Cumbuco to Taiba to Paracuru to Lagoinha to Flexeiras to Prea to Jericoacoara and back.

After picking up my Dad, Mike, from the airport we headed straight to the beach to do some kiting. He must have been very anxious to get in the water. When me and Bri arrived from the airport we took a six hour nap.

Mike, Dan, Bri

We began my Dad's ten day visit with two days here in Cumbuco where we kited in front of the Hotel and at the Icarai Lagoon. Needless to say, my Dad definitely looked happy kiting in board shorts and a rash guard. No wetsuit. No booties. No gloves. No cold.

Serene

Our first stop outside Cumbuco was Taiba. We were supposed to start our day there with a six kilometre down-winder from our hotel to the lagoon but a communication error between me and our gear drop off (Brianna) left me and my Dad sitting at the beach, in front of our pousada, with Brianna off driving to the lagoon with a car full of kite gear. There are no taxis in Taiba but (very) luckily we managed to get a ride with a friend of an employee at our pousada. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful with a great day at the lagoon.

Beach

After Taiba we headed to Paracuru where my Dad got his first taste of kiting in real waves. We got there when the tide was low so the swell was clean. I could tell he definitely had fun because at the other spots we went to I would often see him hunting out swell or waves to ride.

Wind flag

Our next stop was 40 minutes up the coast from Paracuru in Lagoinha. Brianna loves lagoons so we had to stop here. The town has a big
lookout point which we thought we could see the lagoon at so onto the
beach we went in our little VW Gol (poor-mans Golf) to reach it. The
lagoon is only a few kms from the city on the beach and is very easy to
get to. If your in a car, however, I think you have to be careful with
the tides as I don't know if there are any other ways of getting to or
from the lagoon with a car.

Boats

The lagoon is small but there were very few kiters. For the most part, we had the whole lagoon to ourselves. Just us and the surrounding donkeys. If you plan on kiting here you need to be careful, however, as some areas can get pretty shallow. The downwind area of the lagoon is all good though. After our lagoon session we drove down the beach 12kms to Flexeiras. Here we found a cheap pousada right on the beach and my Dad and myself got out for a sunset session topped off with an hour massage for each of the three of us. Under $34 for three hours of massage. Not to shabby.

From Flexeiras, we made the long drive up the coast to Prea. It should have taken us four hours but mixing up Acarau with Santana do Acarau led us an hour out of our way. Soooo, six hours later we arrived in Prea. We got there, found a pousada, and were on the water by about 3:30 -4:00, around the time the wind should be dropping. Well it wasn't dropping (or maybe it was) but blowing a fairly steady 25-30+ knots. I was fully lit on my 7m Best Yarga, and Brianna on her 5m Waroo and my Dad on his 9m Waroo. The wind definitely seems to get stronger as you go up the coast. Anyway, as I was struggling to do many tricks in the strong wind, Brianna was doing her first sent-kite jumps. They were small and she would go about five times farther downwind than she would go up but she's definitely not scared of power or going fast. We just have to work on timing and getting those little legs to edge harder. She's a brave little munchkin.

The next morning, we spent a few hours kiting in Prea (Brianna started trying backrolls) then hired a guide to take us on the beach to Jericoacoara. The fastest way to get to Jeri is through Prea on the beach. This is doable in car but you may want a guide (20$R) to show you the way your first time through. It's a 20 minute, 12km, all sand drive into Jeri which can be pretty fun in itself.

Driving on the beach

Jeri is by far the best town we have visited here. There is tons to do there during the day and at night. Lots of shops, restaurants, bars, pousadas, and hippies line the sand roads. Here you can buy local crafts made by the hippies and Artisans, or buy expensive American brand clothing. You can go on buggy tours or rent sand boards. Here, you can even witness the dying sport of windsurfing in mass numbers. The one thing you can't do, however, is kiteboard. Well, you can but, as my Dad and I learned very quickly, it's extremely gusty. Were talking like 13-35 knots gusty. Kiting in Jeri is very tempting, though, with the perfectly flat water and the beautifully sculpted waves by the almost straight offshore wind. Thirty minutes was all it took before I was exhausted and beat from being slammed into the water in the lulls. I believe the closest kiting spot from Jeri would be back in Prea. I'm not sure how much farther North you have to go before you get cleaner side-shore wind.

Leaving Jeri

From Jeri, we made our way back stopping for a night in Lagoinha. From there we decided to kite in Taiba but the wind was actually light enough that we couldn't really kite. Little, 100lb Brianna was underpowered on an 11m. It was weird. Actually, the wind the whole trip was a little on the lighter side than what we have been experiencing. It was still good (except that day in Taiba), just a little lighter than normal. This whole trip I had used my 9m only twice. I had to use it two more times since my Dad got here. Hopefully the wind will be back to normal tomorrow.

Our last night back in Cumbuco my Dad decided to treat Brianna and I to dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse. We went to a place called 'Sal e Brasa' supposedly the 'Best Steakhouse in Fortaleza.' It definitely lived up to that claim. In the restaurant, servers walk around with huge skewers of various meats which you can choose from and have them cut off pieces right at your table. There was also a big buffet with all kinds of food including some of the best Sushi I have had outside of Japan. Service was top notch. The rushed to pull your chair out if you even hinted at standing up. Every time you finished your plate they would immediately replace it with a clean one and new utensils. I think I went through about 5 dirty plates, utensils, and chop sticks. It's an all-you-can-eat place so we all stuffed our faces. I actually almost threw up while driving home. No joke. Brianna was complaining because her stomach hurt. It kind of looked like she was a few months pregnant.

Family dinner

Today, we got out for a short session in the morning (including a long self-rescue by my Dad after breaking a line) then it was off to the airport to see my Dad off. Bye Dad. Thanks for visiting.

Tchau,

Dan and 'Boostin-B' Brianna

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