The next day it was time to hit the road and head further north. Our next stop was Barra Grande where we headed straight to the beach to score a session before sunset. Two kilometers downwind is a spectacular flat-water lagoon in between mangroves so we did a downwinder to get there. Meanwhile Dice ran along the beach keeping up with us! To get back upwind you can get a ride on a local’s donkey and cart. We felt bad for the donkey however, so we walked most of the way back with just our gear on the donkey cart. Barra Grande was just a one-night stop to break up the journey to our next destination, Atins, so the next morning we were back on the road.
Atins and the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park were definitely on our must-visit list for this road trip. Getting there is a real adventure and only specially licensed vehicles are allowed, because of the protected status of the Park. So we parked our car in Barreirinhas and continued by boat along the river to this remote kite paradise. We were super excited to visit the National Park which is one of the natural beauties of Brazil. In the rainy season lagoons fill up between the white sand dunes and we couldn’t wait to kite in the lagoons. While I was walking on the beach with Dice I met Eduardo who works as a photographer in Atins for the season. He suggested taking us into the National Park, so we went there in a special vehicle with him and his friends. This was a day to remember… The Park makes you feel like you’re on another planet with its lunar-like landscape. I was so grateful to kite at such a beautiful place, with Dice running besides the lagoon the whole day. I also kited with her for the first time… I thought it was the perfect place to put her on my shoulder and see if she’d like it… Well, she loved it!
One of the joys of traveling for me is being able to watch the sunset in the best places in the world. As the sun started to set, the lagoon was illuminated with a magical light that changed color every second. It felt like a gift to visit this place. After Atins, we traveled back south to Tatajuba and Guriu which are probably the best destinations to train Big Air. The wind gets up to 30 knots every day, always coming from the same direction, so it’s perfect to progress. The sandbank separates the ocean into a flat-water lagoon which allows for an easier take off. The tides affect when the lagoons fill up with water however, so we had to make sure the tide was best in the afternoon, because that is when the wind is strongest. After staying a couple of days at this Big Air hotspot we drove back north, to Macapa, again ensuring we would hit the best tide.
