Paraty and the Power Cut

We Woke up in Illha Grande, and got a very sunny boat trip back to the main land. We got into the port 'Angra Dos Reis' translated to 'Bay of The Kings'. From here, we took a another bus journey to the small colonial town of Paraty.

Paraty became very famous for gold mining in the 18th century, but quickly became a hot spot for piracy. A lot of the gold was stolen and with the abolition of slavery combined with a new route of shipping between Sao Paulo and Rio, Paraty was no longer a hub of trade. Paraty had to rely on other sources for income and trade. It started to farm coffee and Cachaca, and still does to this day. Now, it is a quiet cobbled town, with a relaxed vibe.

On arrival in Paraty, Guilia took us to a small cafe around the corner from our Hostel. It was really quirky, and did lots of fresh fruit smoothies and ice cream. We all had a wrap for lunch, and we both indulged in the local favourite, Acai (prononouced here as Ass-eye-ee). Known to us as a recently trendy superfood, Acai is sold on the streets here as a small local snack at a low price.





The cafe itself was really arty, and had lots of imagery inside and out of the building.

As we were staying in Paraty for 3 days, we felt a little more settled and relaxed as we could unpack a little and not live out of our bags. Our room was comfortable and had an en suite. 

The group decided to head to the beach in the afternoon, as a few of us wanted to try our hands at Paddle Boarding, something we'd been lusting after since Rio. Quite a few of us rented paddle boards, and the others kayaks, and we all went to sea as an unstoppable force...until the storm started. We had a really good time getting to grips with the boards, and we all laughed at each other as we inevitably toppled off.

 The water was so warm so falling in was a bit of a relief from the cold rain that started coming down. We ended our afternoon sitting around in the shallows chatting.

That evening, we went to a posh looking restaraunt on Guila's recommendation once again (she has fantastic taste). The portions were huge so we both shared the steak parmesanio which was cooked to perfection! Whilst eating, Guila ordered herself a drink and told us all to try it. It was called a 'Jorgeamando', which was made of clove and cinnamon flavoured cachaca, and squeezed passionfruit. It tasted like a cross between a Mojito and a tropical fruit salad, and was really sweet and tasty, so Steph ordered one for herself.



Cachaca (pronounced Cash-assa) is the local drink that is made in Paraty, which is the spirit made out of the sugar cane that they grow. They then flavour the Cachaca for different tastes, and Guila said we could go for a tasting after dinner.

Just a 3 minute walk away, we went to the local Cachaca shop, where we tried lots of different flavours of Cachaca. On it's own, it tastes a little like tequila, but they had creamier ones like coconut and pistashio. We tried the Chocolate flavour and fell in love with it instantly as it tasted like Bailey's but better! We bought a small Chocolate Cachaca and a small Clove and Cinnamon one like the one in the Jorgiamado.

With a taste for the liquor, we decided the next day we would go on a boat trip that takes you to lots of locations but has the added bonus of unlimited Caiparihnas, made with the Cachaca, and not much else, just a dash of lime and lots of ice 

As it was St Patrick's day (and with a genuine Irish on-board), it was always destined to be a day of heavy drinking. After a slow start and the arrival of the cachaca, we embarked on our boozey cruise, shortly to be amazed by a pod of about 40 wild dolphins swimming past us close to shore (a first for all of us, even Guilia who makes the trip every few weeks!). Our captains for the journey were 3 mischevous and lively Brazillian men who were more than happy to drink on the job.



After a quick stop on a remote island to line our stomachs, we set sail once again and stopped at various privately owned islands and small coves. Here we jumped off the boat into the sea, did a bit of snorkeling and generally loved life. Not bad for a usually 'turdy tuesday', as we refer to them at home.


One of the islands was just about small enough for us to swim a lap of, as the current nudged us along. This was a first for us but enjoyable and amusing watching everyone.

