The second week overall had passed by too fast and I didn’t feel like I had done much to enjoy Brazil. After class on Friday most of us felt great- we had just finished a midterm and gotten good sleep the night before. Without much delay, all twelve of us decided to change into something comfortable and check out the sand dunes by the Joaquina Beach.
We left the hotel around noon, got a bite to eat and regrouped at a bus terminal an hour later. The climate was somewhat cold with soft breezes of wind and little direct sunlight, but waiting at the bus stop for 30 minutes was irritable. Right when most people were ready to give up the bus and go find a cab, team leader Matthew decided to take the next bus we saw. It was a risky move, but it got us moving and apparently in the right direction. After we got off in a random street, we knew which bus to take, the 330 which would head us into the Lagoa Terminal. With the help of twelve outspoken Americans and a random stranger we were able to catch the next bus and board it to our next destination. From the Lagoa Terminal we caught a third bus that took us to the popular beach. It was 3:30PM and we were finally at our final destination.
Facing the large sand dunes we easily saw the place were locals rented sand boards. After an awkward introduction (since none of us know good Portuguese), we all rented boards for only five dollars. As we took off with our waxed board we climbed a small hill that took you to the highest position around- it was a great sight. Imagine large piles of granulated sand, completely dry but soft sand that forms valleys and hills of steep and gradual slopes. And when the wind blew, it was much like an old western movie scene but without the thorn bush. A 7 inch layer of sand off the top of the hills would hover over the sand without altering the shape of the dunes. Plus, atop that centered hill you saw the green forested wetlands down below, a town of numbered houses in the right distance, and an overview of the beautiful Beach coasting along the left horizon.
First, I started by going down the small bunny slope of sand by a nearby hill. I had put too much confidence in the fact that I knew how to skate, because skating down the sand was not the same! Right away, my friend Cristina proved to be better than me. Well, it was everyone’s first time so we all felt comfortable facing our first horrible attempts of sand boarding. When I finally got the confidence to launch down the steeper sand slope, I went halfway down to catch speed and fall right on my face! I got up almost immediately and happily found out that it didn’t hurt. Except the sand all over my face, nose and ears I was happy that the falls weren’t so bad, and pursued down the hills with new found courage.
The hardest part being walking up the hills, I couldn’t wait to launch myself down them over and over again. Even as everyone left, I went down two final hills without falling and stopping but felt exceptionally tired while making the last climb.
As I left, I really wished we had something similar back at home. A professional boarder who we hardly spoke to just mentioned he knew we had them in Nevada. I wouldn’t know if there are sand dunes like those back at home, but if anything felt grateful that I found them all the way in Brazil.
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