The first stop on our outing was a faraway beach. This beach was very well maintained and the ocean was clear. We excitedly set up our towels to take in the first sun we had seen in days. Unfortunately, the boat crew's sense of time was all distorted because we only spent half of the time there that we had been promised. At that point, we took a ten minute walk through the jungle to meet the boat at a pick-up spot.
There was no dock from which to hop on the boat, so we walked through the water to get back on board. I was the first one to go toward the boat, and I'm happy I had precautionarily placed my bag and towel on my head because the water near the vessel was about four feet deep. My belongings ended up dryly aboard the boat, and the rest of the group followed suit.
We then cruised for five minutes to get to Lagoa Azul, or Blue Lagoon. The destination was not quite as serene as Brooke Shields' younger self had led us to believe. We attempted to snorkel through the cloudy water, but were less than impressed by the variety of fish, so we only made a short go of it. Once everyone was back on the boat, we went to our final locale of deception called Ilha dos Macacos, or Monkey's Island. Sure enough, my primary draw to the whole boat trip left me disappointed. Not a single primate was spotted in the trees during the entire time we were there. We did, however, enjoy a delicious barbecued lunch and some more beach time.
After our full day out and about, we were finally ready to return to the island's main village. We got aboard the boat one final time and set off. At this point, the ocean had grown a little rough, so a few of us elected to embrace the elements up front. But after the first little splash of water hit us, Dan had had his fill and retreated to the back of the boat. Four of us remained ready and eager to ride the waves and were soon treated to some large bumps. Then, the boat changed course and a huge wave hit the vessel from its side, sending water everywhere! Concerned about my belongings, I went to check on my bag in the back. There, I found a soaking wet, frowny-faced Dan who was far more drenched than I had managed to get. I was laughing, he was shivering, the boat was swaying, and an attendant was appeasing everyone with alcoholic beverages. It was an interesting ending to a questionable excursion.
That night, our group went to a hostel restaurant where we hung out with a few people we had met on the boat. Others from the hostel joined us, and we soon had a large group talking around a table. Among us, there was an even ratio of girls to guys, and almost everyone was a solo traveler. It was perhaps for this reason that everyone was so friendly and outgoing; I guess you can't afford to be shy when you are backpacking in a foreign place by yourself. For the umpteenth time this trip, I marveled at the existence of so many other individuals who had paused their regular lives in order to explore the world.
I am ready for a pause. Lol.
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