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Last time I wrote was from Cuiaba in the North of the Pantanal. Unfortunately we couldnt afford to actually get out onto the Wetands, but worse things could happen. We were staying in a really lovely family-owned Pousada (cheapest place we could find to stay), and they let us use their washing machine and fed us when we arrived late, having not eaten in 24 hours with no restaurants that were open. Friendly people like that really make your trip!
We then took what was meant to be a 36 hour bus journey down to Rio...it ended up being 39 and then we got straight onto another 5 hour bus to Paraty! SO after 44 hours on a bus we were pretty tired...your legs ache, youre hungry (as all you get to eat is snacks) and it felt pretty weird (not to mention stiff-neck-inducing) to sleep two nights on the same bus. Weve spent less time in some hostels than that bus! We did get to see some lovely things along the way, an entire corss section of Rio, plus we went around the Pantanal wetlands and got a taster of the wildlife (I saw my first Pelican and its 2 babies flying...so amazing, its beaks are huge and such bright red. Very cool). We also stopped off in Sao Paulo which looked like one HUGE mass of skyscrapers...very intimidating! Not a destination, however, but more a businessmans paradise with some of the best shops and restaurants in Brasil!
Still, we made it down to Paraty, a destination on the Costa Verde, 5 hours south of Rio. Its called the Costa Verde, the Green Coast, as it is where the jungle-clad mountains meet the ocean (similar to Rio) which makes for a pretty spectacular setting! The place itself is really lovely. Its a small coastal town, but with an amazing historical centre, that has made the place a Unesco world heritage site. It has some of the finest examples of Portuguese colonial architecture in Brasil (yes, I am quoting form the guidebook but it really is pretty!). The churches are all old, crumbly and atmospheric, but the town itself is gorgeous. Cobbled streets, with white-washed buildings, and all the doors painted different colours. It would be mums paradise, with laods of cute gift shops and amazing cafes, and it even has horse-and-carts!
There is a stuning river running through the town, from the jungle background through to the beaches. The main beach itself is ok, the typical Brazilian beach with bars, music, people selling coconut water and grilled cheese! But the sea is warm, and a 2 mintue walk to the pier and there are millions of tiny boats (and tiny men) offering trips out to the Islands. There are over 90 islands, and between them and the mainland coast, over 150 beaches to choose from, so we´re not spoilt for choice!
Its been pretty cloudy since we have been here, but warm enough for us to get burnt already! So were sticking out of the sun for a while! But for us, it is just nice to be in one place for a while and to relax!! After 9 months of absolute hectic travelling, mental journeys and constantly doing things, to sit back and play some cards is actually amazing! We have spent some time exploring the town and markets, and crossing the slippy rocks to other little coves and beaches! Luckily we found some relatively cheap accomodation where we can cook our own dinner (vegetables...man how i have missed them in South America!) so were managing to save a bit of money which will swiftly be blown on the ridiculous cost of hostels in Rio!
Of course, since I wrote that the weather has been ridiculous!! It has been some of the worst Spring weather recorded in Brasil for years...constant thunder storms and rain. Makes for an interesting beach holiday! It has been so bad there has been hundreds of accidents, planes slipping off the runway...its all that is ever on the news! So instead of relaxing on the beaches we have been playing lots of cards indoors! Still, weather is something you cant control in life, and we just have to hope that it improves a little bit for the rest of our time out here! The crazy storms have been tempting out some interesting animals though...we saw a snake the other day, right next to our feet (luckily quickly moving in the other direction) well over 1m long...bit freaky. Reminds us that we are not only on the coast but on the edge of the jungle too!
Had a really lovely last few days in Paraty...eventually the sun came out for a little bit! Not loads but enough to keep us happy after all the rainstorms! Now we just hope it lasts long enough for us to get some good views up Sugarloaf mountain in Rio! The weather had got very depressing with all the rainstorms, so we´re happy to be out of our room and reading on the beaches even if it does get cloudy! We actually got kicked out of our accommodation, this weekend is a holiday is Brazil and all the Paulistas (people from Sao Paulo) have descended on tranquil Paraty in their millions making it pretty hectic and insane! I have no idea if the holiday has anything to do with Halloween...i doubt it as it is the most catholic country I have ever been to, but they´re all swarming the beaches and the streets are alive with music, performance, theatre and lots of dancing. Good preparation for the craziness of Rio I am sure!
We have taken a day trip to Trinidade, a beautiful little town about 45 minutes South of Paraty. It is really tiny, hidden on one side by jungle clad mountains and the other by the sea, so it can´t grow too big and is therefore not too affected by tourism. After a manic bus ride there (the drivers seemed to be trying to set land speed records on roads full of pot holes and steep rocks) we arrived and spent the day chilling out on the beautiful beaches. The main beaches themselves are gorgeous, but if you climb over the rocky outcrops separating the bays, you get to some amazing long stretched of golden sand, with no people, no bars...just the sea and yourself. Pure bliss. We even saw the sun a little! The waves are insane..comapred to Paraty where the sea is flat, the currents are so strong you can barely get out upto your knees, but the waves are so intense you can easily body surf so we had fun turning into kids again! We´re planning on heading back to Trinidade tomorrow, before we go to Rio on Tuesday for our last week and our final destinaion (very scary thought).
We´ve met a few more characters along the way to add to the long list of entertaining people weve seen over 9 months...a very drunk man who entertained the entire bus on the way to Trinidade (he then proceeded to get off at a rich looking gated house and shout at the gates to open for him. amusing), a man who always stands on the street corner talking to a wild bird that he keeps in a bird cage, and plenty of young lads who seem to spend endless days dragging horses attached to rope around the town on their bikes. All very odd...but the kind of things after so long away you don´t even think twice about. Put that in the context of Europe and you´d be pretty confused! But then our bodies are pretty confused...we´ve had two winters already this year, two summers, and are coming back in less than 2 weeks to our third winter...a strange concept!
Anyway, we are in a new hostel now, its really friendly (if pretty expensive with the holiday weekend) but we actually bmped into some friends, Chileans, who we met on the boat in the Amazon, and they are staying for a few days, so it will be nice to hang around with them and catch up on their adventures from Salvador. The streets are alive, the suns slightly shining and we´re feeling pretty good and excited to get to Rio and explore our final place! Hope everyone is doing really well back home, thinking of you all and see you soon! xxx
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