Jericoacoara, Day 22

Settled back into the familiar travelling groove of waiting and watching today, for three hours in a hot square in Camocim. We were with Jamie and the two Isreali guys to try and get a better deal. In these situations, though, Rob and I sometimes feel a little redundant, sitting in the shade doing nothing whilst everyone else does all the hard work. I'm sure they don't see it like that but I wish I spoke a decent amount of Portuguese. While we were waiting I saw the Brazilian version of electoral campaigning, a car blaring cheesy Brazilian music, with an attractive lady perched on top, waving a flag and looking completely bored.

The drive to Jeri was short and scenig, skirting round the edge of the dunes and ploughing through beached on a Toyota wagon, overloaded with people. A typically Brazilian contrast ocurred when we reached a small delta on this new piece of mechanical technology, only to be loaded onto a raft and pushed across by a man with a long stick.

Jericoacoara is the first place I have ever been to which is a genuine 'tropical paradise', and makes you understand the true meaning of the phrase. A palm tree laden, sand-streeted village is lined on one side by high sand dunes, the other dominated by a harsher, more exposed rock formation and bursting with wooden thatched huts, and charming pousadas. It is unsurprisingly a haven for travellers and judging by the non-Brazilian who tried to pursuade us to stay at her hostel a fair number can't drag themselves away.

We eventually bartered one hostel-owner down to twenty reals a night. He seems a real character, toying with his Hilton 100 cigarettes and proudly guiding us round the hostle, showing me a load of certificates I clearly couldn't understand but nodded along with anyway.

We ventured to the beach as soon as we were settled and it is really special, stunning in fact. The water is a warm, light turquoise lined with near snow-like sand. Its hard to do justice to such a scene.

Watched some Brazilian beach football for the second time, and its fairly hectic stuff here as well. At one point a small child planted himself down on the pitch and they just played on around him, one player even hurdling him as he hared after the ball. The little guy was funny, alternating between chasing two play-fighting dogs to drop-kick them and then doing the same to his friends.

Just strolling around a town like this, a country like this, is special. The soft twanging of the 'Birimbau' punctuates the restless sea air, capoeira lessons take place on the beach. Every day now we are forcefully reminded of how lucky we are to be here, and now that we're halfway we're making sure we get as much as possible out of the hoiday.

Bumped into the Spanish girls again, who planned to leave on the nightbus to Fortaleza. They seemed in high spirits, and its always nice to see familiar faces. After a brief beery nap we started to explore the famous Jeri nightlife (Renaud Gallicly tells me its a "great place to make party"). Tried a few tasty new caipirinhas on Jamie's (who has been with us since Camocim) recommendation, passion fruit and strawberry.

At two we went to a party at 'Mama Africa's'. Incredible night. When we walked in we saw a live performance from the beach capoeira tutors. The leader explained at the start that their style was different because they were notably combative and also performed at night, which doesn't sound like much but when bodies started flying, contorting through the air, as close as possible to each other, the effect was startling. One particularly memorable move saw one lad whip himself from standing into a double front-flip kick thing, unbelievable. The Spanish girls couldn't get on the bus, it was fully booked (have to get there early tomorrow) so they came with us as well. The party was fun and the caipirinhas especially nice, so we danced around and pratted about the sandy club till five-ish, then found our way home for a sleep.