The kindness of strangers

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I reclined on the stern of the boat, beer in hand, shoes off and gazed out to sea at the beautfiul tropical islands. Next to me hugging my teddy sat Cainha, the young daughter of Pedro, a Portugese guy who ran a bar on the island of Illha Grande.

We had come to meet Pedro and his lovely daughter on the bus from Rio. He was out of water and needed some. We had water but nowhere to stay on the island so we cut a deal.

He led us to a fabulous 40 foot schooner that his friend owned and we settled in with the locals. Smugly we smiled at the trail of tourists heading to the ferry further down the wharf.

Illha Grande is a stunning tropical island with a mix of palm trees, white sand and forrest cascading into the blue sea. A small cobbled town centre is surrounded by cafes and craft shops. The shady paths are made from sand and there are no cars on the island. A series of beaches accessible either by boat or walking through the forrest and a number of nearby islands offered many options for exploring, snorkelling or getting caught in rips as I discovered.

Pedro led us up a wide sandy street and a small flight of stairs to meet his friend Silvao. Silvao is a rather eccentric artist who had built and designed the place himself. His sculpture and art adorned the walls and decorated tables and shelves.

After security concious Rio we were particularly amazed that everything was open to the outside world by 3 archways. No doors. No locks. Apparently there was never any crime on the island and so his laptop and fully stocked bar sat exposed and untouched by passers by.

In rapid portugese Pedro explained our plight and within minutes we had a fabulous room overlooking the gardens.

Silvao´s eccentricity was later revealed as he feverishly chased his own dog around the house with a broom, whistled loudly at all hours of the night and failed to provide any linen for his guests. But we were grateful to not be sleeping on the beach.

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Photos

Cainia
The gorgeous girl who got us in...

Arty Pousada
Some of his work....

No doors on the pousada....
Some more of his work....