- Christy, what is this in your bag?!!! Lani gave me a puzzled look.- It's my mom's bathing suit. I gave her a nonchalant look back.
- What the hell did you bring it here for?
- Ah, I plan to wear it one of these days when we go to the beach.
- WHAT???
- Yeah Lani, my body isn't the same as it used to be before. I'm kind of flabby and I bet there's a ton of cellulite on my ass so I am planning to wear it as it hides a lot more than my bikini's do.
Didi looked up and entered our conversation: - Christy, your body hasn't changed at all! What did change is your self-esteem. Remember how when we used to walk to the Wednesday fair in Vargem Grande (my old neighborhood when I used to live in Rio) you used to say: "Look, notice how every single guy that passes by will look at me!"- I'd say that?!!! I screamed and hid my face all at once.
- Oh yeah, you would.
- Geez, why do you have to remind me of such things!!!
- That sounds like you Christy. Totally something you'd say. My sister pitched in.- Okayyyyyy... but I am not like that anymore. I'm not a "never-ending-pit" of self-esteem like I used to be when I lived in Rio.
- Look at this, Lani started, I am fat, full of blubber all over, have love handles and my tummy is popping out and I am still not going to wear a ridiculous bathing suit that only my mother would wear!!!It took a while but they were able to convince me in putting my mother's bathing suit in the bottom of my backpack and wearing a bikini that day.
- Hey Christy, we should both wear G-string bikini's as that way everyone will know we are "Cariocas"! That had to be Lani's idea.- You are Carioca...I'm not!
- Where are you from then? Are you from here? From Fortaleza?
At this my sister started laughing and rolling all over on the bed: - Hahhaha...you guys are friends for years and yet you don't even know where my sister is from?!!!
- Ahh, I am sure I must have asked her before, but I forgot. And anyways, I know a lot more important stuff about her than where she was born. Anyways, where were you born Christy?- Brasilia, the capital of Brazil.
- Ooohhh fancy...
- NOT! I exclaimed. I was only born there; I don't know anything about it as my mother left when I was real young and moved South.
- Well, you aren't from Brasilia then because you don't know anything over there, so you might as well be a Carioca since you've been living the past three years of your life in Rio - and join me in wearing a G-string bikini!!!
- Lani, you are hilarious! Know what, I might as well - since I am going to wear a bikini anyways why not go all the way and wear a G-string one, no?!- Whooo Hooo!!! AS CARIOCASSSSS!!! Lani yelled animatedly
- Fail! My sister frowned.
Fail mesmo! I thought as the buggy driver drove us back to our Pousada after a long and exciting outing. There I was with Didi and Lani standing up on the buggy with our carioca G-strings hanging out and having to stand all the stares, glares, whistles and comments from the horny male population of all of Morro Branco.
After our "favela lunch" and dip in the beach we decided that instead of climbing up the colored dunes we would rent two buggies and do an awesome buggy ride passing by Praia das Fontes, cave Mãe de Água and Lagoa do Uraú which is the largest one in the state and a popular place for watersports.
Full of excitement we had jumped on the buggies. Three people would go behind and one would go in the front with the driver. So that everyone could enjoy themselves we rotated who would be sitting in the front from time to time.Our first stop was a cave near the shore known as Mãe de Água, visible at low tide. We all crouched as we entered the cave and of course, took more than plenty of pictures.
From there we went to Praia das Fontes. This beach is at the base of colored dunes and has freshwater springs, along with palm groves and mangroves. There is a fishing village and, at the south end, a lagoon. A luxury resort complex has been built there, making the area very expensive. South of Praia das Fontes are several less developed beaches which we passed by standing up on the buggy, screaming our heads out.
We made a new game that whenever another buggy passed by us we had to scream, shout, wave our hands and do pretty much anything to call the passerby's attention. Some of the other tourists in the buggy would scream and wave back, some would only smile and yet others would try to ignore us - though to those poor souls we would scream back: "BORINGGGGGG!!!" or "Old Farts!!!" and other exclamations of the sorts. By the end of that night we were all feeling hoarse.
Lagoa do Urau was our next stop. A large, beautiful freshwater lake surrounded by dunes, cliffs and palms. We all ran into the water and refreshed ourselves in its rippling waters. On the way back we had our last stop: an enormous sand dune where Lani, Lelly, Didi, my brother and I managed some courage to slide all the way down with our bottoms patted firmly down on large sand boards. Friozinho na barriga. The worst part though was climbing all the way back up with the hot sand burning the soles of your feet. Ouch!
Though the most exciting part of our whole outing - by far - was the way back! Our buggy driver must have gotten inspired by our girlish shrieks as he chose the largest and sharpest sand dunes to ride in an incredible speed all the way down. Freakyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!! At the very end we drove by the ocean's shore all the way back to the center of Morro Branco. The wind blowing our hair, caressing our faces, the fabulous view - ahhhhhhhh, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!!! The sensation of it all is unique. There isn't a single thought in your head, your mind races free and there just aren’t enough words to explain feeling that ripples through your whole body - from head to toe.By the time they left us in our Pousada we were ranting and raving about the excursion one to another. An outing that I recommend to every single person I know and worth every cent!!!