#fail

As the sun started to set, we hopped back on the boat with another a capirinha in hand and took a moment to appreciate the unusual panorama of jungle filled mountains, beachy islands and calm blue sea.





We headed back towards the mainland with the dimming light but took the chance for one more swim (mainly because we all needed a wee) and quickly realised it wasn't nearly as deep as we had assumed that far out. Leandro.. the cheekiest of the three took great pleasure and joy out of diving to the bottom and caking us all in the dark brown vitamin rich sea mud which smelt vile. It quickly turned into a game and we all started throwing it at each other.

We said goodbye to the 3 amigos, Leandro, Gustav and Fostado after some choice harmonies of various songs on the way back to shore. That evening we headed to a lovely Italian for dinner which had live music. We knew it had to be good as half-Italian Guilia is particularly picky about her pasta. The restaurant had a nice ambiance with an acoustic singer doing live covers of popular British songs with a Brazillian twist. After dinner, we both went to a bar with Swiss Thomas and Irish Susan, to indulge in some overpriced beverages.



Apparently the Brazilians do St. Paddy's better than the Irish themselves! After a dance with a Paraty local, we called it a night and headed home. On the way back we bumped into Fastado seemingly having a drink by himself outside, what was apparently his house. He was as excitable as ever to see us and we were bemused as ever as to where he kept coming from and what he actually did!

The next day was a free day, meaning we could do what we wanted without poor Guilia having to entertain us. With foggy Caiparihna heads, we went to the juice bar to get another Acai which did the trick instantly, and we headed to the beach for a chilled day.



On the way, we unsurprisingly saw Fastado carrying a mattress on his head down the road and then again later that day painting a house.
The next day we would be up at 5am for our coach to Sao Paolo airport, so the evening was going to be quiet. We decided to go to the Thai Brazil restaraunt which is a must do according to trip advisor and our lonely planet books. Just as we went to leave, a power cut took over the whole town, and the rain started to pour. This was a little inconvenient of mother nature as we had to pack our bags this evening. Never the less we still decided to head out armed with head torches and flashlights. We navigated the large cobbled streets in the pitch black, yet who would be round the corner driving along in his car offering umbrellas... Fastado of course. This was getting a bit weird, surely he had to have a twin!? We finally made it to the Thai that was thankfully still open for the evening, and the fact we had to eat in candlelight made it a little more special, and topped off a great few days in Paraty. The Thai food was great too! Returning back to the hotel the power was still out and we commenced our packing with head torches ready for our 5am start. It was then we realised parents are always right and we would have been lost without a source of light.

Ilha Grande

From Rio, we took a 3 hour drive down to a Anga Dos Reis harbour 'The bay of Kings' to catch a boat to Illha Grande. We drove through vast rain forest and past small traditional sea side towns, both with spectacular views. From the port, we took a slow hour and a half boat journey, to the remote island of Illha Grande.

Parrot Peak (the highest point on the island)

The population is only 3000 people, on this small, but densely rain forested island. It is still very rural and traditional, as mainstream tourism haven't found it yet, and fairly basic, as no one on the island is able to travel by car, just boats and bicycles.

Main highstreet

It was exactly what we hoped for, and had a strong local community feel to it. We took a short walk along the beach to find our hotel, which is absolutely amazing.We all stayed in little singular cabins, dotted around the forest. Our room is a bit further away from everyone elses, so we get a plethora of wildlife right at our door. The cabins have an en suite, and a very luxurious feel to them, complete with an outdoor balcony with our own hammock.

The walk to our cabin

Once again we headed out to dinner, a place on Guila's recommendation, called 'Cafe Del Mar' which is a barbeque place on the beach. The restaurant was uncomplicatedly basic, but really pretty. The tables were nestled in the sand, and the sea just a stones throw away. Candle lit lanterns hung in the tree covering the seating area, and you could hear some faint reggae music playing in the back ground. It was like something from a film, and was really idyllic.




