Blogs from Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 19

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South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande July 26th 2006

In between our two visits to Rio, we popped to the simply stunning Ilha Grande for a week. The island is an hour and a half from the main land and is a protected reserve with amazing beaches, lots of forest and only one village which has no cars!! Without a doubt it is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been in our lives and after one week we didn´t want to leave. As well as spending the days lounging on the beaches around the village we walked for a couple of hours through the amazing forest, picking our way through tree roots, past giant boulders drawing in the vibrant forests energy. At the end of our walk we came to Lopez Mendes beach: a vast beach of white sand that crunched under ... read more
The Cake stall
The village festivities

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande July 20th 2006

From the hectic city of Rio, Gareth, Matt and I headed south to Ihla Grande. The hostel we stayed in was located at the end of the beach with great views looking out over the small island. For such a small island we assumed that there would not be much to do except chill on the beach all day, play a bit of football and try and body surf the huge waves. So that is exactly what we did for three days. The most strenuous part of the day was actually getting to the beach which involved a 2 1/2 hr trek over what felt like a mountain which was more a big hill (more than one I may add) and through what was a jungle although it could be argued it was a laid out ... read more
Hiking to the beach
Paradise
A well deserved rest after the 2 hr trek

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande July 15th 2006

With a steaming hangover and after only 2 hours sleep, we woke at 4.30 to grab a cab to Rio´s terminal omnibus only to be given the run around trying to find the right kiosk to buy our tickets. Eventually we navigated our way to the right departure point and boarded our 3 hour coach to Angra dos Reis, the port at which we were to get our ferry to Ilha Grande. Having known a little Spanish already, we found the portuguese of Brazil a totally different prospect and it was beginning to knock my multilingual confidence. Thankfully we were lucky to meet up with a lovely Belgian couple who spoke good Portuguese and spent a couple of hours sitting at the port waiting for our ferry. As we sat on the front of the schooner ... read more
View from outside our hostel room...
Local Festival
Where jungle meets water...

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande July 12th 2006

we arrived on the island after dark and went to our hotel which is hard to explain but we will add photos. we all got our rooms and brian took us on a tour (which didn´t take long) before we found somewhere to eat. We decided on Italian, and all ordered pizza except jo, who got spagetti bolognase. was quite annoying that jo got her food and managed to eat it all, anbd have her plate taken away by the time any of the pizzas arrived!!! none of us managed to finish our pizzas, so took the rest home in a tray to eat later, well, the left overs ended up being left in a bar, but they would have been eaten!! We went to a bar and drank cocktails some good and some not so, ... read more
us on lopes mendes
ilha grande
tim on a big rock!

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande June 16th 2006

Well it´s been a tough week. We knew travelling would be challenging at times, but never expected we´d have to spend a whole week stuck on a tropical island, sunbathing, snorkelling and messing about in boats... We caught the bus from Rio down the Costa Verde. I had rather stupidly packed the travel sickness pills deep in my backpack which was stowed in the luggage hold. I felt more and more ill as the coach wound its way round the coastal road. We stopped in Angra dos Reis, hopped into a taxi that took us to the port and then got straight on a passenger boat ready to leave for Ilha Grande. Not time to rummage for the Stugeron then either. Those who know me will understand how much greener I got as the boat made ... read more
Abbraio - view from our window
In search of Lopes Mendes
On the beach

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande June 15th 2006

Ilha Grandella aurinko on jo laskenut ja selailemme internettia paikallisen Pousadan pihalla. Pousada on paikallinen ns. majatalo, vaikka Suomessa olisi vaikea kuvitella niiden pihoilla kasvavan palmuja (toisaalta kuka haluaisi niiden pihoilla kasvavan katajia... :) - paikallisesta kulttuurista kertoo paljon ehka se, etta vaikka me olemme vain internetasiakkaita (= noin 1 euro), niin paikan omistaja haki meille (lue:Hannulle) oluen omasta jaakaapistaan kun "baarista" oli yleiset oluet loppuneet. Odotelemme myos, etta paasemme hakemaan Hannan kovalla tyolla ja monen frustaation tayteisen hetken jalkeen ansaitsemaa PADI Open Water sukelluskorttia! Tentti on suoritettu (voitte kuvitella, etta kirja oli pakko lukea lapi vaikka Hannu olikin sita mielta ettei kukaan viela kurssin historiassa ollut ennen tehnyt niin...) ja viimeinen sukellus voitiinkin tanaan suorittaa jo Hannun kanssa yhdes... read more
Talta nayttaa iloinen sukelluskurssilainen

