After a nine and a half wait at Rio's bus station, 5am couldn't come around quick enough, i was happy to get on the bus and make my way to the island!Two hours later i arrived in Mangaratiba ready to take the ferry to Ilha Grande.Here i bumped into a group of English speakers who i asked if i could tag along with. As I sat on the ferry looking out of the window enjoying the early morning views, I had one of those moments where you think to yourself "this is perfect, I wouldnt want to be anywhere else but here right now."It was total bliss,this is how Tuesday mornings should be! The gentle lull of the boat across the deep blue water set the scene for what was to come on this tranquil island.
Walking off the boat was a nice experience, it felt good not having to dodge out of the way for any traffic as there are no cars on the island!What you do have to watch out for though are the cyclists and people pulling carts, they can be a little crazy and sightly dangerous!
So an island with over a hundred beaches on it, the most obvious thing to do is head to one and what better one could you pick other than Lopes Mendes! Voted as one of the worlds top ten beaches we decided to hike there, yes hike!For someone like myself who never does that it was hard work!Up we trekked through dense forest,steep paths,climbing a
nd slipping over huge rocks (one of the girls in flip flops, I admire her determination!) to be met after two and a half long hours (obviously not moan free, I speak for myself!)by Lopes Mendes. The perfect setting, a long white sandy beach surrounded with lush green trees and sea that feels as though its reaching out to grab you as its waves roll towards your feet. It was well worth the hike but we took the boat back!
As if that wasn't enough trekking, Karin and myself thought we'd take another small hike the next day to the waterfall. I thought this was considerably harder than the day before as the soil was like clay so was quite slippery and the paths were narrow.( It was during this time it suddenly came to me that i felt like the kid in the film UP - Russell, Wilderness Explorer!)There we were happily making our way, when we came across a local guy who kept stopping to show us things along the route, including a MASSIVE spider!! I was horrified! I hadn't actually considered the prospect of seeing spiders until he kindly pointed it out! Once again we opted to take the boat back and had just set off when Karin remembered she'd left her clothes on the beach! (Karin, if you're reading this I know you didn't think it was funny at the time but it was!)
Ilha Grande - The Big Island,it may be famous for its beaches but you can't beat the sweet carts! The cakes were so good, we went back two nights in a row! I had a great time on the island. An almost remote place where you
can have a small beach to yourself. I was sad to leave so it was a a perfect end to the four days when we saw a pod of dolphins swimming close to the ferry on the way back to the mainland.
My next stop after Ilha Grande was a small town called Paraty a few hours south along the coast. A lovely little place with cobbled streets, not so lovely when it pours down with rain and they become slippery! I arrived in the afternoon and went for a wander, didn't take a map as I thought "I've been in Brazil for three and a half weeks now, I've got the hang of this exploring now, I won't need one" bad idea, especially when all of the roads look the same, night starts to fall and to top it off the heavens decide to open with a torrential downpour, i was lost! Paraty is well known for its Cachoeira do Tobogã, a waterfall that you slide down, its really fun but you have to be willing to sustain a few injuries!
I also spent a few day in Trindade, another coastal town about forty minutes from Paraty.The beaches are practically empty but are absolutely stunning, along with the natural pool, its so clear you can see the fishes!Had my first drink of Gabriela here, it's strong, at 38% you wouldn't want to stay on that all night!
Well, that's me finished with Rio state, on to Sao Paulo!
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