Swimming with turtles at Abrolhos National Park (NS)

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The journey to Caravelas was via a town called Teixeira De Freitas or Texas Chips as it came to be known by me and Tas. The bus station was horrible and we had to spend 3 hours there waiting for a connecting bus to Caravelas. We were being watched all the time and I am sure that if we had taken our eyes off our bags for any period of time they would have been stolen. Still 'it's all good' as the Aussies say and we arrived at the quiet town of Caravelas in good fettle mid- afternoon. We found a hostel and headed straight out to book our two day/1 night tour of Abrolhos National Park. In this case all was not good, no one did two day tours, they now only did three day tours at $400 each - well above our time and financial constraints. We settled instead for a one day trip to the main island which was still expensive. We then got kitted out with hired snorkelling gear and headed back to our hostel for an early night.

The sun was up at 6am and due to the lack of curtains so were we. We walked to the boat yard and boarded a very luxrious catamaran. It took about two hours to get to the Islands during which time we offered our pale white bodies to the sun with the protection of factor 30 sunscreen being our ample shield.

The boat was filled with posh Brazilians all very European looking and all very well dressed. It was now obvious that Caravelas was a posh holiday destination and the reason it was so expensive. The money was worth it however. The areas is a protected National Marine park which sits 75km west of Caravelas. We saw some beautiful fish and coral but the highlight of the day was swimming with some turtles. Siting of the turtles is not that common and only 4 people on our boat (including me and Tas) we fortunate enough to see them. They were so elegant when they swam, using their tiny flippers to guide their heavy 40cm diameter shelled body, it was amazing.

The low of the day was Tas gtting badly sunburned on her back, not from the boat but from snorkelling. We were face down in the water for about 6 hours, we applied sun lotion on more that one occasion, but obviously not comprehensively. I was not as badly burned probably due to my hair-suit's properties. Needless to say despite bathing in aftersun Tas slept quite badly that night. The plan for the following day was the miday bus to Texas Chips, followed by another 3 hour wait in the scarey bus station for a bus to Salvador. Unfortunately things never quite worked out that way, the bus to Salavdor was full so the options were spend the night at Texas Chips bus station or take the next bus out of town. The next bus out of town was heading to Porto Seguro. Anxious to leave Texas Chips we plumped for the next option which meant only another 4 hours in Texas Chips, now known as Texas Chips - You will never leave! Realising we were not going to arrive in Porto Seguro until late we decided to test our Portuguese by calling ahead and booking a room. I spoke to the hotel reception and used my best Portuguese but to no avail. I was eventually put through to a 'basic´ English speaker and the conversation went as follows:

Me: Hello. Do you have a room?
Man: Yes
Me: Can I book it for tonight?
Man: No, I have a room.
Me: Can I have it?
Man: You would like room?
Me: Yes
Man: No
Me: You don't have a room?
Man: Yes
Me: Can I have it?
Man: Tomorrow?
Me: I would like it tonight about midnight

This conversation repeated itself for 2 or 3 minutes until..

Man: I leave tomorrow, it will be free as soon as I leave

..and suddenly the penny dropped. In some Fawlty Towers style I had been put through to the only English speaking guest. I thought he was reception and he thought I was reception wanting the room back immediately. We both saw the funny side and the gentleman was kind enough to go to reception and book us a room. Bless him.

With smiles on our faces we boarded the bus to Porto Seguro.

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Photos

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Sunset at Abrolhos

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Us on the Boat

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One of Marine Park's Islands

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Texas Chips - You'll never leave!

Comments

[Sandra Pearce]

Turtles
That must have been amazing to see the turtles. You've been really lucky to see such varied wildlife. Wish we were there too!!