Last day....Well sort of, cause flight on Monday not till 4 so we still have some timeWalked round the corner to our last Pousada - Casa Mango Mango. We stayed here last week and it's really nice. Relaxing in gardens feeding the local monkeys, waiting to get picked up for a tour of the Maracana football stadium then going to local derby Botofogo vs Flumineze. We are expecting fireworks (literally) and fans are rivals so we will support whichever end of the ground we find ourselves. Boys excited about game, just hope it lives up to their expectations.... read more
Sat Bus to Rio very early however this is no local bus. It's the same luxury job we took from Rio last week and it's seat back, leg rest up and conk out for 3 hours. Very relaxing. We all sleep. Our new pousada for sat night looks, from the outside, like every other building in Santa Teresa (rio old town).... a dump. However on the inside it's just superb with an outdoor terrace with small pool, fridge bar and great views over the city. Full use of the whole house (two others staying). This is the old part of town we stated on last week and during the day we wandered the streets with the odd shop/ bar/ restaurant. Very bohemian ( look it up). Great vibe and si friendly yet with an air of ... read more
FriBreakfast at 9 and by eleven we are on the local bus, driving like a maniac to Trinidade beach (45mins). Cloudy, warm and sun attempting to shine. Meet our Vancouver pals again. I reckon they are following us. Trinidade has for incredible sandy beaches with huge surf waves rolling in. Great day playing footie on beach teaching the boys how to dribble!We get the 5pm bus back (bus is £1.10pp!), before sun down. At night before heading into town we play cards at the official card table in the open air games room by the river. Kev wins. Night great but meal disappointing and head home 11 pm cause we leave Paraty a day early: bus 7.20am. Have managed to book a room in Santa Terresa (Rio) sat night allowing us more time on the Sunday ... read more
Thu Off for a 2 hr stroll through the Atlantic Forest jungle to learn about the gold trail, a 1,200km boulder path built by slaves in 1695 to transport all the gold and diamonds from the interior of brazil ( Minas Gervais) to the port of Paraty. Very interesting, once we deciphered our French guides broken English. The fact that he looked like Mr Bean didn't help either. Warm but cloudy- ideal for us. After trail, head to the rock waterslide. I wimp out cause the waters freezing but after 15mins of video boys eventually go for it. Sliding down a 35deg rock slope on your bum over running water to end up in a deep ice cold rock pool is not my idea of fun. Back at apt for 1.30pm. Graeme and Tricia have conked ... read more
Wed Horse Riding? Why that says Graeme. I don't want to go on a stupid horse. Anyway we get picked up in an old car and taken into the hills at 10am. These horses look pretty damn big when you stand next to them. Hats on and away we go. Suffice to say the weather and scenery was great and we trekked on roads, paths, bridges, through water and best of all through narrow jungle paths. "Snake" shouts our guide, wee bit of panic as we did not know whether to stop horse or continue. Boys see their first wild snake devouring a frog. I miss it as my horse canters away with me om its back. After short stop at caracha (rum) distillery we finish after nearly 3 hours on horse. Votes in terms of ... read more
Tues Our ferry is at 12.30 so we have time in the morning to do a 2hr stroll to a waterfall and beach. Weather lovely and warm. We get back to mainland and hop on a local bus to take the 2hr journey to Paraty where we have 5 nights, before heading back to Rio for our last night. The journey is hell. We were aware that brazillian bus drivers were mad but this was ridiculous. Taking bends at 70 I was sure we were going to skid off the road and down the steep jungle embankments. We pass a sign that says"dangerous road 2011, 1,650 accidents and 60 fatalities"I've no doubt our driver caused 59 of them. Glad to get off alive and we find our best Pousada. Great room, balcony with hammock overlooking river ... read more
MondayCloudy but looks better. Who cares. We decide to get a boat round to Lopes Mendes beach, voted one of top 10 in the world. After 30 min trip it's a short 15 min hike to the beach. We're not disappointed. Beautiful sand, crashing waves and jungle backdrop. After playing beach footie and a dip in the sea we chill out for a bit. Sun is trying to get through clouds. Still warm though, around 75. Decision time. Hike back or boat boat it is. Another good night around town although our fish stew (speciality) is very special indeed. Its stewed in cocoanut milk and hot spices. ...... Except the forget to add anything. At £16 to serve 2, this eases the pain slightly. Tricia happy to read book and I sit at table on beach ... read more
Sunday Wake up in paradise island ready to go to one of the 24 beaches on the island. The only way to get to beaches is by boat or 2hr hike through the jungle. We do neither cause there's a bloody tropical rainstorm!Shopping opportunity says Tricia however on our walk around the dusty paths of this lovely wee town, we meet two English girls who ask why we are not watching Wimbledon. It's a miracle. We find the bar that has the Wimbledon final live and it's 1 set all. Better still it's got the "eat as much as you want restaurant for about £4pp. They weigh your food. Graeme eats the most. Tennis brilliant but result not so. Surreal watching in a tropical bar on a Brazilian island. Rain doesn't shift so we just eat ... read more
Sat After a good breakfast in mango mango, the helpful owner also manages to get us tickets to watch the local derby on our last night; Fluminez v Botafogo. Boys excited cause Seedorf just signed and this is his first game. We taxi to bus station and at bang on 11.45am we board the most luxurious bus we have ever been on, and I really mean that; recliners air con, naked Brazillian ladies (if only). Anyway great 2hr 45 trip to Angas de Reis where we hop on the catamaran for 45 min speed sail to the island of Ilha Grande. En route we chat to two 22yr old girls from Sheffield on a 5 month south American tour who remind us that Andy Murray is playing in Wimbledon final tomorrow so I must hunt down ... read more
FriBreakfast 7.30am again. This getting up early is nightmare but necessary as sundown is 6pm. I'm not a celebrity but "get me out of here!"Last canoe ride and we are back in Manaus, flight on time, and 4 hrs later back in Rio. I'm an expert now so rather than pay inflated airport taxi I saunter out to local taxi rank and negotiate decent fare for 25 min ride to Santa Theresa, the oldest (and dodgiest) part of town. Our pousada is an impressive colonial house shrouded by two large mango trees. Irs alai got a small pool. We arrive late but the owner is brilliant and makes the boys a cold platter cause they're starving again!. We are taken up a spiral stair to the room at the top to find our best accommodation so ... read more