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande June 10th 2006

Rio jai eilen taakse ja nousimme hyvin ilmastoituun linja-autoon kohteenamme Ilha Granden saari muutaman tunnin paassa Rion melusta. Kaupungista ulosajaminen kesti yllattavan kauan, lahes tunnin, mutta sen jalkeen saimme nauttia vihreasta maisemasta ja ilmastoinnista, joka naissa lampotiloissa on ehdoton plussa. Rio ei varsinaisesti tuntunut meidan kahden paikalta, haju oli ajoittain tyrmaava, melu kamala ja ihmiset kavelivat paalle kaduilla. Myos se, etta olo oli jonkin verran turvaton koko ajan, ei helpottanut kaupunkiin ihastumista. Mutta kaiken taman jalkeenkin, olemme kokemuksesta iloisia ja saimmehan kokeilla Riossa hienoa asioita ja nahda upeita maisemia. Bussin jalkeen paasimme viela venematkalle, jonka aikana ehdimme jo saada esimakua millaiseen paratiisiin oikeastaan olimmekaan matkalla. Rantaan astuttua tuli heti tunne, etta taalta ei ole kiire mihinkaan. Loysimme satt... read more
Ilha Granden rantaviivaa
Pousada D'Pillelin aamias"sali"
Hannu omassa "riippimatossaan"

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande May 31st 2006

This is the first leg of our South America trip and what a great place to start! We arrived to Rio in the pouring rain and were a little bit annoyed, especially as our taxi had not shown up at the airport! Never mind - we eventually got to our hostel in Botafogo and went straight to bed. Getting back into the swing of travelling was going to take a few days - especially as we appeared to be the oldest around - even older then the owner of the hostel! Rio is a great place and even though we spent 5 busy days there we only just touched the surface. The weather improved after day one and even though this was winter it was still boiling hot! Day one we walked and walked - Rio ... read more
Sugar Loaf
Copacabana - from Sugar Loaf
Devils Throat


If you asked Lynny and I what we were looking foward to first before we left, we probably replied 'Ilha Grandé'. In that respect , it was all a bit of a dissapointment. After 3 hours (bus & boat) from Rio we arrived at the only real town on the island 'Abraáo'. It's very picturesque, a modern purpose built little town/village surrounded by jungle and boats. The whole island is jungle, our pousada (b&b) was practically in it!! We liked Abraáo, peaceful and clean, right on the water, everything we needed. Unfortunately, we found that on this side of the island, the beaches weren't great. Stunning backdrops but mostly dirty from boats and currents bringing in general (mostly natural) rubbish. Bush tucker trial 1: The island has treks mapped out to beaches and sights so we ... read more
Abraáo
shattered!
Bamboo

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande April 16th 2006

i don't think anyone reading this needs any further details. let me just say it was a far less harrowing experience than one might expect. although i'm sure all the doctors in the family are gonna cringe when i say that two pieces of paper towel under my ass substituted for clean sheets. and also, my "leavening" problem is now under control. kyle wishes he could have taken pictures. i'm fine without them. luckily this was just the morning. there is something sinister about crumbling ruins in the middle of a jungle formerly inhabited by pirates/deranged criminals/lepers...even when those ruins are just an abandoned aqueduct. i mean, everyone needs water, right? even lepers! we climbed up the jungle aqueduct, pretending we couldn't understand the portuguese signs that clearly said "don't climb the aqueduct", and expect for ... read more
jazz hands in jail!
suicide pact
The Actual Aforementioned Waterfall




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