Isle Grande

Took a 3 hr bus down the coast, then a taxi then and ferry out to Isle Grande, a place recommeded in the guide book as one of the best of the beaten track parts of Brasil. It is a massive island of Atlantic Rainforest and officially has (by poll I guess) the most beautiful beach in Brasil.

Unfortunatley the main town is on one side of the island and the beaches are on the other! First day we had a 1 hour walk up a hill then a 1 hour walk down through rain forests to emerge on a deserted tropical beach where Rach proceeded to completely burn herself. We then had to walk home 2 hours and got back knackered!

Next day we learnt from this and took a boat trip round the island to the "most beautiful beach in Brasil". Easily the best beach I have ever been on although Rach reckoned one in Aus was better. We sat under palm trees (cos Rach was too burnt to sunbathe) and swam in an amazing ocean. On the way back we got rowed out to a floating bar to drink beers in the dying sun, ah, it felt like a summer holiday.

Third day it rained, which was brilliant cos we were too burnt to tan and it was too hot to walk otherwise. We walked in the rain through the rainforrest to a waterfall and had our packed lunch under the spray, before walking back along unpopulated beaches.

A top little break where each night we drank beer at cafes and ate local food (all the walking is keeping me thin considering all the beer I seem to be consuming. The only noghts I don´t drink are when we are on an overnight busses, beer-o´clock is comming earlier and earlier each day!). Back off to Rio tomorrow