2018 - Trip Report - Global 4-Wheeling & Rock Art
Global 4-wheeling and Rock Art
By Anne & George Stoll
Just back (10-2018) from another rock art exploration in Brazil, this time involving some serious 4-wheeling that might bring a DE smile. It’s all Bob Jaussaud’s fault, actually – he’s the one that insisted we see Iguassu Falls in 2010, our first intro to this remarkable country. This time we made it into a few more remote spots in northeastern Brazil thanks to our English-speaking guide Filipe, a most amazing Brazilian many-time off-road rally driver, Sabiá, and a classic lady, a very dark green vintage turbo-diesel Land Rover Defender.
Wish I had a buck for every guy that offered to buy this car as we traveled through the Brazilian countryside! Between the Defender and our white hairs and dark glasses, we had people staring at us everywhere, which made it all that much more fun. Sabiá and that Defender did quite well with the two-lane “highways” in the back country, passing huge trucks with ease. But what that pair could do off-road was the really fun part.
September 22 we were headed for a rock art site, Toca da Figura, up on the plateau country outside of the town of Morro do Chapéu, Bahia state, Brazil. Vegetation in the cerrado is quite sparse and it was a pretty hot day. There were six of us on the trip, George, me, Filipe, Sabiá, our local guide and Franco, “the Professor” of tourism in town, perched on the roof to video the whole crazy adventure. It was decided that the hike would be too long if we parked at the usual spot and after all, there “used to be a road” right to the site (sound familiar?). You know what’s coming.
Sabia shifted into rock-crawling low gear, no foot on the gas necessary, and leaned out of the door to steer. With our local guide out front, we went crossed a chasm or two and went over some pretty rough terrain, with the Professor clinging to the roof hooting and hollering and all of us inside laughing, cheering and dodging vegetation.
The local rancher didn’t seem too impressed, but we certainly were!
Made it in fine shape to the rock art and back. Caipirinhas at dinner were on us! Respectfully submitted, Anne and George Stoll
