CASA BANANA....our crib

Edit by matty..

Paracuru and Taiba- the buggy expeditions

After enjoying the first 3 weeks of consistent wind, sunshine and being spoilt for choice for local spots we decided it was high time we planned and executed an expedition up the coast to see some more of the local kite scene and the coastline. So after a group discussion over dinner and collecting some money off everyone, Ollie, George & Jamie set off to a buggy rental place in town to secure our valiant steeds for the 2 day epic we had planned.

They returned in the morning with vehicles which could loosely be described as "safe." After loading up and setting off to get gas we set off. With Me & Des sharing the driving honours in the Red buggy (funvee) with Rutger, George and Jess riding as passengers. Driving honours were split equally in the  Pink Buggy (humdrumvee) with Jamie "2nd gear" Calver, Ollie "full speed ahead" Brown, Julia "go slow" Howard, Benoit "seamaster" Minstrel-Rissotto and finally Matty "Oh no theres a ravine" Russell.

We set off, fully laden, in good spirits after a later start than we would have liked and decided to head to Taiba first as it was closer. So we headed down the main road in convoy with Jamie blazing a trail in 2nd gear, red lining the revs through town. After cutting off the main road down a small side street and blasting out onto the open beach we took stock of the vehicles that would carry us to our chosen destinations.

The red buggy had no accelerator pedal, no working lights, one indicator, no horn, a gear box that seemed to have a mind of its own and a clutch of sorts that seemed only to clutch your foot when you were busy stamping it. The pink buggy was in better shape but had to be bump started whenever it was stalled or switched off to cool down.

We were making good time, after cruising down the hard packed sand we passed under the gas pipeline, past the refinery and then we hit a large salt marsh, with meandering tidal streams. This proved to be a maze of dead ends and soft sand. We drove back to the start and tried to head inland around it. We drove down a soft mud and grass track - with Jamie almost locking up and hitting a large rock - only to find that 2 paths lay ahead.

One path over a large, steep sloping dune that bordered the marsh, or through the edge of the marsh, over soft boggy ground ending in a small deep stream.

Me and Des decided that we would try the dune first as that had less risk of the buggy sinking beneath us. After 4 or 5 attempts and the buggy having to get dug out, pushed back and re driven back into the same state, we were all stood around sweating and wondering how the hell we were going to proceed. As the buggy dug itself in for the 6th time, we looked round hearing the roar of the pink buggy to see it flying down a track full pace with Matty at the helm and Ollie bouncing around in the passenger seat. With a great smash and a huge plume of steam and water they careered across the stream and their buggy groggilly made its way onto the hard packed sand on the other side...

With cheers and screams the group congratulated the boys, whilst me and Des considered what must be done. I reversed the buggy back along the track to give us the biggest run up I could manage. With the group gathered around the crossing point with cameras and bated breath I turned to Des and said " Well, good luck I suppose", "Good luck mate." he replied clicking on his camera.



Back on the hard packed sand we continued to make good time after our 2 hours stuck trying to cross the marsh. The rest of the way to Taiba was straight forward along roads and tracks and finally we arrived, parked up and looked out onto a huge butter flat lagoon nestled in the dunes, with a cafe on the hillside over-looking the water. A good session was had by everyone who was light enough to ride with the wind not filling in quite enough for the guys with the more "ruggedized" frames..

We set off home in the late afternoon deciding to head along the roads as the beach would be impassable at high tide. After 4 hours of driving a fully laden buggy down dual carriageways, dodging huge lorries, down small tracks, round and round the village of pecem we finally found the road back to cumbuco. We pulled into the gate to casa banana with maybe 20 minutes to spare of light. Lucky really bearing in mind we had no head lights...

We woke early the next day loaded up and set off to Paracuru, The journey there proving far easier as we avoided all the hazards of the day before and drove along good sections of beach and cutting inland when necessary.

We arrived at Paracuru well ahead of time. An amazing spot to behold, its a large flat spot of water surrounded by a ring of reef that created large breaking waves. We all pumped up and set off into the water for some epic playtime. Great sessions were had by all as you flew along the butter flat water, tricking if you fancied, then nipped out into the break for some waves, turn round and repeat... Ollie and Jamie suffered a kitemare at the bottom end of the spot after colliding and ending up with their kites through each others lines. After pulling safety releases they walked in only to realise that Jamies bar and lines had worked free and had dissappeared off to swim forever in the atlantic... he wasn't a happy bunny...

The trip home however was nowhere near as straightforward...

We set off happy after a good day on the water with me on the wheel leading the charge homeward down the beach. The beach driving was tricky with the tide being well up leaving a small soft section of steep sloped beach to negotiate, with waves breaking close to the track.

After 20 mins or so Des leant over and said "Can you see the other buggy?" "No.." I pulled to a stop out of reach of the sea and waited for the other buggy, after 15 mins we see a few people about 300 hundered meters back come into view and start frantically waving. I turned round and headed back to find the pink buggy looking damp and its crew looking shaken..

Apparently the wheel locked up on Benoit and they shot off into the breakers with the seamaster himself at the helm and a wet soggy buggy limped out of the surf and died right there on the beach.
 
After 15 mins of trying to bump start it, let it dry out, and ringing the buggy comapany to see about a pickup we decided to try and tow it back to paracuru and take the road back.

During the towing someone tried to start it and it leapt into life, we quickly unhitched it and drove as fast as we could back to paracuru to get on the road home.

As the light faded we got lost several times, with both buggies dying more and more at traffic lights and junctions.

After 4 hours of what can only be described as poorly executed motorised orienteering we limped back up the drive.

All tired but smiling after our 2 day buggy epic...  beers? hell yes....