Sadly, the road deteriorated and the shoulder became rutted and potholed. At one^113
stage a bus came careening down on Amanda and, in the process of avoiding it,
she went off the road, hit a pothole and had a terrible fall. She was immensely
courageous, and while blood dripped down her arms and legs, she wiped the dust
off and got back on the bike. We had approximately 10 kilometres before finding a
guesthouse where she could wash herself off and clean her wounds. We laughed as
all I had to bandage her arm was a headscarf - at least the scarf was colourful and
had pretty tassels.
Her fall was, in fact, far more severe than what we at first expected. The bicycle
was never the same afterwards, and she struggled with an injured shoulder and
knee for at least a year thereafter.
Ipojuca – Recife - 46 km
The next day, and even while injured, Amanda cycled to Recife. I thought it
possible she broke one or more ribs.
Recife came as a slight shock after such a long time in the countryside. The city
was large and swarming with tourists. Being Republic Day in Brazil and a public
holiday, all the popular places were fully booked and we settled for a pricey hotel.
The weather was sweltering and humid, and holidaymakers crowded the beaches.