of occasions and Sao Paulo for six weeks earlier this year. This time around I wanted to explore Ceará, one of Brazil’s 26 states and is situated in the northeast corner of the country with beautiful beaches and a lot of wind that makes for great kitesurfing and windsurfing. Twenty years ago, Jericoacoara was an off-the-map place for beach bums and kite surfers to visit, 4 hour drive from Fortaleza, Brazil. These days it’s developing at a quick pace to match the tourist demand, but for me very much retains a rustic and simple charm.
Jeri is more of an adventure destination than a beach destination — the surrounding wind-swept sand dunes abutting the ocean support the local tourist industry bringing money to the locals. Adventure outfitters and tour operators are everywhere – making the 4×4 wheel drive cars that are necessary to navigate in all directions more accessible to the rest of us. I spent two days riding one of these open-air 4×4 wheel dune buggy, sort of like a horse, standing on the back end of it gripping a handle behind the driver. It’s exhilarating to ride, clinging for your life, as the buggy blasts forró music, the warm air is passing through your hair, and the wind-carried sand is ever so gently exfoliating your skin.
I was fortunate enough to be able to watch Brazil win a World Cup against South Korea at an outside bar with locals — drinking caipirinhas and cocos verdes with a straw, eating grilled meat — everyone wearing Havianas. This is a good type of life I thought.
The major highlight of my week in Jericoacoara might have been the apartment rental I stayed in with a spectacular roof deck overlooking the town. Each afternoon was spent listening to music watching the clouds migrate across the sky as the tops of the palm trees seemed to dance in the wind. On the last night of my stay, the town experienced a power outage that turned the entire town dark; directly above this roof deck, a half-moon bathed us all in a blue-gray cool light. Clustered planets became more visible and the surrounding stars seemed to salute at attention. Distant passing cars and their lights were alien in this natural environment where anything that wasn’t, was incongruous.
