Flew to Fernando do Noronha, a group of islands off the coast of Brazil by a 2 hour flight. Spend 3 days there. Stayed at Pousada Marvilha, which overlooked the Bay of Sueste, where the main turtle feeding ground is. Our room had an outdoor bed and a beautiful view of the bay. The pousada also had a swim-in steam room, which Garth and I used to its fullest. We spent our 3 days on the islands by visiting as many beaches as possible and snorkeling. The highlight was our snorkel in Bay of Sueste to swim with the turtles - [View Full Entry]

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Hi All, Here are some pix from Rio. We had a great time there visiting the Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, and hanging out on the beach. Ipanema was our favorite beach. Also, Garth particularly enjoyed the churrascarias (steak houses). They have a big Italian influence, so there are lots of Italian restaurants, and they always serve a wonderful variety of breads. And, of course, those Brazilian bikinis were a shocker. :) [View Full Entry]

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Flew to Salvador from Rio. Stayed in Old Town Salvador, where the slave trade started in Brazil. We stayed as Pousada Redfish in the suite on the top floor, which had a deck that looked out over the city. Walked around town and took pictures of the architecture and interesting street food. Ate dinner at a traditional outdoor restaurant.The regional food is known as Bahian, originating with the African slaves. The dish we tried was a fish stew. [View Full Entry]

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Driver picked us up at 5:30am to drive to Mangaratiba to catch the ferry to Ilha Grande. We stopped at a gas station, so the drive could have coffee and a pastry at the coffee bar (Brazilians stand at a bar to drink their coffee). Caught the ferry to the island. Went past beautiful green islands. Ilha Grande port consists of a pier and a small cluster of restaurants and pousadas - very quaint. It has a hippy feel. Caught a tour boat to visit other beaches and to snorkel. We were impressed with the clear blue color of the water [View Full Entry]

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We rented a car an drove 2 hours east of Rio to a peninsula called Buzios, which has dozens of beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. Most of the drive was through favelas (squatters housing that has taken over much of Rio and the surrounding areas), so interesting but not so scenic. Drivers are crazy in Rio, so it was a bit stressful for Garth. Once we got to Buzios, we were pleasantly surprised by how quaint it was - a small fishing village with cobble stoned streets and boutiques. Took a short trail to Ossos beach, which was a nice [View Full Entry]

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