Driving further up the coast, we headed towards Jericoacoara, known as “Jeri”. A magical place without any paved roads or cars, but plenty of sand and bare feet. The city is built right into the sanddunes of a far-flung nationalpark and you can only arrive here with a guided buggie, 4WD-car or by the seaway. Many obstacles; near flat-tires, a near-to crash, adrenalined sanddunesafari and a crookish teeny bobby driver/guide later, we finally reached Jeri. And probably partly because of the hard-to-reach location, it magnetizes Brazilians, other South-Americans, hippies, surfers, windsurfers and kiters from all over the world. Musicians and musiclovers are also attracted to this isolated place, and right now the Jeri jazz-festival is on. The small town is on fire. Cozy restaurants, small street-bars, charming pousadas, surfshops and arts&craft-stalls (occupied by majorly tattooed-rasta-pierced hippies) are bursting with good vibes. And music… Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, a blend of American cool jazz, European advanced harmonies and Afro-Brazilian heartfelt seductive rythms and lyrics, is everywhere you turn your ear… Another music- and dance-form extremely popular in Brazil, is the forro. The dance is a mix of slowdance on speed and sensual salsa. I must say it seems like the couples are getting it on on the dancefloor, allthough they usually don’t know eachother and mostly part (after the dance) like nothing ever happened between them. Maggie and I joined the forro-party last night, after the final jazz-concert. Starting at 02:30-03:00-ish at night, to steaming rytmhs of live music, the hormons were floating all over the place. We joined in on the dance, but oh boy after some 18-year olds quite intensily tried to get little kissies from mommas, we ran home… No way no toyboys for the old ladies! Anyhow, it was fun and interesting to experience the true Brazilian forro: “your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing, the rhythm of your life, the expression in time and movement, happiness, joy, sadness and envy.” Brazil is not merely a romantic place, but a sensual one. Both guys and girls are extremely direct if they like someone. They will tell it, show it, dance it, feel it -at any time of the day. We Norwegians kind of seem stiff, non-humorous, apathic and cold in comparison.

Let’s learn (#11) from our sensual friends in the Latin Quarters of the world, and shake it up a little. So let’s all go for a bossa-forro-nova-salsa-steaming-hot friday night guys!