The Adventure of Ruan: Ilha Grande (and Angra)

You could say that this is the start of my travels, as I will no longer have the luxury of a good friend who’s house is available as a base. Once I left Adriana’s place there was no looking back. For a first destination, Ilha Grande is a convenient destination as it is close. So no long bus ride. Score! (click for map)

Up till now I haven’t been able to get going early in the morning, so caught a fairly late bus (yes, you can remind me of Rule #3 later) to Angra do Reis. Since the peak season was over, I wasn’t too concerned about getting a bed for the night. And Angra is quite small, no problem to walk around a bit. After settling into a small posada for the night, I quickly got to grips with the town.

Day 1:
Early boat to ilha Grande (motorised catamaran) got the day started with a bang. It departed at 8am! I forget the distance a boat can cover (compared to a car/bus) and you can see the island from Angra. The scenery is great, except for the oil rig in the north side of ilha Grande. But we were heading to Abraao on the east side, so the view would not be cluttered by the machines of man.

There is a ban on vehicles on the island, so only the police have vehicles (quad bikes & 4x4’s). So the island has no proper roads. Cobble streets are the best you are going to get. This gives the place the feeling of a tropical island village…which it is. At the beach its quite commercial, catering for rich tourists, while the “hippy” places are in the back streets (not that its big. You can walk through town from the dock in 10min). Camping is very popular on the island, with hostels, hotels, posada's and camping sites next to each other. I haven't gotten rid of my tent yet, but rather re-packed it making it much less bulky. I can’t take it along and not use it, so I camped.

Tent pitched, I headed for Lopos Mendes, the beach that everyone goes to. Well, this island is basically beaches, boat trips and parties. The way to the beach is a 2-3 hour hike along jungle paths. All the paths on the island are like this as most people rely on boats for transportation. I can understand why, as hiking to get to the next town takes long. On the way to Lopos Mendes you get to Palmas, which is like something out of a story book. Almost no waves, palm trees 3 meters from the water, one low-key restaurant and a bar. Wish I had spent more time here, but of course I had a goal. I arrived there with a German couple (Felix & Coca). We met along the way and joined forces for the hike. Coca had fallen at a waterfall and her eye was bandaged up, making her look a bit like a pirate. Arrrrgghhhh! We had a laugh at her expense, but she’s a good sport. LM was like a beach in Plett, but with a vicious undercurrent. Quite a magnet for people, but not really what I was expecting.

There are water taxi’s all over the island. To avoid walking back, possibly in the dark, I took one that is an old schooner that has been converted to be a people carrier. It was packed with people from LM. I was quite tired as I fell asleep on the beach, partly in the sun and I think the flu was not quite out of my system yet. Talking to people in my broken Portuguese is very tiring, but Instead of just keeping to myself I ended up talking to an Argentinean girl sitting next to me, Claudia. That made the time pass a bit faster (the trip back to Abraao took approx 30min).

By the time we landed I was knackered, with a pounding headache the main culprit. I noticed that I had burnt a bit, probably while asleep on the beach. Quick supper, then to bed. I was wanting to climb the “Parrot’s Peak” the next morning.

Views of Angra

Abraao on Ilha Grande: Arriving – close to the dock – on the beach

The “path” to Lopos Mendes out of Abraao – on the way to Lopos Mendes (this is why most people use boats to get around – Looking back at Abraao

Me, on the way – Palmas

Day 2:
It started to rain during the night and was still pouring down. At this time I was happy to report my tent was still dry inside. A good sign. The sun burn to my face was a mild case of sunstroke. I was feeling weak. So a day in bed it would be, after breakfast. The peak would have to wait until the next day. Listening to the rain on the tent was very relaxing.

By nightfall I was feeling better, but not strong enough to join a island party yet. So I sat down to some planning for my trip. This continent is HUGE! How was I going to see it all? Some advice from the Footprint’s guide said that you should not try to see it all in one trip. Now I know why. The distances are just so big and there is so much to see. Since I didn’t get a motorbike, my whole approach to my trip had to change. Instead of following my nose down many “un-touristy” roads, I would have to stick to more conventional destinations.

I made a list of the places I want to see. Here it is:

Cusco & Machu Pichu
Nazca lines
Lake Titicaca
Iguazu waterfalls
Buenos Aires
Glaciers in Patagonia
Lake district
Mendoza – Wine country
Altiplano & salt flats
Possibly Ushuaia

This list meant that I was on the wrong side of the continent! I had the sudden urgency to move. “Slow down Ruan.” I was in a beautiful place and have to make the best of it. No rash decisions will be made. Back to bed to mull over all the information I had collected.

Day 3: I felt back to my usual chirpy self and to make it even better, it had stopped raining. I have been eyeing the parts north of Abraao. Today was the day to explore. Didn’t really feel up to walking up a mountain. I had an early start I got supplies for the day (there are very few, if not none, shops along the way I was going) then headed off…north.

A mountain pool and a small waterfall later (I swam at both), I came across a family heading in the same direction. I find that many times I end up being caught up in my own thoughts and don’t really notice what is around me. A big spider, the size of a small saucer, had spun a web in the middle of the path…my head height! I saw it but then realised I’m in the jungle & have to stay focused. I reached a secluded beach. It looked even better than Palmas. I arrived with a family of three and after a swim and a chat with the water taxi skipper I closed my eyes for a short while. When in such a place you expect to be woken by nature, but a island tour (transporting people to the island’s beaches via schooner) broke the silence and started to play their music quite loud. This is not what I wanted today, so off I went.

My aim was to get to the north shore. There is another small town there. However I wasn’t going to rush. After all, I am on holiday. So stopping on a couple more beaches on the way to enjoy nature and take it all in, a couple of people caught up with me. By the time I reached the last mountain to cross before the north shore, all of use were within earshot. It was already 3pm and the taxi boats have a way of stopping at 5pm. We weren’t even sure if there would be a taxi where we were going. To plat it safe (I was thinking of heading to Paraty that night) we bargained with a fisherman to take us to Abraao and off we went. What a great ride! 6 of us (excl. skipper) slowly making our way as the scenery passed slowly, with the low tuck-tuck of the engine playing the tune for the road.

When we arrived in Abraao, I figured that I had enough time to pack up my tent (hopefully dry by now) and make the last boat to Angra. In fact, I packed so quickly that I was able to catch up with Claudia and her cousin before getting the boat. Unfortunately the ride back took longer as this boat was a schooner. There is a bus running to Paraty every 40min, but the ride is about 2hours. Its also not a luxury bus. Looking at this, tired from walking the whole day, not wanting to break rule #3…again. I went to the same posada as before and settled for the night.

This was a great day for me! My spirits were high after exploring and reaching Angra as planned, I was ready to take on my trip with renewed vigour.

Sights along the way: Pools – Aqueduct - Waterfall