A selection of photographs taken in Brazil in 2007.
Part 34:
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Preguiças River at midnight
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Beach sunset
Atins (MA) – Preguiças River at midnight
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2017
A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
108. Descent of Man
JULY 2007: Descent of Man
In July 2007, we visited the state of Maranhão. We stayed in Barreirinhas, which is considered the gateway to the immense Lençóis Maranhenses dune landscape, from where we joined a boat ride on the literally lazy Preguiças River. Our final destination was Atins, at the Atlantic Ocean, four hours away. It was a hot day, but the ride on the water was really enjoyable. When we entered the sandy paths and streets in Atins, we almost immediately jumped from out feet. The sand was terribly hot! We all felt a bit tired after a 55-hour-long bus ride from Belo Horizonte and another 4-hour boat ride. One of the bus drivers was really feeling exhausted. For him, it was impossible to walk straight. He then trudged toward me, and I couldn’t resist taking a picture of him. His pose remembered me of the stories of the early humans on earth, several hundred thousands years ago, when man made the first efforts to walk straight….
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2007, 2014
Atins is a small coastal village at the border of the immense dune landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses. From Barreirinhas – gateway to the dune landscape – we made a 4-hour boat trip to Atins, on the lazy Preguiças River.
It is not easy to travel on the Preguiças River. Depending on the tide, the river flow changes. High tide means that sea water flows land inward, at low tide the flow inverts to seaward. Therefore, our boat trip back to Barreirinhas only could start at midnight. We enjoyed the day at the beach, and witnessed a breathtaking sunset. At night, we gathered at a pousada and killed the time with chatting. It was full moon that night; therefore, my camera was able to catch some light with prolonged exposure. With some modifications, I was able to obtain quite a clear image of two boats floating on the river. In the moonlight…
Camera: Canon PowerShot A540
f/2,6, 15 sec. focal length 6 mm, max. aperture 2,75
Rio Preguiças, the Lazy River, has a length of only 120 km, runs along Barreirinhas (gateway to the dune landscape of National Park Lençóis Maranhenses), and ends in the Atlantic Ocean, near Atins. The distance between the locations is only 16 kilometers in a straight line, but when following the strong meandering river, the distance is 42 kilometers long. The river flows very slowly. You may even wonder to which direction the river flows. At low tide the flow is seaward, into the Atlantic Ocean; at high tide the flow is in opposite direction, landward. Hence, boat tours can only be performed at certain hours. In our case, our departure time at Barrerinhas was at dawn and at Atins after midnight.
The original picture was taken in July 2007.
Click HERE for general information about SÃO LUÍS,
About 250 km east of São Luís, capital of the Brazilian state of Maranhão, Atins is located at the Atlantic coast, at the border of the immense dune landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses. Atins may be reached by boat from Barreirinhas, thereby following the Preguiças River. In 2007, the travel fare was 5 reais only, for a journey of four hours. Many locals use this boat, as their public transport. On the savage beach of Atins, one may located lumps of clay, which may be used as the basis for pottery. My travel companions immediately recognized the clay, and played with it. As a result: dirty, brown hands…
The original picture was taken in July 2007.
Click HERE for general information about SÃO LUÍS,
About 250 km east of São Luís, capital of the Brazilian state of Maranhão, Atins is located at the Atlantic coast, at the border of the immense dune landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses. Atins may be reached by boat from Barreirinhas, thereby following the Preguiças River. In 2007, the travel fare was 5 reais only, for a journey of four hours. Many locals use this boat, as their public transport. The savage beach of Atins is a unique location for a breathtaking sunset, that took a few minutes only.
The original picture was taken in July 2007.
Click HERE for general information about SÃO LUÍS,
The Brazilian state of Maranhão is widely known for hosting the immense dune landscape of Lençóis Maranhenses. From Barreirinhas – gateway to Lençóis Maranhenses -, one may join a boat trip in the really lazy Preguiças River. The regular, and thus cheap, boat ride took more than four hours, to arrive at the final destination: Atins.
Atins is a very small coastal village, with one main road. From there, it is a short walk to the beach of Atins, and reach the Atlantic Ocean. It is not a beach with white sands and palm trees, but a rough beach, with tiny shrubs and grass growing on greyish brown sand.
Near the shoreline, one may find some clay humps, ideal for pottery. Also suitable to dirt your hands with.
The girl in this photograph demonstrates the clay that made her already tanned hands much darker.
Camera: Canon PowerShot A540
f/4, 1/400 sec. local time: 17.22 h.
