So...met my groupies on the Saturday evening and set off from Rio Sunday lunch time...heading for Ilha Grande- an island off the south coast of Brasil. Gorgeous island where we pretty much just chilled out on the beaches, visited a lagoon and ate goooood food! Went on a trek in search of Lopez Mendez beach...found it over 2 hours later having sweated buckets and lost my phone! Luckily a British couple had found it on the beach and i managed to get it back...phew!

From Ilha Grande we were supposed to be doing a 5 hour trip via boat/bus to Paraty on the main land but instead we hooked up with a friend of Geraldine's (our tour guide) and got a boat all the way accross...stopped off for swimming a few times and causgh some fish for lunch- yum! As they were sailing back to Paraty anyway, we were the only people on the boat so just chilled out and enjoyed the trip!

Arrived in Paraty- a small colonial town on the coast. Took time here to make the most of the beach as we were going to be heading inland and joined up with another (larger) gap group for a BBQ on the beach and drinks in a samba bar! Loving the national drink cahprinias (not sure of the spelling and pronounce it different every time) kin of similar to a mojito but ALOT stronger- only need two all evening! After two nights headed towards Iguassu along the south coastline of Brasil- beautiful drive but had another near death experience overtaking on the windy clif edges..!