(^138) Jeri – Chaval - 57 km (+40 km by jeep)
Early morning, we were ready to leave the park. Although told the jeep would
collect us at 6h30, the time was 8 o’clock before getting underway. The trip was
eventful as the jeep was crammed (we counted 20), our bikes, surfboards, luggage
and even a giant teddy bear which took up a great deal of space. The jeep sped
along the beach, over dunes and through rivers. Two ferry crossings later, we got to
Camocim and Amanda breathed a sigh of relief.
Our early arrival made continuing to Chaval possible. A remote guesthouse on the
banks of a mangrove-lined river offered overnight accommodation.
Chaval – Parnaiba - 86 km
The following day the scenery changed entirely. The dunes disappeared and
massive rocks appeared. Amanda spotted a small café to have breakfast, seeing
breakfast wasn’t available at the guesthouse. After bread, coffee, and a good
tailwind, we reached Parnaiba early.
Parnaiba was significantly larger than imagined and marked the edge of a vast
delta. We had a few options, of which biking around the delta to Sao Luis was one.
Unfortunately, the distance was 600 kilometres, whereas if we could find a boat to
the small town of Barreirinhas, Sao Luis’s distance would be about 250 kilometres.
Once a guesthouse was located, finding a boat was a priority. Boat trips were more
popular than anticipated and several agents offered delta trips. We arranged a boat
for the next morning to the small and remote settlement of Tutoia. Once in Tutoia,
we would decide what to do next. The map didn’t show any roads, but it made
sense that there must be a way out if people lived there.
leana
(Leana)
#1