Lages dos Negros - Bahia

Lages dos Negros is about three hours by car from where we live in Sobradinho near the big hydroelectric dam.  Yet it's only 77 miles or 125 km, but it's almost all dirt roads.  If you can get over 30 mph, you're doing good.  

We've been driving there every week for about a month.  Sometimes we go in our Mitsubishi Pajero.  Sometimes we take our boys' open sand rail/dune buggy.

 The buggy is faster, but it can get a little chilly on those early morning runs!  And the roads are rough on any vehicle.  Just about every week my husband has to do some little repair on either car before we make our next trip.

Here he is this past week welding the frame after finding 

some small cracks.

But let's get back to Lages... the drive is incredible.  There are two paths to choose from with the Salitre River in the middle.   We usually take the high road that goes nearest the giant wind mill project called Delfina near the little town of Bicas.

The sites along the way include cowboys really looking for cows and goats with traditional leather attire.  

The people are friendly.  Sunday morning in their big open air market and a great day to visit.  There are several little inns if you need to spend the night and quite a few good restaurants.  

It can be a final destination or just a place to fill your tank on the way to visit local caves or to head down to try to catch a glimpse of a big cat or blue parrot in the Boqueirão da Onça Preservation Area.