Coconuts, speedos and dolphins!

Hello!

Right well here I start again...

Most of the past four weeks have been spent beaching it to be honest with the odd food poisoning episode, coconut, Caphirina (spelt possibly wrong) and a cult religious blessing... same old, same old really!

Okay so we arrived at Ilha Grande which is this island with beaches and yep that´s about it really! I spend it yep sunbathing, wave jumping, monkey picture taking and then the final night puking in the bathroom. Absoulte nightmare on the 15th March though as we had to leave the island for Rio - journey consisted of a boat (keep looking at the horizon,, don´t puke, must not puke) and then a bus ride which seemed to last forever - thankfully a few of the girls: Chris, Vicky, Rachel and Lauren were unbelievably sweet carrying my bags for me and when we got to Rio getting me drinks.

on the 17th March I forced myself out of bed and did the Rio City tour... so glad I did as it was brilliant we saw the Jesus Christ Redeemer statue yes I did do the pose like all the pother tourists - so hard to do though literally I was shouting at Chris yep gtake the photo now NOW! We then visited this massive staircase in the street which was laden with mosaic tiles that some eccentric artist regularly updates saw him as well dressed in a red fisherman hat and red boxers (yep note the term eccentric)., then visited Sugar Loaf at sunset. The taster day of Rio was fab and I definitely want to go back!

Said goodbye to some of the group members - NO my family are disbanding! Newbies arrived, sharing with an Ozzie called Holly who is ultra opinionated (she confesses to this!) absolutely hilarious as it reminds me of me about a year ago before the travel bug! Okay so we left Rio (BOO) and flew to Salvador. That night we saw a massive fiesta with street dancers, coconuts and the legendary speedo wearing men! Beautiful town anyway, loads of coconuts (EVERYWHERE) and whilst I enjoyed the fiesta I did feel quite like a tourist and a bit vulnerable really particularly as there were several scouters (is this the right term?) watching and doing signs to each other. The next day was city walking with Holly.. stunned and appalled at two ladies charging us 10 reales each for a piccy and then got slightly lost but hey this always happens to me! That evening we went to see a Candomble ritual - this man was having his 7th birthday into the relgion so it involved loads of dancing, costumes, chanting etc... so funny as our tour guide fell into a trance (coincidence or not?) bent over rigid and started doing some sort of funky chicken dance!

After another day and night in Salvador we left on the 20th March for a nightbus to Olinda. Once there we walked around the town a bit before heading back to our hotel where us girls sat up watching Fast & Furious (the only film in english before you ask!). Now in Praia de Pipa (arrived yesterday), spent today on the beach (do you see a pattern here?) dolphin watching (you were wondering what that title was about weren´t you!?) and wave jumping whilst ensuring the bikini stays on.

That´s all for now.

Love Paula