SO... I KNEW JERICOACOARA !

Among many travels I made around the world, and especially in Brazil; one, born from complete causality, took me to know Jericoacoara and remained forever in my mind...

I was in Fortaleza, for no special reasons, being this time a "normal tourist".

Really... just that was already a particular situation: differently from most times, I wasn't looking for special places good as targets of uncommon and ecological tourism.

Much simpler I had decided, convinced by friends, to spend some days of "normal" holidays in the place where they had a convention (but I hadn't to participate). And I had heard so much about many beautiful aspects of Fortaleza, his surroundings and the whole North-East as a new and still unknown look of Brazil.

Someone had spoken to me about wonderful sites, with long e desert white beaches; where high dunes of sand go directly to the ocean. That was so strange, I thought. To me, as for most of people not living there, the word "dunes" was strictly associated with "desert". Instead I'd found that an extraordinary panorama existing there, could be just named " the desert that ends in the sea".

Most I heard about a place that is the best example of that. People also were telling me it was a bit an adventure getting there and that the trip wasn't short at all. Nevertheless anyone was also saying there were a lot of very good reasons to go. Anyone saying "go and you'll see: O Paraiso Existe!" (The Heaven really exists!)

They got me to go...

Keeping in my mind to reserve my seat in advance, I took the bus that two times a day goes and comes regularly. I choose the one leaving at night, like they had recommended; although I was founding it a bit strange. After a good piece of asphalt road, came what I thought to be already the beginning of the "adventure". But it still wasn't ... it was only the 40Km of "piçarra" ("red" road: no asphalt); the best (literally!) began a little later.

Getting in a little town named Gijoca, the road ends. It's necessary to go on using four wheel drive cars: at that point the "on-sand part" begins, no road at all there (to build one is forbidden because it's inside an area of environment protection). There... the reason of the "strange recommendation" soon became very clear!

It was a Full-Moon night, and "there" to go "on-sand" means to find out the way, not far from the seaside, among small dunes, enormous dunes, water pools (because of the argyle strata that exists under the sand) and areas with grass and some animals. It's 40 minutes of a Moon-like landscape (just with the look and the light of the Moon!).

Then finally... "the place": a little village of fishers, now target of that kind of tourist that wants to live in an almost magical atmosphere. The same "something magic" that I really felt when I got there, that Full-Moon night: it's a place where remains forbidden the installation of conventional electricity, just to preserve that area "as is" (Anyway, people there, found alternative ways to guarantee fundamental services).

I got out the "four-wheels" and, helped by someone with gas lantern, I went to the "pousada" where I wanted my "base" for those days to spend in my new discovery.

So... I knew Jericoacoara!

The day after, I began discovering the particularities of that village whose roads are made of sand. Also much I knew about the beach, the dunes, the major lagoon that very near to the sea offers mild and transparent water, the "Pedra Furada", Tatajuba... This going on foot, with a horse, by dune-buggy! Also I made new friends among people living in that place, where it's also running a project of "ecological life"

And it wasn't finished at all! Going back Fortaleza from Jericoacoara, I accepted the idea of going by buggy all trip by the seaside: it's two or three days completely off-road for a total of more of 200Km "on-sand", by the Ocean!

I'm not trying to describe it! Not able! To understand what it is, needs to be "live"!

Everything was even more beautiful and true than they had told me: really "O Paraiso Existe!".