We have about 34 days of program and 23 of those we have been at sea so I will hopefully be writing more things like the following when we arrive at mainland Brazil. Our next passages will not be longer then 5 days, most averaging 2-3 so we will be really starting to adventure.
Started out with a 06:15 wake up. After a delicious breakfast we were dingied in to the port of Fernando de Noronha, a tiny island off the coast of Brazil. The thirty minute walk to the beach carried us through the small island town and even though it was barely 08:00 we were all sweat soaked and eager to get to the water. We arrived at the perfect postcard beach and true to "island time" our surf instructors didn't show until 10:30. We took the opportunity to play in the waves (85degree f water temp..not bad hey?) and a couple others and I built a sand mermaid. Cat, Brian, and I walked along the beach to a tiny, secluded hut placed up on a rocky outcrop. The hut was maybe 6ft by 6ft, just providing enough shade for the three of us to sit and look out over the crashing waves. After a while we made our way back to the group and Cat and I split a mango smoothie (which was unlike any smoothie I have ever had...delicious!).
Shortly after our surf instructors showed up and we split into three groups of six and each group had thirty minutes in the water. It was really cool because those who weren't surfing stood on the beach and cheered everyone those in the water on. The waves were pretty tame so I was able to catch all but two and I wouldn't get enough! At the end of my thirty mins everyone was heading in with the instructors and I begged the one who I was with (through some poor Spanish and a bit of English but mostly hand gestures) to let me go one last time emphasizing that the wave should be "mas grande!" The last one was absolutely phenomenal! It was pretty big and I got up right away and rode all the way in and when I turned back he was jumping up and down in the water clapping and smiling for me. It was a perfect moment!
After "shredding the knar" we split up and Cat, Brian, Spike, and I went adventuring through the town. Some locals told us that we absolutely had to try the "Acai" berry (it contains the second highest amount of antioxidants of any berry in the world) so off we went, through the intense heat, to find the outdoor restaurant that sold it. The four of us split two large bowls of crushed up, chilled Acai that was mixed with yogurt and another berry. Absolutely delicious!
By this time it was about 15:30 so we hitchhiked back to the port. The couple who picked us up were really nice and were more then happy to help us out. The culture here is so different when it comes to hitchhiking and I love it! We went swimming on the beach and then dingied back to Argo. We had shower time (jump in the ocean, climb up, soap up, jump in the ocean, rinse off with fresh water) and then a delicious meal. We got ready for our night out and it was hilarious because all the girls got dressed up, did each others hair, and then we all showed up on deck in bikinis with our dresses under our arms. The dingy ride in it pretty wet so we just slipped into a dress once we were on land. What a way to show up to a night on the town!
We found a local bar that ended up letting us use a full outdoor section. The bar was located on top of a cliff overlooking the beach. The stars were out in full force and the moon was bright enough that you could see the waves crashing along the beach. The part of the bar we were in just had a bunch of giant bean bag chairs on the ground surrounding a long, low table that we all sat around. This wasn't like our other nights out because we didn't hang out with the locals but it was so nice to just chill with everyone and have a beer after a long day of adventure.
The day came to a close with Cat and I setting up hammocks on deck under the stars with Argo rocking us to sleep. It was an exceptional day and I can't believe that this is my reality!
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