(In the last episode our intrepid traveller arrived in Jeri and is trying to decide whether to take a guided tour of the famous Jeri dunes and a dozen other attractions, as promised in glossy photos on the bugiero ad poster.)
The bed has a mosquito net above it and I take this as a hint that it is needed. Inspite of that a few pesky mossies slip through and reduce my sleep.
In the morning I come to a decision. I don't really want to be taking tours all the time. I'm a bit tired from lack of sleep and another tour would burn me out. Also my wallet a bit. There are apparently some sights within walking distance. I can go sightseeing in the morning and in the afternoon when it is cooler. When the bugiero comes around, I tell him thanks, but no thanks.
I walk out of the pousada and there it is, a dune. I didn't see it in the dark last night. Not the dune, but a dune, one of the many dunes in the area. Great, take some pictures now and also later, in the evening, when the light is also good. Unfortunately dunes look best in panoramic shots and I don't have any.
In the meantime, I can have a dip in the pool before lunch, lie on a hammock and listen to music. So there I was, listening to Jobim's Amar Em Paz (Once I Loved) on the MP3 player, with the gentle rustle of coconut fronds in the background and a cool breeze flowing through. It doesn't get much better than this.
Later, in the evening, I find that people walk up the gentle slope, pee on a pole in a re-enactment of an ancient Indian ceremony, then slide down the steep slope. Sorry, I made up the part about the pole. Walking up isn't as easy as it looks, you don't get as much purchase on sand. So I didn't climb it. Also to be honest, while it's nice to see dunes from higher vantage point, a dune is a dune. Been there, dune that. Sorry. What I mean is the dune itself has only shape, and it's the light and clouds that paint colour and shadows on it. I think the ideal way to see them would be from a light aircraft, hot-air balloon, paraglider or similar. And if one were very keen, one could take a series of photos of dunes in every light and season. Sort of like that postcard with a mosaic of pictures of the Matterhorn in various lights. But I'll have to content myself with ground level photos and viewing other people's pictures.
The bed has a mosquito net above it and I take this as a hint that it is needed. Inspite of that a few pesky mossies slip through and reduce my sleep.
In the morning I come to a decision. I don't really want to be taking tours all the time. I'm a bit tired from lack of sleep and another tour would burn me out. Also my wallet a bit. There are apparently some sights within walking distance. I can go sightseeing in the morning and in the afternoon when it is cooler. When the bugiero comes around, I tell him thanks, but no thanks.
In the meantime, I can have a dip in the pool before lunch, lie on a hammock and listen to music. So there I was, listening to Jobim's Amar Em Paz (Once I Loved) on the MP3 player, with the gentle rustle of coconut fronds in the background and a cool breeze flowing through. It doesn't get much better than this.
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