We are not tired of Brasil, Salvador where we have made, one more time, a good cleaning to our Skoiern, Jacare and João Pessoa wehre the kids conduct their cows riding horses, where the “lanchas” stay the best mean of transport to join the villages across the river, Fortaleza and his fishermen riding their unbelievable jangadas which we cross in open sea, sometimes at 40 miles from the coast, the feet in the water, standing with their huge sail spread out like a wing. Then it’s the river Para, in Amazonia, where we sail up to Soure, in Marajo island. The bufalos have replaced the horses and , again it’s the magic of the river where all occurs, the horses transported with the humans waiting in their hammocks, the zebus, dischaged in a savage manner, the fishermen which rounded us at night. We met again our red ibis and this time we have followed them in the mangrove, we will not see them again before long…

In Surinam, change of scenery : even if we are on a river, there is some differences, it’s more hot, the thunderstorms are more frequent and overall it is a curious mixing of Nederlands, Indonesia, Africa….there is roads, beautiful houses with painted roofs and

Paramaribo looks at times like South Africa. All sorts of animals are sold, when they are not eated, and we were on the point to buy a small monkey, let’s say Anne Marie…

We are now in the Caribian seas, in Tobago, Charlotteville, Pirates bay, waiting quietly at anchor the good season to go on, this times through West. Here it’s another paradise, but it is another story….

Amigos, the whim of the weather has prevented us to walk with the whales of Abrolhos, we have seen them only in the distance, some blows and others disputed to the big south swell, brown boobies taking the oportunity of the crossing to rest a little, and, then, in the state of Bahia, the magic of the mangrove, the dugouts, the saguis, small acrobats and inquisitives monkeys… Here all is going on the water, from the scolar transportation to those of mules, fishing is going by sail, the last saveiros are still sailing, without engine, pushed by breezes and currents. Discoveries : Cairu and the marvels of the old jesuit convent, the red ibis growing like popies in Maragojipe, Valença, bustling city emerging from the mangrove. The likeness with Africa is striking, even the portugues forts are here! Water surround us, its a tracery of rios, sand banks bristling by fish traps, and everywhere the same warmth, the same kindness. It’s a pity we can’t stay longer….

Rio Grande do Sul, our entry gate in Brazil. We didn’t thought to stop so quickly, but we had forgotten the magic atmosphere of the lagoon, her birds, her lights and fogs. Here, in the “lagoa dos patos”, all is quiet. The barques go and return from the “isla dos marinhieros”, full of boxes fo salads and other vegetables, in way to the comunitary market, a few yards from here. The horse cars still resist to the lorries and cars, the erants dogs sleep in the streets, the nostalgics “gauchos” pass in their black and red lined cloak, leather boots and beret. We met again the singing brasilian portugues, the fruits, the vegetables, the fish market….

It’s good to be back in Brazil !

The time had come to go from Argentina, even if it was difficult to leave our friends from the “Vito Dumas Club” in Quequen, to let behind us the “assados”, the kindless and the good mood of these people, always ready to help you, to talk with you or to share a “Quimes”, the national beer. We go full of memories and we know that we will come back. A last call in Mar del Plata, taking the time to visit the clipper “Libertad”, newly escaped from her lengthy call in Tema, Ghana, victim of vultures fonds, to go to the museum, this time, Vito Dumas, to enjoy the pampa’s skyies.

This time the sea was kind, perhaps too much, and we entered again Uruguay. Here in La Paloma, the sea is so hard that we could think that we are in Britany. Dunes, rocks, pine and eucalyptus woods, birds, the lighthouse, boundless and almost deserted beaches, lagoons, and of course “lobos”, but more reserved.

Brazil is only sixty miles from here, we will wait a little for good winds, and then we will sail to the north, to Panama and the Pacific ocean.We think we have made the good choice, and we can’t regret to have discovered this Argentina where we feel so good.