23 February 2011
We slipped our mooring lines and went directly over to the fuel pontoon, in this case a floating barge. In spite of the last long windless passage we were pleasantly surprised that we still had over half a tank full of diesel. As we made our way down the north coast of the island of Itaparica the heavens opened, Tucanon and Tzigane were following in our wake. This was not a sail however for against the tide we could only manage a measly 1.8knots and we had 30nm to go. We made water to top up the tank as we drifted along and then fired up the engine. Twenty nautical miles took us to the mouth of the Rio Paraguacu, then, as we picked up speed with the turn of the tide we sped up the remaining 10nm to the town of Marigojipe. It was the prettiest trip. Wooded hills graced its banks, now and then a lovely property came into view, nestled amongst shady palms, a private jetty leading down to the river bank. This river, according to our pilot book, is given a 'five star not to be missed' status. Therefore we could not miss it. As we headed deeper upriver the channel became narrow and shallower until just off the town jetty we were down to just two metres under the keel. We dropped anchor behind its 200metre length in four metres, seeing tree roots showing above the surface. Clearly the whole surrounding area dried out considerably at low water. The holding however was excellent, mud, glorious mud, and what a lovely serene spot to be, right in the heart of a country town.
At 9am sharp we all went ashore to catch a local bus to Cachoeira, according to the pilot book a thirty minute ride away but in reality, it took us two and a quarter hours from boat to town. First we had to find the bus stop. Having done that and purchased our tickets at the ticket office there was a forty minute wait. We walked around the town. There are some places where as a tourist you 'stick out like a sore thumb ' and this was one of them. The word was out. The yachts had arrived and a very friendly local man hailed us and knew we were from the boats. I think it must have been quite some time, if ever, that so many yachts had appeared all at once. On the whole everybody was very welcoming and friendly. It is just the odd person that views us with suspicion and perhaps just a touch of envy. The bus amazingly left right on time. It was comfortable, much too small to negotiate the tiny narrow cobblestone streets and no air conditioning and by now it was hot, very hot. We went a circuitous route through two other local villages. I do not think I have ever seen such poor conditions that some of these people were living in. Most of the houses in the first village were daub and wattle but do you know what, every one of them had a satellite dish! Donkeys towed wooden carts laden with sacks of grains. Cachoeira is charged with having one of the most important architectural complexes in Latin America. A fierce midday heat was upon us and as we walked around we sought shade wherever we could and a bar for a cooling beer. The buildings in this town are quite fabulous or should I say were, for many are only left with a propped up facade of a once upon a time 19thcentury ex colonial city founded upon sugar cane and gold. It is described in the Lonely Planet guide as the 'jewel of the Reconcavo' or lush coastal area. Lots of restoration works were in progress. I do not know if I have ever been in a place with so many fine crumbling buildings. I do so hope that this country can find the money and the means to do the restoration work required.
Life on the street to me is so fascinating. There is a huge hold up on the bridge linking Sao Felix to Cachoeira and from my seat on the bus I watch as from the back of his truck a local deftly chops coconuts for his thirsty customers. There is nothing more refreshing than sipping coconut milk through a straw when you are hot and a raging thirst is upon you. He was doing a roaring trade.
It is not often that you can see the Southern Cross sitting at anchor. Light pollution usually obscures the night sky. But here we are in the upper reaches of our river in Brazil and there it is. Not for much longer though. That makes me so sad for it is a symbol of our South Seas sailing, it keeps you company through the long night, we shall miss it so much.....
Susan Mackay