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DAY 1 - MONDAY
We arrive in Forteleza early in the afternoon and check into IATE PLAZA, a beautiful 5 Star hotel right on the ocean. All but 2 of the group are here - the rest will arrive later in the evening. After a superb seafood dinner at Estori, one of the best restaurants in Fortaleza, we're off to Pirata, a local club which is so wild that they only open one night a week: Monday. And guess what: it's Monday! We dance the night away as several salsa bands stir the crowd into a frenzy. Of course that doesn't take much after a few caiparinhas.
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DAY 2 - TUESDAY
We load up three Land Rovers at 9am and drive west one hour (80km) to Cumbuco where we check into our hotel right on the beach. All our gear is already there and we rig up 5.0m sails and 255cm boards. After a fun hour out front, Eric sails downwind 10km to the Cauipe lagoon, a beautiful 20 acre fresh water lagoon just off the beach. With its warm, shallow, sandy bottom, it's the perfect place to learn to windsurf or kite. Beginners Celest and Joao Paulo have a blast in the lagoon, and soon Joao Paulo is trying water starts - and he gets one!
Windsurfari Brazil: http://www.jericoacoara.com/windsurfari/
DAY 3 - WEDNESDAY
Up at 7, leave at 8am so we can drive on the beach during low tide rather than on bumpy roads. We drive along the beach for 3 hours, in and out of the surf and the dunes, and end up at Estrela Mundau Hotel in the village of Mundau.. www.mundau.com/estrela We sail 5.0m to 5.4m out front, then sit down to a big shrimp/lobster/fish/chicken lunch at the hotel. Happy and ful, we sail till dark, then load into the trucks and drive another 3 hours to Icaraizinhe, to Les Alizes pousada. http://www.n3.com.br/lesalizes Owners - Niels and Marlene; him from Switzerland, she from France - have 8 wonderful little bungalows right on the beach. Alizes means 'tradewind'. They speak French, English, German, Portugese. Niels fixes us a wonderful dinner of fresh, hot pizza and we're all soon snoring away.
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DAY 4 - THURSDAY
A huge breakfast of fresh local fruit and breads and we step out on the beach to rig up. The wind is absolutely a steady 20 knots and nearly everyone is on a 4.7 or 5.0m sail. A small reef located a half mile off shore provides wonderful little waves for jumping and riding. We sail until 4pm when we stop for another huge lunch of 5 kinds of fresh fish along with fresh vegetables from their graden. After a nice dunk in the swimming pool, we pack up and hit the road at 6pm for the 4 hour drive to Jericoacoara. We arrive by 11pm, eat a light dinner at Casa de Tourismo, then head to bed.
Windsurfari Brazil: http://www.jericoacoara.com/windsurfari/
DAY 5 - FRIDAY
Today we get to sleep in a bit. Up at 10 for a perfect breakfast or 10 kinds of fruit, pastries, granola, fresh yogurt, and several different quiches. By noon it is hot and sunny and 5.0. Outstanding!!! We sail aist high, slow, totally forgiving waves all afternoon: this is the best place to learn to wave sail ever. Absolutely benign. Joao Paolo is now water starting in both directions and heading for the waves. In only his first week windsurfing!!! Dinner at 8:30 at Espaco Aberto (means 'Open Space'). Superb fish and seafood and vegetables. The specialty is Fish in Green Sauce (made from avacado, basil and cream). Back to the Casa for a mellow evening listening to a guitar/drum band. In bed by 11:30.
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DAY 6- SATURDAY
Up at 9am. We enjoy a big, lingering breakfast with lots of strong coffee. Joa Paolo and Celest are on the water at 7 - 9:30. Celest is now beach starting and sailing in the waves. On her 3rd day! Big smiles everywhere. Eric takes everyone out for 2 hours on the beach and teaches them to fly the trainer kite. By 1pm the wind is up and everyone heads out into the waves with 4.5m to 5.0m sails. UNBELIEVABLE waves. Perfect, 6 bottom turn, down-the-line waves. Perhaps 20 people out sailing. Jao Paolo is now waterstarting in the waves, and with a water temperature of 82 degrees, we can stay in all day and never get cold. Back to Casa for caiparinhas, 'lunch' (it's 7pm), then a nap before a dinner of crepes at Naturalmente at 10:30. Owner Carla is a sailor and has been out sailing 5 hours that day. Then we head to Foho night (dancing); the entire town is out in the streets, but since the streets are all sand, it's like walking on the beach anyway. We're all in bed by 3am. An early night, by Brazillian standards.
