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Ok so I didn´t sand board (the pic) but there was sand, a lot of rainforest & lots of chilling!! So Ilha Grande (big island - should be called big green island) is ~ 5 hourse from Rio in a Bus/ferry combination... after negotiating the fact that all information said there was a ferry at 10 o´clock (it was at 5 o´clock!) I pursuaded some fishermen to take me to the island with a few brazilians, coming along later for the ride... Not that this was very easy, initially the same guy who agreed to take me, was trying to sell me drugs!!! Luckily he found it funny that I said, I hadn´t done any drugs since I was a child, & was content to take my money only for the crossing!!!
On arriving my "reservation" turned out to mean, I didn´t have a room - but I found a better, cheaper place after one of the Brazilians (Marcos) that joined me on the crossing recommended a place. After some great fish (which would become a constant treat here) I walked to Praia preta (black beach) - which was black - I thiink because the island seems to be volcanic. Also I walked for a good 20 minutes in the rainforest before getting there - which made me feel very happy & again in awe! The beach was predictably lovely - although on the way we visited the famous former prison that hosted some of Brazil´s most ruthless prisoners & political prisoners in the 30´s to 70´s which led to the organisation CV being formed (the organisation that now runs drugs in Rio) it turned out not to be a good idea to put hardened criminals with intellectuals with a grudge against society in the same prison!!! The ruins themselves were particualrly erry, claustraphobic & humid, placed as they were in the midst of the rainforest...
THe next day we went to the beautiful Praia Lopes Mendes (renound as one of the nicest beaches in Brazil) & it was amazing no building just around 30 people at one end of the beach & no-one for the next Km of clear beach - very, very nice. We also met 3 Brazilian girls who were good fun and instisted on taking us out during the night... which was good fun.
Next day we were off on a all day boat trip to the blue lagoon (which sounds very like a gay-bar, possibly from police academy?!), the green lagoon & a tiny but lovely beach... and we had a great time snorkelling, seeing lots of star-fish, hundres of fishes! and generally just messing about & getting drunk in the amazing setting.
Last day involved watching the Liverpool-Arsenal game! Then heading back to black beach for a chilled day of sunbathing & we caught the last schooner back to Rio... Here I packed up :( & moved to my Rio hostel for the last few days...
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