To begin this eclipse adventure, we rendezvous with an old friend of Dimas’ in Fortaleza, rent a dune buggy, and spend a week bounding through the hills of sand en route Canoa que Brada - a quaint village buried in the sand that is known for its young crowd and vibrant night life. Following the coastline for days along the beach, we stop at fishing villages and sleep in guest houses and make new friends at every turn. This part of Brazil is unique. The best fish lunches ever! And so much fun!

South of Canoa que Brada. Never a cloud in the sky.

We arrive in Canoa and it is literally built on the sand. Townsfolk are mostly artists, musicians, small business owners or ex-patriots from the city who fell in love with this sleepy locale by the beach and never went home. Yes - we’re talking party central!

The shifting sands of time bury the buried in Canoa.

Our team in Canoa - Carla and the boys.

We met Carla in a restaurant on the way up from Fortaleza. She was giving us directions to Canoa when we asked to her to join us as our guide! People in Brazil are great! And when we got stuck in the sand, these two local kids came to the rescue. They knew how to handle that dune buggy better than any of us.

Carla helps me freeze a moment in time.