Chillin on de islands...

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Thursday 17th April
9am still felt too early but got up for brekkie, then came back to my room and sorted most of my stuff out. Bag is getting pretty full now but doesn't seem worth posting anything back. 11am head out for a last look at town, decide to buy the hammock I looked at yesterday although not sure how I'll get it back. Post Office (2.2kg) is too expensive...

By 12 have been on the internet and checked out of my room. 3 taxis were en route and soon we were at the bus station and getting the local bus to Angra (bus was full of school kids). Just over 2 hours later we're in Angra and walk 5 minutes to the ferry where we have a half-hour wait (find freshly cooked corn from a street vendor). By 335 we're under way for a 1 hour 40 minute ride to Ilhe Grande. Weather is pretty poor after the sun of yesterday... And again it's a beach/boat place. Who knows... Tomorrow could be sunny!

Friday 18th April
Today IS sunny... How good is that? We have a good breakfast and head out to the waterfront where our boat is waiting for us. We're not exactly sure what we've signed up for and are plesantly surprised to see a schooner all to ourselves, with plenty of lounging around space. Few photos, bit of sunbathing, bit of reading, a few Capirinhas and we're pulling up for an hour of snorkelling. Plenty of fish around, but - after a while - fancying a challenge, I head off for a swim around the island. I've put my camera on the boat and concentrating on swimming. Maria Augusta is heading this way too. See some different underwater landscapes and then, halfway round the island, I see a sea turtle float under me like a small spaceship. Gutted I don't have my camera, especially as I see another one 2 minutes later, but I enjoy the swimming non-the-less.

Back on the boat and we head off to our next stop, a beach. Nice enough but I head off for more snorkelling, taking my camera this time. See more fish/landscapes, etc and spend a while trying to get a picture of some sea flowers. On the way back to the boat see another sea turtle, but it glides under a rock before I have a chance for that picture. Back on the boat, Lila has knocked Stuart's glasses into the sea, Rachel saves the day. On the way back, some people have had plenty of Capirinhas, and the music is up loud, so there's some great dancing going on, especially with Claire and Lila!

We make it back into the dock, head back for showers - at which point I realise have burnt my back! We make it out to the restaurant, where try to fish stew (origin Bahia) along with Staurt, Lila and Maria Augusta. Really tasty, but finish off by heading back to the dessert trolley with Shilpa and Linda. Others are all heading out somewhere, but the 3 of us head back and crash out.

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