Windsurfari Brazil: http://www.jericoacoara.com/windsurfari/
DAY 7 - SUNDAY
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After breakfast of fresh melon, papaya, pineapple, mango, granola and yogurt, we hike 2.5km along the beach to the east to arch rock cave, the symbol of Jericoacoara. The climbing on the 60' high rock is superb! Back to the Casa for lunch, then rig up for the 10km downwind race. We leave the beach at 3:30pm on 4.7m to 5.4m sails. The wind picksup to 25-30 knots for the last half. Blaise is first in 34 minutes, with Fabio and Eric just behind him. The rest straggle in over the next 40 minutes, and all agree it was a wild but fun experience. Back to Jeri along the beach in a dune buggy, then hike up the sand dune to sandboard and watch another incredible sunset. Pizza dinner at Pizza Della Casa. Home made, good local arugala and tomato pizza, with banana flambe pizza for dessert.
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DAY 6- SATURDAY
Up at 9am. We enjoy a big, lingering breakfast with lots of strong coffee. Joa Paolo and Celest are on the water at 7 - 9:30. Celest is now beach starting and sailing in the waves. On her 3rd day! Big smiles everywhere. Eric takes everyone out for 2 hours on the beach and teaches them to fly the trainer kite. By 1pm the wind is up and everyone heads out into the waves with 4.5m to 5.0m sails. UNBELIEVABLE waves. Perfect, 6 bottom turn, down-the-line waves. Perhaps 20 people out sailing. Jao Paolo is now waterstarting in the waves, and with a water temperature of 82 degrees, we can stay in all day and never get cold. Back to Casa for caiparinhas, 'lunch' (it's 7pm), then a nap before a dinner of crepes at Naturalmente at 10:30. Owner Carla is a sailor and has been out sailing 5 hours that day. Then we head to Foho night (dancing); the entire town is out in the streets, but since the streets are all sand, it's like walking on the beach anyway. We're all in bed by 3am. An early night, by Brazillian standards.
Windsurfari Brazil: http://www.jericoacoara.com/windsurfari/
DAY 7 - SUNDAY
After breakfast of fresh melon, papaya, pineapple, mango, granola and yogurt, we hike 2.5km along the beach to the east to arch rock cave, the symbol of Jericoacoara. The climbing on the 60' high rock is superb! Back to the Casa for lunch, then rig up for the 10km downwind race. We leave the beach at 3:30pm on 4.7m to 5.4m sails. The wind picksup to 25-30 knots for the last half. Blaise is first in 34 minutes, with Fabio and Eric just behind him. The rest straggle in over the next 40 minutes, and all agree it was a wild but fun experience. Back to Jeri along the beach in a dune buggy, then hike up the sand dune to sandboard and watch another incredible sunset. Pizza dinner at Pizza Della Casa. Home made, good local arugala and tomato pizza, with banana flambe pizza for dessert.
DAY 8 - MONDAY
Up early for hike to Lake. Breakfast at 7am, departure at 8 for a 9km walk through the dunes and forest, guided by GPS for 2 1/2 hours. We arrive at the lake where our windsurfing gear is rigged and ready, and take off to sail 5km down wind to Fredisimos for yet another insane 5 course Italian lunch - antipasto, pasta, salad, vegetables, fish, steak, home made Gelato, expresso. Even Celest goes all the way on a 3.5m sail and long board. Her first downwinder! After a short siesta we buggy back to Jeri along the beach. Between the hike, the sun, the sailing, and the meals, everyone is exhausted. We have a small dinner at the Casa, then Eric gives out awards to everyone for the week. Many caiparinhas and many laughs.
DAY 9 - TUESDAY
Up at 7. We depart for Fortaleza 9am. It's a fast, easy, fairly painless 4+ hour drive to the airport. Of course we stop along the way to buy a couple bottles of Cachasa. Fabio decides we need a whole case - and it's hard to argue with him since it only costs $10. A case! Airport fairwells and everyone departs, happy, tired and ready to come back soon!
Windsurfing Magazine would like to thank Eric, his travelling companions as well as Windsurfari Brazil: http://www.jericoacoara.com/windsurfari/. You too can join Eric on his adventures by clicking 'Travels with Doc Fun' below.
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