Probably the best decision we made so far on this trip was to skip Rio de Janiero, opting for some extra time on Ihla Grande, a deserted tropical island covered in 100 square miles of Atlantic rain forest!
I kind of feel like a schmuck, coming to a country like this and skipping all the hub-bub. After all, most people would say you haven ´t really been to Brazil unless you ´ve been to the biggest, most happening, most talked about cities in the nation. But I can ´t say I wouldn ´t do the same thing again. Neither Pat nor myself really care too much for big cities. I mean, I love to visit, but if I ´m short on time, a huge, expensive, screaming, bustling city is at the bottom of my priority list. So, while we didn ´t thoroughly explore Rio de Janiero, Salvador, Belem, Manaus (the Paris of the Tropics), or any of the other pulsating towns of Brazil, instead we were romanticized by Lencois, Bonito, Blumenau, Morretes, Puerto Iguazu, Uyuni, Jacuma, and Ilha Grande!
Ilha Grande was the perfect end to our amazing trip. We arrived at night under a nearly-full moon, the outline of the island ´s steep mountains making it easy to see why this had once been a pirate ´s lair. With the help of Daniel and his new wife greeting incoming tourists at the pier, we were escorted to a hostel and given a great room where we indulged in showers and some long overdue sleep in a real bed!
The next morning, after a delicious breakfast spread, tons of relaxing, and lunch at a pub, we got our gear together for a trip to one of the island ´s hundreded of beaches. We plunked down in the sand under the sun near a freshwater river streaming into the clear, emerald sea. We didn ´t lounge long. After exploring the length of the beach, and finding some amazing black sand, we set out for some swimming before beginning the timeless beach-project of burying one another in the sand. We had a blast working fast and furiously against the tide, Pat engineering wave blockers while I dug out a hole big enough to tuck his large frame into.
Once the sun had sunk behind the hills, we headed back for showers and a laid-back night on the town. We stopped at the agency near our pousada to check prices on excursions, and got signed up for a hawaiian out-rigger canoe trip. She gave up coupons for free caipirinhas (my favorite!) at a nearby creperia, so, after convincing Pat that crepes can be filled with more than strawberries and chocolate, we had an amazing dinner. We topped it off with a stroll around town and carmelized strawberries dipped in chocolate. MMm!!
The Hawaiian out-rigger canoe was an awesome adventure. Although Pat ´s hips were too wide for the boat, we still had fun paddling around the island with our guide, an Italian couple, and another Brazilian, stopping to snorkel in the amazing, clear, greenish-blue waters full of all sorts of fish (the zebra fish were my favorite) before landing on a white-sand beach. We hauled the (heavy, heavy!) canoe onshore and headed up into the thick rainforest to the Witch ´s Waterfall tucked high on a mountain slope. It took a little convincing, but finally I joined the crowd and slid into the ice-cold spring water and up under the waterfall where the mountain water pounded my body under the thick forest canopy. Our guide was right! It really was refreshing!
After we ´d had our fill, we headed back to the beach, where we once again strapped on our snorkels. Snorkelling among the rocks was absolutely thrilling. My heart pounded as I was surrounded by a giant school of flashing-silver fish swimming past. Zebra fish and rock fish darted in and out of the mussel, coral, and plant covered rocks while I tried desperately not to get pounded into those rocks by the ever-present surf. The highlight was the starfish and sandollar I spotted on the ocean floor. I was swimming along, and suddenly, 25 feet down, I saw a huge white sand-dollar (the size of a tea plate), and right next to it, the biggest starfish I ´d ever seen. About the size of your average desk-top computer screen. I kept my eyes peeled, and I spotted at least seven more before we reluctantly pulled ourselves out of the clear, emerald green waters to begin our return journey.
That evening, we made the glorious mistake of going to an all-you-can eat pizza buffet. The slices are tiny, which means you get to try all twenty flavors without being insanely stuffed. My favorite was the dessert variety of bananas and cinnamon-sugar. Incredible! The Portuguesa (their version of supreme with even more ingredients) and the garlic I would also highly recommend. The problem, however, is the “all-you-can eat” part. Especially if you ´re an American, it ´s really “more-than-you-can-eat” (after all, you want to get your money ´s worth, don ´t you?), which always makes for an uncomfortable evening. Bellies over-full, we found a phone so I could try again to figure out what ´s going on with Ben Carver, and finally hiked the first stretch of a trail up into the mountains under the spooky, moonlit, rainforest canopy.
Now, here we are on the mainland awaiting our bus to our final destination! I am both sad to be leaving, and thrilled to be going home. We ´ve met so many wonderful people, seen so many amazing places, done so many incredible things, and learned lessons you can never pick up in a classroom. We ´ve definitely honed our long-term travelling skills for next time, and are developing an aresenal of hints and tips.
Right now, we look forward to a few days of meals and evenings with friends before we dive headlong into the tornado of moving and setting up shop 1,000 miles from wonderful Wyoming!
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