Ilha Grande & Parati

From Rio it was time to head 2 hours South to Angra, a small fishing port where we caught a ferry to the island of Ilha Grande. After an hour and 30 minutes crossing from the mainland, we arrived to what was a beautiful island, with just 3 settlements, glistening green waters and white sandy beaches.

This day was Chelsea's birthday and so once we had settled in our hostel we did no more then head for a bar to celebrate with a few drinks. The 4 of us soon turn into 5 people, then into 7 people, then into 9 people as our group kept growing as people came to join us. A few drinks later (quite a few) we all headed for the beach, where we were joined by a group of Brazilians with their guitar.

The next morning, most of the group were feeling a little worse for wear however, we wanted to get to Praia Lopes Mendez which had been recommended as one of the best beaches in the world. There are 2 ways to reach this beach 1) a short boat trip or 2) a 3 hour trek across the island - despite some delicate heads, we went for option b. We came across some gorgeous little beaches, saw wildlife and managed to shed some pounds in the midday sun. After a little hard work we were all pleased to have finally reached Praia Lopez Mendez - and yes, it did live up to expectations.

Next stop was Parati, a further 2 hours bus ride South. Parati is renowed for its 64 islands and over 300 beaches, and so we made it a priority to get sorted and check out some of these islands - by pirate ship no less. Although yet another rainy day we had fun, swimming to the beaches from the boat, drinking lots of beer (you drink lots of beer in Brazil!) and eating fresh fish.

This weekend was a public holiday in Brazil and so although we wanted to move on, on Sunday we ended up stranded as all buses were fully booked as the locals were shipping out of town and needing to get back home for work. We ended up staying 4 nights in Parati which has thrown our schedule a bit out, but are hoping to make it back by heading straight to Iguazu Falls without stopping over in San Paulo.

This stop also meant we had to say goodbye to our new friends, Caroline and Kelly (from Dublin - Shin pops, this is in honour of you and Kier. We have nick named them Paddy & Murphy) and Johno, a guy from Nottingham who has been lucky enough to travel around with 6 lovely ladies. We are hoping to meet up with Johno again in Buenos Aires. Right, onto Iguazu Falls - 24 hours on a bus yippee!