Amanda Lago

Storyteller Artist

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Travel Journal

UBATUBA + CAMPOS DO JORDÃO/SP- BRAZIL

In March me and my family went to the countryside of São Paulo state and I got to see the sea for the first time since I was 5! I’ve never cared much about the sea, so I was -meh- and didn’t expect much from it, but man, when we were getting closer to the beach and we opened the car’s windows, the sea smell struck SO HARD in my memory. It was like that typical anime scene when the character’s eye goes wide and starts sparkling stars! It was a 23 years-old smell memory that I’ve never gotten the chance to feel again until now.

(Below: this was the day we arrived. It was at sunset and it was very cloudy.)

So right on the first day proper beach day (below), we went to this one called Praia do Itamambuca and it turned out it was also a surfing beach, so lots and lots of big waves for us, the countryside cowboy people that know nothing about the sea. lol It was definitely dangerous and WE LOVED IT.

Jumping and diving waves is the most fun thing ever! I don’t understand why people go there to just be lying on the sand burning their skin O_O’ Me and my brother just wanted to stay in the water all the time.

I also did my first plein air painting there. It took me quite some time and the daylight changed a lot, but it was really relaxing.

The next day, we went to this beach called Praia do Félix and we had the brilliant idea to go through the jungle, climbing and sliding on deadly rocks, to see this other beach called Praia das Conchas.

It was supposed to have a lot of beautiful shells (hence the name, conchas = shells), but they were all crushed into tiny pieces all over the “sand” area (which you couldn’t even see, it was just broken shells) which made it painful to walk with bare feet (to get into the water for example).

But before all that, I slipped and fell on a mossy puddle of water and my phone not only crashed on a rock but fell into the water (not waterproof, sadly). It was 100% dead after that.

Putting all of that to the side, the VIEW. I’m still thinking if it was all worth it. I think it was. I think so. Maybe…

We also visited lots of isles by speedboat and saw incredible translucent waters.

By the end of the second day visiting remote beaches, we got a pretty agitated sea and we saw a LOT and I really mean A LOT of dolphins pretty close to us. I regret not having a good camera on hand, but at the same time, it was good to not film the experience and just live it.

And that was it!

I also did 2 more plein air paintings using my watercolor travel kit, but I was without a phone, so I couldn’t take a picture of the scene. 🙁

This was at Prumirim Beach and there were so many fish getting stranded there! The waves shaped the sand into this weird shape and the fish couldn’t get back into water. So I got the chance to save one!

When I got to it and I stretched my hand to catch it, I felt so sad! The fish was completely still (besides breathing), almost as if it had already given up on living. I hope it was ok after I threw it back into the salty water.

After this we went for a one-day stay in a city nearby called Campos do Jordão.

I loved the weather, the architecture and landscaping was *chef kiss*, but the turism aspects of it was terrible. By that I mean people calling you to their restaurants, stores, etc, on the streets. ¬¬’ We hated that. It was extremely annoying.

But the view AND the weather was 10/10 <3

First, we went to this park called Amantikir.

That’s all for now.

See you soon, maple tree.

<3