Paraty

(Pronounced parachy).
Took the slow but cheap route to Paraty - 1.5 hours on ferry to Angra does Reis (R15), 1 mile trundle with bags to bus stop, bus company boys laughed when we asked for tickets... turns out you buy on the bus (R12) because its a public bus that goes a hundred miles an hour round hairpin bends overtaking anything that gets in its ways despite oncoming lorries!! Beautiful scenery though along the coastal route. Also stopped in 2 strange complexes for nuclear power than looked like army / religious cult dwellings. Two hours later we had arrived and trundled off to find our hostel on Pontal beach Refron Du Mar (R120) which is lovely - don't quite feel we are roughing it much?!
Headed out to explore, wandering along the beach and through the historic centre which is all colonial, beautiful and full of cobbles - not nice easy cobbles like Paris but huge uneven rocks that you have to concentrate on! Our beach is separated from the historic part by a river full of coloured schooners and a creepy wire sculpture in the shape of a person full of scary heads!
Stopped at a sorveteria (ice cream parlour)...tried about 10 flavours...mine was lighter than Anna's...again. Speaking of piggies, this morning she said if we had such a big breakfast we should just share an evening meal as she hadn't woken up hungry... I think she may have been ill...it was promptly retracted a few hours later.
Went back to the room to rest and apply bug spray then headed back out for dinner. Had a delicious pizza to share, my usual mango juice & Anna's obligatory beer (52R). Anna adopted 2 more dogs who were scared of loud fireworks (the noisy ones, not the visual ones) which were celebrating Festa Do Divino - the start of a 10 day celebration, something to do with Pentecost. The church was packed full of singing people, trailing out onto the street, there was a red and white parade and lots of bell ringing. A huge stage is being set up but we are too lame to stay out any later to see if anything kicks off.Read more