(^140) Parnaiba – Tutoia - By boat
Our boat departed at 1 o’clock, and there was no rush as the ferry port was barely
10 kilometres away. A flat and smooth ride took us to the harbour, where one could
stock up on beer, water and snacks. The journey was fascinating, and offered more
wildlife than we envisaged. The delta was teeming with birds, crabs and even (what
seemed like) small crocodiles. However, the most incredible sight was the fish which
appeared to run on water.
Our boat cruised through the mangrove swamps, past small islets. We even spotted
monkeys way up in the trees. Eventually, reaching massive dunes, our skipper
stopped, allowing us to snatch a few pictures. The delta was a vast 2700 square-
kilometre expanse of islands, beaches, lagoons, dunes and mangrove swamps and
we about saw it all.
A few hours later, on arriving in Tutoia, our skipper kindly accompanied us to a
lovely pousada on the river. Tutoia was on a small island with no road to
Barreirinhas. However, villagers informed us that one could cycle to the subsequent
settlement from where, aptly named, Toyotas ran over the dunes to Barreirinhas.
Tutoia – Paulino Neves - Barreirinhas - 35 km (+55 km by truck)
From Tutoia, a decent-paved road ran the 35 kilometres to Paulino Neves, and, as
told, the route ended in Paulino Neves. We soon located the converted Toyota
trucks that ferry people to and from the community via sandy tracks to
Barreirinhas.
The ride was bumpy on a rough track, over dunes offering a stunning backdrop. My
dear sister made such a racket that one would’ve thought she had reached her final
days. No sooner had we departed than she hit the floor, yelling. I stared in utter
astonishment and had no idea what to do. Reassuring her we would be fine and
reminding her the driver drove the route twice a day, had no impact.
leana
(Leana)
#1