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Currently writing this from Salvador, Bahia. Brazils third city and trying to fill time before our last overnight bus in South America. PHEW!!!
However, I´ll come back to Salvador and return to the end of our last blog and the beautiful Ilha Grande. Hopefully, you´ve already checked out some of the pics, so you should be reasonably familiar with the Tropical Island where we spent Christmas. The Island is trully stunning and still relatively untouched by tourism due to its National Park status. It was pleasing to read that the Park Director has recently turned down an application to build a huge resort on the island and also refuses to allow day-trippers from Rio. Hopefully in years to come I can return to Lopez Mendez beach and not be greeted by numerous franchises and hotels, just the palms and mango trees. We really only discovered a fraction of the island via our rainforrest treks, so there is plenty more unspoilt white powder sand and turqoise waters to stumble upon on return trips.
Only 3 hours by boat and bus took us to our next stop and our Hostel in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro. Not traditionally the main tourist drag, but certainly one of the safest areas. Rio actually proved to be far from the crime-ridden city we had read and heard about from every other traveller on our journey so far. As long as you keep your wits about you, are a little street wise and dont carry to much with you you can have a great time in this amazing city.
It was in Rio that we finally hooked up with one of my Best mates from home. Matt (Pitt) had been travelling in South America and flew from Buenos Aires to spendNew Year with us on Ipanema beach.
No picture or words can fully convey what Rio is like on the 31st of December. Over 2 million revellers on the beaches of Copacobana and Ipanema. Simply amazing and cant be beaten as a NY destination. One huge FREE beach party, good music and cheap caiprinhas!!!
We spent the 1st Jan 2008 nursing our hangovers but eventually made it out for dinner in one of Brazils infamous churrascarias. A carnivores delight. As much charcoal grilled meat as you can take! Needless to say no profits were made the night me a Matt were in town , although Matt did succumb to the ´Meat sweats` after about half a Cow.
I almost forgot to mention that after queing and sweating for many hours we also made it up the cable car to Sugar Loaf mountainand on to the trully spectacular Christ the Redemer statue.
The next day, Matt decided to forgo the long bus suth to Iguazu Falls and travel North with us to Brazils´St Tropez - Buzios. Very beautiful, very busy and far too expensive for budget travellers. However, we did manage to barter for two nights in a great cabana over looking the bay.
From here we took another agonising 20hour bus North to the working class resort of Porto Seguro. Unfortunately, we got the last seats on the bus and were situated right at the back by the toilet. I think you can guess the rest....Much hilarity was had as the journey dragged on, as you either laughed or were sick!!
Porto Seguro is apparently the original landing site of the Portugues over 500 years earlier but has now turned into Benidorm! We spent most of the time in our hotel pool!
After that we finally found what we had been looking for a small island outside Salvador. Morro de Sao Paulo! Amazing place, no cars, great beaches and nice beach bars. We worked on our tans and enjoyed seafood stews. We left the island on a catamaran going over very ruff sea for 2.5h before reaching Salvador.
Stayed in a great hostel in Salvador. Checked out the historical center and recovered a bit from all the travelling.
Tomorrow we are meeting up with Mamma and Pappa Gustafsson!!!
Love
P and S
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