Blogs from Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 6

The Monday night was the ´"introduction meeting" of the GAP tour, I am "roomed" with a German gentleman called Tobias who I´m sure won´t mind me saying, is second only to me in terms of complaining about everything under the sun, still great guy who tolerates my lame roster of jokes and my particularness. We left the Copacabana behind and Rio and after 2 weeks, well was not sorry to be leaving, over did Rio by about 5 days perhaps but nevermind. We had an uneventfull pleasant enough drive down the coast at UK style driving standards to catch the cat to Ilha Grande. Were allowed to sit on the roof so yet another opportunity for me to burn. Isla Grande is a very fetching island to visit, though we were there at the quieter weekday ... read more

Friday 24th September 2010 After geting up at 4am for our taxi to the Rodoviaria (bus station), we arrived only to find the timetable had changed & we had missed the bus by minutes. We opted for a bus 10 minutes later to Angra where there is another port to Ilha Grande, but the boat wouldn't leave till the afternoon meaning we'd miss our one potentially sunny day. However on a service stop we caught the 1st bus as it was about to leave and the driver kindly organised a switch so we could get our 8am boat as planned from Mangarativa. The boat journey to Ilha Grande was rocky and took about 90 mins. When we arrived we were acosted by a little lady on a bicycle (with basket) who kidnapped us and took us ... read more

We are currently cruising back from Ilha Grande. This may sound luxurious. However, our boat would not be out of place doing the isle of Wight hop. Our 5 day stay here was wonderful. Not to be too English about it but, the weather has been incredible and we are both looking a little less pasty. We stayed in a lovely hostel owned by Mamma Brazil (as Ellie's friend Roopa likes to call her). Every day there were fresh juices and cakes on the breakfast table (cake for breakfast, yes Brazilians have a very sweet tooth. No fresh juice is served without a sachet of sugar), and she would cook amazing Brazilian meals every night for her guests.  The island itself is idyllic, sweeping white sand beaches and unspoilt jungle (you lie in bed and listen ... read more

Ihla Grande, Brazil. This small island is just southwest of Rio. Unlike Rio though, the island of Ihla Grande doesn't have any cars, banks, or all the other things associated with normal life. Instead, Ihla Grande offers amazing white sand secluded beaches and lush forests. Along with Kayce and I, our two British friends Andrew and Charlie and two Danish friends Cathrine and Pernille joined us for the trip. Our lodging is usually not worth mentioning, but this experienc is worth noting. Our "studio" had six beds, our own bathroom, dining room and kitchen. On top of the room, the owner delightful owner, George, coooked the best dinners we had eaten all trip. For a small fee we had smorgasboard dinners and free breakfasts (with fresh baked cakes!). We all wanted to stay and live here! ... read more

Ilha Grande On the move, we left Rio for island life! We took a bus to Angra dos Reis and from here we took a boat to the beautiful island of Ilha Grande. We had pre booked Pousada da Cachoeira (I later found out that Cachoeira means waterfall.) It was a beautiful Pousada set in the jungle by a small waterfall with hammocks and cats to keep us entertained. This is paradise! We did a few treks while on the island. We did a trek near Abraao (the town we stayed in). This trek had so many sights along its path: beaches, old prison ruins, aqueduct, a natural pool and waterfalls. We also did a long trek across the island to a beach called Dois Rios that took 5 hours in total (there and back). It ... read more