Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Paradise
Please don´t think that we came away on holiday to enjoy ourselves. It was purely for educational purposes to experience different cultures and to broaden our minds. If it means spending time on an unspoilt sun-drenched island to do such research then so be it.
Ilha Grande is a 2 hour bus ride south of Rio followed by a 1 and a half hour boat ride with the locals and their monthly shopping. We spent 4 nights here and did not want to leave. We spent a day snorkelling and lounging on the sun deck of a schooner. The following day we hiked for 2 and a half hours through rainforest over the other side of the island to get to one of the world´s top 100 beaches, Lopes Mendes. The last day was spent kayaking around the bay mooring up on the different beaches and at night the people of the island came together for a street party.
Despite its proximity to Rio, Ilha Grande has managed to retain its simplicity and beauty because it has not let tourism take over. It really blew us away and I believe that no trip to Rio is complete without a visit here.
# posted by Rhodri @ 12:04 am 
