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Published: January 30th 2009
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What a surfer!
The guy was paddling down the beach standing on his surf board After we left Rio we took a hop, skip and jump a few hours down the road to a town called Paraty. Upon arrival we realised that our time in Rio had taken its toll and our mental calendars were a bit sideways. We got the dates wrong and we weren´t actually booked into the hostel. With it being the busiest time of the year we were told that there was no room and they offered to allow us sleep on the floor of the balcony. What with all those scourges of mosquitos in the area this would´ve been a bad idea so we were pushed to fork out a little extra and stay in a local guesthouse. The sun was in full effect when we arrived but this was a luxury short lived. Within an hour the rain began and then it didn´t stop raining for the three days we were there. The town itself was nice. It´s a little fishing village with nice little colonial buildings set through cobbled streets. Our hostel was a bit of a distance from the town but facing onto a nice little beach although this wasn´t much use to us,what with all the rain!
The streets of Paraty
There´s Conor in his lovely new blue shorts The days following Rio involved abstaining from alcohol so there was little left for us to do aside from read, which we did...a lot! We had also become accustomed to a typical Brazilian frozen berry mush-type edible drink called Açai, which we consumed on a daily basis. Due to the fact that the weather was not on our side, we looked forward to moving on to greener and sunnier pastures. Next stop...Trinidade! This small town was only 40 minutes away on the bus but was a different world. The hostel was situated in a jungle-like area up a hill. It was a small wooden house with a laid-back atmosphere and the perfect place to chill out for a spell. We were greeted by a slight framed English lad, who at 23 was already married and seemed to be well travelled. Having admitted that he was in a marriage of convenience for visa purposes, he seemed a bit of an odd fish but friendly nonetheless. In a band, just got a record deal and the guy knew how to play every song that there ever was on the guitar. Great memory on the bloke! There is a ridiculous amount of beaches
A cosmopolitan bunch
Notice our non-alco drinks in the area, most of which can only be reached by long treks. The surf is supposed to be fantastic and if the waves were anything to go by that´s something we can well understand. We spent the first day on the beach and that evening we went for a non-alcoholic beverage with some Argentinian lads. At some stage Vicki and the girls disappeared and found the best cake shop in the world. Cakes now being the new booze! The pastries were that good that the girls with us made a second trip back to the cake shop in the one night. The following day we set out for the rock pools, an hour through rough and rugged undergrowth. It had rained recently which made the muddy pathways that bit more difficult. Up and down slippy routes and holding onto tree roots it was a bit of a chore but with Conor´s survival skills and Vicki´s cat-like agility we made it. The rock pools were nice but we soon opted for the boat ride back to the beach for some body surfing and sun-bathing to which, by now we have become quite accustomed. That evening we dined on a local
Having a swim
In the rock pools dish called moqueca. This is a fish stew, made with coconut milk and served in a clay pot and it was a monster of a meal. Delicious but unfortunately we saw it again regularly for a few days! The beach beckoned once more the following day and it was another relaxing time under the sun
After getting the bus back to Paraty we got another down to the city of Florianopolis. The weather wasn´t with us for the first few days and we were forced to spend some time indoors. When our friend the sun did rear its head some lads in the hostel organised a game of footy which Conor duly got involved in. Do not play football in Brazil people! Fitness is a concept lost at this stage however Vicki exercised the credit card in the meantime while Conor suffered for his art. The sun poetically came out on Vicki´s birthday and we spent the day on an amazing beach. With monstrous waves any attempt at body surfing was scoffed at the by the sea which threw us around with a nice with what felt like disdain. Among the many delicacies sold by the beach vendors who
Trinidade
Kickin it in the rock pool amble up and down the shore, Conor tried one curious dish. It wasn´t so much a dish as it was just a block of cheese on a stick, dipped in oregano and barbequed. Delicious but it probably took a few years off his life! As Conor went for the cheese Vicki went for the "healthier" option of the pineapple. Filled with rum and condensed milk, Vicki chose the dairy free option and where there should have been milk there was more rum. Like rocket fuel it was! Having gotten nicely crispy and after a few drinks we got the bus back to the hostel we went out for a pizza and retired to the hostel. Sleeping was a luxury we were not afforded in our dorm as there was a snoring competition between three lads. This was won hands down by a Uruguyan lad who was capable of creating sounds similar to those we heard in the Bolivian jungle. Before we left Florianopolis Vicki and Conor, two gal pals, went and got their hair done in a recommended salon. Sitting side by side at the basins having our hair washed we discussed the latest fashions along with puppies and cooking.
Nice beaches
and good times Funnily enough Conor´s hair took considerably longer to cut than Vicki´s. We left the salon with our lovely new hairdos and skipped down to the bus station leaving Brazil and its beaches behind
We leave with nothing but good memories of this country with its diverse scenery and friendly inhabitants, we loved Brazil and will return in this life or the next! Brazil times!
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ian
non-member comment
Hi Vicki and conor, I am really enjoying your blogs. Great photos too. You both look great. Conor, you should teach Vicki the guitar, so that she can make the right finger moves when she plays the air guitar. I liked you fairwell message on Brazil. It said a lot about your visit there. I hope the Brazillian Tourist Board invite you back for free!! Keep up the good writing. Enjoy Chile. Ian.