Paradise Found...or..."Where there's a will, there's a way"

This past weekend, we visited the coastal town Jericoacoara. Renowned as one of the ten most beautiful beaches in the world, Jeri is also a popular destination for windsurfers. Above and beyond my almost obsessive passion for sea and sand, this latter detail kept my enthusiasm piqued despite the fact that our trip was a mandatory group excursion...which meant that all 30+ of us traveled in a big bus together and descended upon poor little Jeri en masse... a dynamic that leaves me unsettled at the best of times, and positively frustrated and disgusted at others. Yet our group is comprised of many interesting and enthusiastic people, so no matter what our group travels always represent the best of what I consider a not so ideal situation. And the magic of Jericoacoara soon soothed those feathers of mine that were ruffled in transit...

All of Jeri is one big pile of sand. The town is built on the sandy coastline, so all the roads and pathways are sand. The landscape is littered with 100-ft high dunes, and many of the sandy hills are covered with beach grass, giving the impression of rolling green pastures for as far as the eye can see. Here and there, some cacti sprout up, leaving one a bit disoriented as to location. Parts of the coastline are also rocky and craggy, creating the dramatic, land-meets-sea effect that I often associate with Ireland and parts of the British Isles. Jeri is on the "sunset coast" of Brazil...it is situated on a stretch of land that extends out in such a way that looking out over the water is actually looking west... so the sun sets over the water. On Saturday evening, myself and a few friends climbed a hill (i.e. a large dune covered in grass) from which we watched the sunset in one direction and looked out over the dunes, the town, and the marsh in the other direction. Pure bliss.

The town of Jericoacoara itself clearly exists soley for the purposes of tourism and would probably get old fairly quickly. It's the type of place like so many others where Brazilians and expats come and settle to escape from the 'real world.' As a result, it's full of little businesses owned by foreigners and catering to tourists. Not somewhere that I could stay indefinitely, but the landscape and the opportunities for outdoor activities are so attractive, that it certainly does represent paradise-on-earth, for awhile. We were only there for a day and a half in total, but I went hiking, swimming, and windsurfing in that short time. Also, it seems to be a popular place for accomplished chefs to take a little sabbatical and set-up shop, so some of the food, although price-y by Brazilan standards, was simply to die for.

I owe my kind and generous father (who knows me so well) many, many thanks because the windsurfing lessons that I took on Saturday were a surprise gift from him. The story that accompanies my experiences bears telling: On Saturday morning, I approached a couple on the beach who were sitting around a bunch of surfing and windsurfing gear and advertising lessons, hoping to avoid the expensive looking schools dotting the town. We began negotiating the length and cost of my lessons and I asked if they had a location where we could use a machine for me to pay by credit card, because I didn't have enough cash with me in Jeri to dish out for lessons (there are no ATMs or money changers). They looked at each other for a moment and then the woman, Cris, responded: "Sempre ha um jeito, ne?" Or: "There's always a way, isn't there?" So, I began. I had a lesson in the water for a little over an hour, and then rested on the beach. During this time, I asked if they wanted me to go with them then and pay, to which they responded that there was no rush. No rush to pay, only to learn and have fun. After resting, I continued for another hour and a half or so. There was a calm wind that day, which was perfect for learning. I learned a lot, and had fun. Afterwards, I went back to the guesthouse to retrieve my credit card and returned to meet my instructor and head off to pay. I had already mentioned that I was thinking about returning this coming weekend (we have the weekend free) in order to continue the lessons. On the way, I began inquiring about what sort of deal he could give me if I returned. Finally, he stopped and asked me if I was certain that I would be returning. At that point, I made a snap decision and told that I was returning "com certeza"... definitely. He then told me that I could pay when I return. Of course, the benefit for him is that when I return I will pay him in cash. But as it is, he let me just walk away on the assurance that I'll be returning to pay him in a week. What's more, the deal we then worked out is such that I will be able to windsurf for as long as I want for all three days that I am there, be it two hours, three hours, or all day. At first, I'll continue with instruction but by the end I should be practicing on my own and can go out, come back in, and go out again as much as I want. And at the end of it all, I'll pay him what amounts to a grand total of... about $75. Had I gone through a tourist company, I'd be paying at least that for one lesson! So now I am obligated to return to Jeri this weekend. As I said before, it's a tough life...