24-Oct-2009 --

Once again, Arão Lobão, Paulo Nery, Fernando Gayoso, the team that photographed the confluence at 7S x 42W on July 5, 2008, gathered for a new expedition. This time they were accompanied by Roberto Gayoso, plus advisors Paulo from Curicaca farm and Roberto from Tocaia farm. After preparatory meetings and studying existing paper maps and Google maps the team left Teresina, capital of the State of Piauí, at 7 p.m. on October 23, 2009. The plan was to head for the two confluences, first 7S x 44W and then 7S x 43W, which is more remote.

The team slept at the Hotel Parnaíba in Floriano, Piaui, a small city only 250 km by asphalt road from Teresina. They had breakfast at seven o'clock on Saturday, October 24, left the hotel, went to buy necessary supplies, fueled the two pickups, motorcycles and an ATV, and set off for the confluence of 7S x 44W.

Leaving Floriano, the team passed through the towns of Jerumenha, Landri Sales, Marcos Parente and then followed an unmarked dirt road to the village of Cocal, which is located in the municipality of Porto Alegre of Piauí, approximately 25 (twenty five) kilometers from the city that is located the banks of the hydroelectric dam of Boa Esperança on the River Parnaiba. They left the cars on the road 500 meters from the headquarters of Santa Luz farm and continued on foot and by ATV to the confluence, around 1.2 kilometers away.

The confluence 7S x 44W is located 200 meters from a barbed wire fence that marks the property line. Vegetation there is typical Piauí savanna, which this time of year is already in the beginning of the rainy season and the trees are returning to full foliage.

It is worth noting that we saw several trees of the same species, unknown to us, with many fruit, yellow, and plum-like, shortly after leaving the municipality of Marcos Parente and reaching Porto Alegre do Piauí. We gathered some and then later in the village of Cocal, near the place where we had left the cars to head for the confluence, we asked a boy about the fruit. He replied, smiling and saying that the fruit is called "cagaita”. Later, when we were back in Teresina, we learned that the fruit has a laxative effect, as the popular and scientific name suggest. The scientific name is Eugenia Dysenterica, a fruit typical to the Brazilian scrubland and is even used to flavor ice cream.

Mike Stricklin was part of the team, although missing the trip, as developer, entrepreneur and advisor on international affairs.