Soon a large table by the barbeque was filled up with a selection of fish and meats. The barbequer was actually German, so Thomas and Tina has a good time talking to him. Tom decided, as we were by the sea he'd try the freshly caught baracuda, and Steph went for two skewers of meat, one chicken, one beef. All of this came with a side of rice, vegetables and salad. The food was delicious, and cooked to perfection, and finished off nicely with a large bottle of Brahma beer we both indulged in.

OOOOOOO 'Bicuuudaaaa'

As the group had decided to go on a trek the next day, we thought we'd all turn in for the busy day ahead. We walked bare foot in the waves along the beach, and Guila spotted a large crab sitting on the shore. Being a nature lover, and all round fish boy, Tom decided to pick it up for a good photo opportunity. Little did he know, these large crabs have quite a firm grip, and this one managed to grab his middle finger, (semi luckily!!) with it's crushing claw. He yelped quite a lot, as the group looked on and laughed. We quickly came to realise he actually was in a lot of pain, and Guila had to run to his rescue and try and prize the crab off, with no luck. The grip on it was so strong, and at one point, he thought he'd lose the end of his finger, if not break it. The pressure was likened to slamming it in a door, but constantly, and it kept getting harder and harder. So much so that it broke the skin, and left quite a lot of blood. After finally letting go, on it's own terms, it scuttled back into the sea, as tom scuttled into a corner, embarrassed by being beaten in an arm wrestle with a crab. Maybe he'll think twice about picking up South American nature from now on!

crabby customer (he looks smalll but his body was about the size of a clenched fist)

It really hurt.

 The next morning was Mother's day, so we went to the communal breakfast area to Facetime our mothers. After another cakey breakfast, we got our walking boots on, and got started on our 2 and a half hour trek through the jungle to the must-see beach, Lopez Mendes.

For once, the sun was actually beaming down, and we knew we were in for a challenging trek, with a majority of the first bit going uphill, skipping through large roots pushing through the ground. It was tough, but good training for the Macchu Picchu trek we will be doing later on.

Our group from left to right: Sun, Thomas, Guilla (our guide) Melisa, Steph and Susan

As the sun was so hot, we were all wet with sweat, desperate to jump into the sea of beaches we passed. Along the way, Guila saw a stand selling snacks. We got a yogurt and berry iced frube looking thing which was really refreshing.

When we actully got to the beach itself, we were so relived and ready to jump in the sea. The waves were huge and the force of the current was slightly scary as it was dragging us out to sea. We stayed in the shallower parts, and refreshed ourselves. Once again, the clouds started to gather so the weather was cooler at the beach, although we still managed to get quite pink! The sand was white, and the grains so small and soft, it squeaked when you walked on it!

After a good relax, we had to walk a little way to the next beach to catch a boat back (fortunately no more sweaty hiking!) on the way, we saw loads of little marmoset monkies, so we gave them a few nuts in order to get some good pictures. Suddenly we were surrounded by little monkey families, and they would eat the nuts straight out of our hand. They were so cute but they are really loud! Tom also reckons he saw a black howler monkey briefly on a branch over head as well as lots of other fauna. 

Guila is like a local celebrity everywhere we go, so she saw some friends on the beach who gave us a boat ride back. From the boats, you can really see the scale and beauty of the island, and we all sat in silence staring at the island. It was a little extra treat we wern't expecting.

That evening, again we went to another amazing restaurant on Guilia's recommendation, where she said the fish was really tasty. Tom had the fish skewers, which was a fish called Congo Negro!? He said it was possibly the best fish he'd ever eaten, and Steph was so angry she didn't get it!



The next day was an early start to head back to mainland and to the town of Paraty. We were sad to be leaving Illha Grande, as we would have loved to explore its cobbled streets and postcard views a bit more, but we now want to return at some point! Illha Grande really was a paradise island and lived up to everything we read and heard about it.