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Published: July 29th 2009
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Arriving in Barrerinhas around just past 2pm, right away I was not impressed with the town, lots of people out on the street and it is very hot here, not so clean either. We asked the truck driver to drop us off at the Pousada Porto near the water's edge but it was full and all of the hostels and Pousadas around it, we were told Brazilians were on vacation and came here in droves especially weekends, we found a hotel but super expensive, 150 reais for a double, we asked the truck driver to look for some more, we saw one for only 10 reais but is really bad, one bed only and next to the living room where there is a loud tv, we said no, until finally the driver dropped us off at the center and we walked around finding a hostel, every single place we went is full, at this time we are both quite annoyed already, loud music blaring somewhere from time to time, its very hot and there is not a tourist office to help us find accomodation, until we came across Pousada Deus, it was full as well but the kind lady owner helped
us find a place at her friend's near the airport for 25 reais each. We had lunch then took a taxi to the pousada, which turned out to be a private home with a big yard and a small pool, the lady owner is very nice, she showed us to our room, the beds have plastic cover on them she took it off and gave us some bedsheets, the room is adequate for us, Jean marc will sleep on the bed on the floor, I got the proper bed, there is ensuite toilet but no door! So we have to make sure the door to the room is shut so we dont get exposed when using the toilet. We asked if we could do our laundry, the lady gave us soap and watched us doing our washings, she did not look satisfied and in the end offered to wash them herself, at first i refused and thank her profusely for her generosity then she just took over before i know it i was just a spectator, her daughter came out and we got introduced, i dont speak Portugues but i can get the gist of what the old lady was
saying, it seems she is trying to set us up with her daughter, i keep hearing American, French, i think she is making her choose which she prefers! Anyway i helped her hang my clothes in the yard then i took a shower. There are veggie patches in the yard and chickens running around pecking, Jean Marc started flirting with Tatiana the daughter while i chill and write my journal.
In the eve we decided to go to town to finalize our excursion tomorrow, we decided to do a fly over the sand dunes of Lencois Maranhensis, the reason we are here in this unattractive town, unfortunately it seems all Brazilians from the northern cities are also here, driving the prices up. Honestly i have not seen other tourists besides me and JM, all tourists in this town are Brazilians, I think.
We stopped at the travel agency and we finalized our trip, then walked around for a bit, i wanted to internet so JM left me at this place and it was sooo slow it was frustrating then there was power outtage to add insult to injury, good thing JM came on time and we left the place
and looked for a better one, this one is a little faster but still not great. we walked the beach/dune in the lake, at the waterfront, music is already blaring from giant speakers set up, some locals brought their cars with big speakers and played music loudly, dancing and getting wild and crazy, I just had it with this town, no character at all, just noise.We decided after the flight in the morning tomorrow we leave for Sao Luis, it is sad we travelled this far we dont stay longer, I wanted to do day trips to the sand dunes but they leave early and we were told no afternoon trips,so I have to choose. Seen the dunes of Jeri by dune buggy so I opted for the plane this time.
The prices in the waterfront restaurants are expensive so we decide to head back to the street where our Pouasada was, there we found small places to eat, we ate at this BBQ place, very cheap 10 reais for both of us with beer and 3 sticks of meat each. The owner lived in Connecticut for 5 years and 2 months worked in Boston, I did not bother
to ask more about his life i just wanted to get back to the Pousada and have a shower. Jean Marc went out dancing with Tatiana while i went to bed, hoping the loud music we are hearing will eventually shut up.But it did not in fact it got worse as the night wore on, so bad that I couldnt sleep, plus it did not help that there we millions of miniscule ants in our room, in my bed in my shoes, they bit me throughout the night. Worse sleep for me in a long while. After breakfast we got picked up for the fly over the dunes of the Park. The plane windows cannot be opened and Jean Marc was very dissapointed, for 90 US we should be able to get our money's worth and we did. It was not a problem, i believe i got good photos of the amazing dunes, so big vast and gorgeous, different colors, vegetations and textures can be seen from above. had a great time, I wanted to do an overland excursion too but it apparently starts in the morning too and I wanted to get out of town today, Barreirinhas was not
impressive, too busy with tourists and prices are way too high for me.
We had lunch of potato omelette which i cooked under the prying eyes of mother and daughter hostel owner, Concepcion and Tatiana. After lunch we got picked up by our taxi ride to Sao Luis, for 10 reais more than the bus we get dropped off at a place of our choice in Sao Luis. Lencois Maranhenses Park is outstanding except you have to stay in Barreirinhas which is an unremarkable town full of Brazilian tourists, next time I will try to go to small towns and base myself there like Cabure, if ever i come back here. A taxicab picked us up at the Pousada and off we went to Sao Luis.
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