Chapada Diamantina ~ Lençois, Capao, Vale do Pati, Andarai . . . Part 2

We participated in two separate 3 day treks to some nearby waterfalls and Vale do Pati, along with a one day excursion where we enjoyed a mountain climb, some caverns, and zip-line into a lake. In total, walking more than 90 kilometers, we regretted not having proper hiking shoes as we had to hike over long, rocky, and many times, muddy terrain. Equipped with nothing but our Havayanas (beach sandals)
and some old sneakers, we managed to do the job none-the-less. We ran into none other than "THE BOYZ" the day of our return, and enjoyed a one-day trip to some great treasures of the area. Just bonding with The Boyz, don't get any ideas...

Us holding Marcus like a baby?Sasha was in love with this little guy...
Evolution of men!?
A long walk through an old cavern and some interesting finds . . .

A view of the park Chapada Diamantina.

2nd Trek: This trek started with a great visit to Capao, a nearby village where people live very simply.mostly in communes, surviving off the fruit of their labor. This small village happened to have a Regional Forro (a great Brazilian dance) Party on the night we arrived where we danced the night away with some really happy people from the region. The next day, we started with a 25 kilometer hike through a gorgeous valley . . . whew.

The views were indescribable. During the hike, sometimes it rained lightly and sometimes it didn't, but the wind howled over the treeless valley...and at times I just had to stop and inhale this place. It was so amazing. We stayed at people's homes at night and had delicious home cookin'. In the mornings, we packed up and hit the road...

I think Sasha has a fruit addiction and desperately needs help. She can't be stopped...

"You're not eatin' that, are ya?

Gimme that fruit!"

This time, sleeping at peoples homes along the trek, we saw a side of the Chapada that many do not have a chance to encounter . . . untouched, uninhabited, and completely breathtaking. This trek ended in another small village, known for its diamond mining, where we regained our strength, ate a lot of great home-made ice-cream, and headed back to Lençois. Is was hard to leave a place where we knew most of the local faces and rhythms, but the Amazon was calling, and our time in Brazil was running out. And look what we have here . . .
A Brazilian take on wearing protection, interesting. Til' we meet again in the next blog...