(^104) Pirambu – Brejo Grande - 70 km
It rained throughout the night, but the weather cleared by morning. The map
indicated a shortcut via the beach but I didn’t expect the day to be quite as tricky as
it turned out. The rain of the previous two days made for muddy and slippery
conditions which required walking the bikes up the rutted hills while struggling
through wet and soft sand. Seeing women on bicycles appeared a rarity; villagers
thought us as fascinating as we found them. It felt like there was no end to the
muddy mess but, eventually (and covered in mud), we reached River Sao Francisco at
tiny Brejo Grande.
Brejo Grande – Portal do Coruripe - 55 km
Breakfast consisted of mashed cassava, milk, and a good cup of Brazilian coffee. I
watched the world go by in this small settlement. Rickety buses and horse carts came
clattering past. Ladies returned from the river carrying their freshly laundered
washing, mothers accompanied their kids to school, and farmers helped each other
get tractors going. Two youngsters were trying to herd a calf, but the calf wanted
nothing of it. They pushed and they shoved, but the calf had other ideas.
On departing, the pousada owner wanted no money for the room or breakfast. How
generous of him. Thanking him profusely, we headed to the river to find a boat to
take us across. Amanda was shocked to see that, once again, she had to board a tiny
wooden water taxi. The River Sao Francisco was quite a substantial river with many
myths. Nevertheless, we never saw the legendary water beast, said half-human and
half-animal, who lived at the bottom of the river and I understood snored.
Safely on the opposite side (and in the state of Alagoas), the path continued on a
paved road. Our route ran close to the coast, past vast palm tree plantations, sporting
glimpses of the ocean in the distance. The area was well off the beaten track, the
villages small, and the horse and cart still in everyday use.
leana
(Leana)
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