I'm serious. I spent EIGHT days on the beach. And I actually enjoyed it quite a bit (and the food too)!!!
This is what happened: From Jericoacoara, I took a night jeep/bus to Fortaleza, and then a bus to Natal, which was my next destination. The whole journey took 12+ hours.
Believe me, I never intended to stay in Natal for more than a couple of days. But when I got out of the bus terminal to get into town, a taxi seemed to be the only option. The driver quoted 35BRL. As usual, I was suspicious…was I being ripped off?! A young Brazilian couple was getting into a taxi behind me, so I asked them how much they were quoted - 35BRL. Fine. I need to be more trusting of taxi drivers. The couple then asked me if I knew where I was going in Natal. Of course not, except to the Ponta Negra area near the beach where all the low budged accommodations were. It turns out that they were also going there. So, we crammed into one taxi and went to whatever cheap hotel the driver took us. I wouldn't say that the hotel was exactly within my budget, but it was clean and AC-ed. A big plus in the sunny muggy northeastern Brazil. So, we all decided to stay there.
While being checked in, the couple asked about my plans in Natal. Of course I didn't have one. I think they took pity on me for being clueless and alone. They decided to take me along for the week - using Natal as a base, they were driving a rental car west and east with a bunch of beach stops along the way. Wow! Cool! I'd have to cut out some of the other cities I'd planned for the remainder of Brazil, but this would definitely take me off the beaten path. Great!!!
OK, name time. The wonderful couple are Karol and Roberto, two lawyers from Manaus. Both in their late 20s, I think. Super sweet. Hope to keep in touch with them and perhaps even visit them when I get a chance to travel the Amazon. Who knows when that would be though...
So, here starts my week in Natal. I'll go into the Natal details in another entry. Let me just focus on the road trip and beaches for now.
Unfortunately, I don't remember all the areas we went to. It's not entirely because my brain is dead; I doubt some of the beaches even had specific names. All I know is that one day, we headed all the way east to Baia Formosa and then west to San Miguel on another. Stayed one night in each town.
A beach is a beach, no matter how pretty. Ocean meets sand. Hence, all the beaches are kind of jumbled up in my mind now, so please just enjoy the random pics and commentary!
View from the drive:
Our car got stuck in the sand:
Pretty, pretty beach. Such remoteness can be good and bad. Good, of course, for the quiet and space. Bad for the lack of coconut and snack stalls:
What a tough life, right? If only I had a coconut in my hands. FYI - this is at a freshwater pond.
Another pretty, pretty beach. Actually, I think this one is Pipa, another hippy-ish beach town:
I do, however, know most of what I've consumed during those days thanks to my little black book (helps to track expenses). A quick rundown: carne de sol, shrimps, coconuts, more shrimp, tapioca crepes, bad ice cream, more shrimps, more coconuts, acai, more coconuts, more shrimps, guarana juice (the real thing, not the can!), random Chinese food, tapioca ice cream, random Italian pasta, more acai, more carne de sol. Huh, interesting… Not much variety.
And now for the proof that I've been roasted (@ an amazing tapioca restaurant in Natal):
I've officially converted to being Brazilian. I don't think anyone will believe that I'm 100% Japanese when I go back in 3 weeks. Might need to go see a skin whitening specialist...
Pretty, pretty beach. Such remoteness can be good and bad. Good, of course, for the quiet and space. Bad for the lack of coconut and snack stalls:What a tough life, right? If only I had a coconut in my hands. FYI - this is at a freshwater pond.Another pretty, pretty beach. Actually, I think this one is Pipa, another hippy-ish beach town:I do, however, know most of what I've consumed during those days thanks to my little black book (helps to track expenses). A quick rundown: carne de sol, shrimps, coconuts, more shrimp, tapioca crepes, bad ice cream, more shrimps, more coconuts, acai, more coconuts, more shrimps, guarana juice (the real thing, not the can!), random Chinese food, tapioca ice cream, random Italian pasta, more acai, more carne de sol. Huh, interesting… Not much variety.And now for the proof that I've been roasted (@ an amazing tapioca restaurant in Natal):
I've officially converted to being Brazilian. I don't think anyone will believe that I'm 100% Japanese when I go back in 3 weeks. Might need to go see a skin whitening specialist... 
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