Blogs from Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 7

Having decided I would spend the next couple of days on Ilha Grande (Big Island), located 2 hours South East of Rio, the transfer picked us up at 11:00 which would give us plenty of time to catch the connecting ferry at 14:45. I say us because I decided to go along with Ben and Vanessa (…even here I play my part as the 3rd wheel) although they had booked into different accommodation. The transfer went smoothly and before we knew it, we were on the boat heading towards Ilha Grande and my first experience of what Brazilian island beach life was going to be like…and I was confident I would like it! First impression reminded me of Phi Phi in Thailand, no bad thing, and the island went on to continue to surprise me. Unfortunately ... read more

There is an easy way to get from Rio to Isla Grande, (direct hostel to hostel transfer) I realised too late, but as always I had to make it more difficult for myself and my new chum Ellen. So after a bus to the bus station and then another bus to Angra dos Reas, then another local bus to the port (where I stepped on it and it then drove off without Ellen)!! and then a walk to the boat and then a 90 min boat journey to Isla Grande ending with a 15 min walk to the hostel!! I find travelling much more fun this way - needless to say Ellen got the direct transfer on her way back:-) I had picked the Aquarios hostel as it had good reviews but it was at the ... read more

Sorry about the delay since my last blog, the internet on Ilha Grande is extremely slow and it takes over 10 minutes to open one page but one of our friends on the campsite has kindly lended me his lap top which some how has fast broadband!! So we have had 6 days on Ilha Grande which was after two other days in Rio. I will start off with the two days in Rio! After my last blog we went on a night out in Rio with two Dutch Guys (Saunders and Jasper) and one French guy (matthieu, who turned out to be quite a scrooge!). The night was good fun, we went first to a bar restaurant kind of place where the lads had there dinner and myself and Anne just drank a couple of ... read more

And so I finally arrived on Ilha Grande. The early signs were good, as we sailed into the island under the bluest of blue skies. I could even forgive the fact that the "correct" pronunciation of Grande all but rhymes with orange. Silly Portugese. I'd arrived with a few folk whom I'd met in Rio; Cindy, Marcus, Francis and Jacqueline to give them names. Coincidentally, that's actually what they were called. We spent our first day going for a hike through the forest to get to Lopes Mendes beach. It was a long sweaty walk, and took a bit longer than we expected for most of us. Jacqueline however didn't seem to be suffering/ had a car hidden round the corner and got there considerably before the rest of us. The beach itself was straight out ... read more

EN FRANCAIS PLUS BAS MORE PHOTOS HERE D-7 before going home. Not hungry for adventure anymore, my mission was to get a tan and a rest. I managed to cook up the perfect recipe for a perfect finale to these 345 perfect days, and the result was... well... perfect! I'll share the recipe with you, if you'll allow me... In a hostel right on the water, in a lush car-free island, reached after a fun speed-boat ride, throw in the following main ingredients: - a cute Californian chef - a Dutch funnyman - a blonde Belgian psycho - a taller than tall recently graduated marine biologist Kiwi, traveling with his two almost as tall friends: - a smart (and smart-ass on occasion) Canadian free-lance film-maker - another marine biologist Kiwi, half-Dutch half-Samoan hot surfer - a ... read more