Day 7: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil -> Ilha Grande, Brazil

We have officially made it to the one week mark of our trip and are no worse for wear. However, Dan and I were ready for a change of scene so we decided to relocate to Ilha Grande, "Big Island." Many people had told us about this destination off the coast of Rio, and made it sound like paradise with the absence of cars and beaches on beaches. Dan and I are due to come here when we begin our tour next week. Yet the promising weather forecast and the alluring description caused us to pay an early visit to the island. We packed up our backpacks, took a two-hour bus ride to a port, and from there headed to the island on a schooner. We sat at the bow of the carrier and enjoyed a stomach-dancing trip to our destination. 

 

Upon arrival, we had to take a 5-minute walk on the beach to get to our pousada, or inn. At that point, we were both very thankful to not need to be rolling suitcases through sand. We eagerly checked into our private! room; after five days of listening to the snoring, chattering, and morning alarms of others, this was to be a welcomed change. However, we were less than pleased to discover the trail of bugs climbing up our wall and the mosquito bites that were already amassing on our arms. We were also paid a visit by a cute, but questionable guest. 

We sprayed our walls and ourselves, and made it a point to find other accommodations for the remainder of our stay. We then went off to explore the island. While walking around, we became somewhat disappointed by the grunginess of our surroundings. I think we had both expected that we were going to land somewhere reminiscent of DiCaprio's The Beach. Instead, the tiny town looked like it had seen far too many faces and footsteps. We vowed to do some off-road exploring the following day, and retreated to our pousada to wash up. 

For dinner, Dan and I went to a nearby pousada that was offering all-you-can-eat barbecue and unlimited caipirinhas. We enjoyed our fill of the food and drinks and made friends with another American couple. The two were doing a condensed version of our trip, but it sounded like they were spending more time in the air than on land. We talked to them for a couple of hours and then decided to call it an early night.