Touros – Joao Camara - 63 km ^123
Before getting underway, I attempted to draw money but the ATM didn’t want to
spit out any cash. I was slightly concerned as Amanda still couldn’t access her
money. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything I could do but try elsewhere.
Although hot, a tailwind made easy pedalling and reaching Joao Camara, I headed
to Banco do Brazil but the ATM was offline. Eventually, one of the other banks
accepted the card. With a sigh of relief, we searched for a guesthouse and located a
reasonably priced one as well as supper.
Joao Camara – Macau - 104 km
The map indicated a fair distance to Macau and no settlements between Joao
Camara and Macau. The day started with a good tailwind, and things went OK -
apart from Amanda having two flat tyres.
The area was unique being a hot, impoverished, drought-stricken region, not
something I’d expected to see in Brazil. Inhabitants have moved away, and only
ruins remain where houses once stood. In addition, Macau was extraordinarily
windy, and seafoam blew across the road like snow. We hurriedly offloaded our
panniers and rushed to the busy central plaza, as our long day of biking left us
starving.
Macau – Porto do Mangue - 75 km
The bike shop fixed all our punctured tubes and, feeling refreshed, we set off anew
into the wind. Unfortunately, the lack of a bridge across the river meant veering
inland to find one.