Living the High Life in Angra

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Just got back from two thoroughly relaxing days at Rodolpho's father's vacation house in Angra dos Reis, RJ. Three hours south of here (driving fast!) it's halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo, on the coast, and a favorite weekend getaway for Rio's upper class. Rogerio (that's R's dad) has a modest but very comfortable house on the bay there, and a gorgeous sailboat that is moored right in the canal where the house is located. Technically we were in the Marina da Bracui, which is tiny community that basically consists of a marina and a bunch of vacation houses on the eastern side of the bay. A canal was dredged so that people could keep their boats on their property, and today it's lined with picturesque homes, each with its own boat floating out back. Words really don't do the place justice, so I'll just post some pictures so you see what I mean.

We got there late Friday night and stayed until Sunday evening, and pretty much all we did in the intervening time was sit around and read, take the sailboat out on the bay in the afternoons, eat, and sleep. Bliss! It was exactly what I needed after all that hiking. The boat was beautiful, and the water was warm, and we moored at an island each day to relax and take in the sights. On Saturday we swam to shore and hiked halfway up the island for a beautiful view out over the bay. The bay is filled with over 300 tiny islands, and sailboats and motorboats are ubiquitous. It's a playground for the wealthy, and I definitely felt privileged as we sailed gracefully over the water! On Saturday night we ate a restaurant by the marina where Rogerio knows the owners, and I had a really good meal of palm hearts and stuffed squid. (My first time having the whole squid on my plate, not cut up into strip of calamari!) Not much else to report except that I really wish I had my own place at Angra! No wonder Rogerio goes there every weekend. It was a very nice way to settle into Brazil, and a real treat to experience some good, old-fashioned down-time before more sightseeing in Rio and Brasilia!

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Photos

The Ro-Bin-Rudy
(sounds like Robin Hood in Protuguese!)