As I mentioned in my last post, Friday evening, after visiting Josie’s language school in Teresina, we were met by Ricardo, our driver sent from the Secretary of Education. We were scheduled for a road trip to the coast for the weekend. After about 7 hours on the road, we arrived in the small, coastal town of Parnaiba, where we had a wonderful dinner alongside the river.

That evening, we spent the night in the Hotel Pousada Parnamar; a quiant little hotel in the middle of town. We wanted to stay in the town so we could be close to the school for our visit the next morning.

On Saturday morning, we headed to the Centro Cultural de Lingauas de Parnaiba, where we had wonderful conversations with the school staff. We also were able to play some games with them to lighten the ambiance a bit. I am learning that laughter is a universal language:)

After we departed the school, we quickly checked out of the hotel, and headed back on the road to drive to Carnaubinha beach where we stayed in a little “resort” of the same name. Frequented by wealthy Brazilians who want to flee the oppressive heat of Teresina, the Carnaubinhapraia Resort sits on the northeast coast of Brazil, and consists of a few two-story bungalow style accommodations, a small, relaxing swimming pool, and an excellent on-site restuarant.

After a relaxing few hours by the pool, Ricardo drove us all to Barra Grande Beach to catch an absolutely stunning sunset.

The next morning, we woke up early, had a lovely breakfast at the hotel, then drove down to the river to hop on a speed boat for a tour of the Parnaiba Delta; a unspoiled ecosystem that boasts a plethora of wildlife, including monkeys and giant crabs, all while sustaining the local fishing industry. Oh, and there’s also giant sand dunes ready for exploration dotting the river. Absolutely stunning.

After the boat ride, we headed back to the hotel, packed up, had a delightful poolside lunch, then headed back on the road towards Teresina where we will be spending the week teaching and learning. The weekend was a much needed opportunity to relax before we begin our marathon of observing and co teaching at the language school. As these little, coastal areas all over Latin America are getting eaten up by wealthy developers, the Parnaiba area remains a hidden gem in the Northeast of Brazil. I only hope it stays that way in years to come.