Lencois Maranhenses fresh water desert
Lencois Maranhenses fresh water desert. Brazil, with its tropical climate, has no real desert, but still, there is an amazing desert, where in the rainy season coming from the Amazon River basin, raise a lot of fresh water lakes. With the end of the rainy season, the lake is almost completely dry. It remains a mystery how in the rainy season there also appear a lot of fish, crabs and other animals in the lakes. There is a hypothesis that roe to this area is brought by birds arriving from the sea. There is an opinion that it remains in the sand and with the arrival of rains from this roe the aquatic inhabitants are born.
The area inhabited by nomads who in the rainy season, which lasts from March to June, engaged in fishing, and in the dry season away from the desert to get a job in the nearby villages. Local legend has it that once the current territory of the desert was also Indian village that once was completely buried by sand.
Desert, called Lencois Maranhenses, in Portuguese means “Maranhao Linen”. Maranhao – Brazilian state where the desert is located, and locals call a desert Linen because bright sands resemble top stretched drying clothes. To preserve the unique desert it was granted the status of a national park in 1981. On a total area of about 1000 square meters. km banned entry of private cars. Also in this area is prohibited oil.
Lencois Maranhenses National Park is Located off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in north-eastern Brazil, about 100 miles northeast of the city of San Jose di Ribamar and 125 km from San Luis in the state of Maranhao.
Because of its uniqueness desert Lencois Maranhenses drew the attention of filmmakers. There ere shot Brazilian film “House of Sand” (2005), also several series of Brazilian TV soap-opera “Clone” (2001). In Lencois Maranhenses also featured a dance that can be seen in the Indian film “Robot” (2010).
The best time for visiting these places, is precisely the rainy season from May to September, when the sun shines almost equally and has not yet managed to drain the lakes. During this period, it is still possible to swim and even fish, and in the dry season, when the lagoon is dry under the scorching sun at t 45C, or erased by newcoming dunes .. this area is more like the Sahara desert, justifying their unspoken name “Brazilian sugar”.
Who will go to these places will not pass the city of Sao Luis, capital of Maranhao. The city is located on the same triangular peninsula with its suburbs, in the bay called San Marcus on the west side of the bay and San Jose on the east, a population of about 800,000 pesoas (people).
Founded in 1612 French city was subsequently captured by the Dutch and eventually came under the jurisdiction of the Portuguese crown, which certainly reflected in its Centro Historico. A mixture of styles, from the French baroque to Portuguese-colonial style.
In the rainy season the water appearing between the dunes forms lakes with clear blue-green water.
Although Lencois Maranenses is similar to the desert, but it is not lifeless sands. During the rainy season here come birds and in the lakes appear shrimp and fish, which residents of nearby villages enjoy.
There is also the vegetation. When moisture is enough here literally come alive mangroves up to 12 meters, which are home for giant crabs, golden birds, caimans and deer.
The dry season lasts from December to March. At this time, the air is heated to 36 so part of shoal waters often dries up completely. At this time, the locals are engaged mainly in cattle and waiting for the start of the rainy season. The biggest mystery in the Lencois Maranhenses where all its animals disappear and where reappear.
On this account, there are many versions, but scientists still have not come to a consensus. The most popular hypothesis is that the eggs of native fish and crabs can easily be stored for several months in desired humidity.
Lencois Maranhenses fresh water desert
source masterok.livejournal.com