brazil part two
Reviews

From: angelina
Category: Other stuff
Date: 19 October 2004

Review

The island we have been lounging on for the past few days is a small place with no cars, just mules and wheelbarrow men. We are on Ilha de Tinare, a small island two hours by catamaran from Salvador. One look at the sick bags tied onto the seats should have warned us, despite the calm looking waters once we got on board the choppy waters meant that the relatively short journey seemed to last forever. But once we arrived and negotiated our way through the hoards of wheeelbarrow men proffering their taxi services, we managed to find a beautiful pousada (hotel) with sea view and balcony (and obligatory hammock) not far away from the port (this has turned aout to be a bit of a nuisance even though convenient, as the boats are tooting their horns first thing). The island itself is mainly covered with palms and mangroves, with four beautiful beaches all within walking distance and only one high street - the street being a sandy lane, no tarmac anywhere. The first night we arrived there was a bit of an off-season Ibiza feel about it, apparenlty as well as the foreign tourists there are a lot of Brazilian weekenders come to party. Still, it´s low season so you can still find deserted bits of beach, somehting for all really, as there´s scuba diving, horse trekking and surfing, all within easy reach. Food good, had sushi last night, cheapest and freshest I´ve had in a long time. People all beautiful and genuinely friendly. No banks here either, which really completes the picture of idyllic bliss in the middle of nowhere, although Mastercard seem to have bought up the island, everywhere there are big signs. Lots of lizards, hummingbirds and cicadas. Both my traveeling companiion and I are fuming that we have only disposable cameras, the guide books all scared us into not bringing expensive camera gear to Brazil but we have found that a lot of the Dangers and Annoyances listed have been untrue, either that or we have been lucky. We somehow stil have to get to Rio to fly home, but hey, that´s not until 30th (it´s a 26 hour bus ride from Salvador...)In the meanitme, I´m back down to the beach today, Annie´s in the hammock reading. We´re meeeting for lobster lunch later...Have met some proper characters here too, including the odd couple, an eighteen year old street kid from Salvador who acts as a ´guide` for a rich American - the boy obvioulsy being in a symbiotic but quite wrong relationship with the welathy man who takes him on holiday and buys him food. To think that after he leaves for the States the kid is back on the streets again until next year...He was abandoned by his mother and his Dad died soon after, so he lives on his wits in Barra, a well to do beach area of Salvador. Makes you realise that it´s not all bliss here.