Paraty

So it's 24 hours and two buses later and we have arrived at the coastal town of Paraty (Pear-a-chee). It's a short stay...two nights and a full day. The agenda is a full day of activities with a very local outfit that is to show us all of the highlights on the outskirts of their town.

A little background...Paraty was founded in the 1600s as a result of the discover of gold in the mountains in the region. Paraty was the coastal town that marked where the gold was transported on to Rio de Janeiro and on to Portugal. Paraty was a frequent target of pirates and so they built the town with curved roads so that any invaders would quickly get confused and lost if they needed a quick escape back to the port.



Our small group started early in the day and we were taken to the local surfers' beach with so pretty high breaking waves...high enough to wisely not go out too deep the water and the rip currents. We then traveled on my foot for about a mile along the beach and the rocky outcroppings to an enclosed cove hemmed in my some huge volcanic boulders. It was a great spot for some snorkeling.





Our next stop was a real treat. The local black community was putting on a dinner for their association with some very, very authentic Brazilian food and live samba music. There were about 150 people there in the afternoon outdoor pavilion setting and our small group were the ONLY tourist there.



For about $10, we got a good meal of fish (cooked with plantains without the skin or even the bones removed from the fish), rice, pork sausage and black beans. Just check out the picture as I can't describe everything on the plate. It was very delicious meal and we were treated to the music and dancers afterward.





(pictured from left to right seated...Wendy (NYC), Seamus (Australia), Enzo (France) and Jasper (Holland))

Our trip wasn't over as we then went to the local swimming hole. I wish I could post the videos here (go to my Facebook page if you want to see) but there was a rock "slide" with water running down it, much like what you can find in some spots in the North Carolina mountains. This is in the rainforest instead. The locals were daring and had perfected their slide so well that they would take off on the rocks after a full sprint and glide down the slide nearly a hundred yards on their feet...not their butt like you would expect to slide...but on their FEET! We did it the convention way.

I'll eventually post the video on Facebook of the "sliders"...they were doing it all the way down the face of this rock...



And finally they took us to a local distillery, not much bigger than someone's backyard moonshine still. I'm not sure exactly what the drink was they were producing, but it
have differed too much from rum, as it was made from fermenting sugar cane.

Much of the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil along the coast has been destroyed for crop cultivation, but there are still a few strands remaining and it was nice to spend part
of the day there.

It's Monday morning now...we have finished up with Paraty and are on a local bus and then ferry on our way to the very secluded island between Paraty and Rio de Janeiro called Ilha
Grande.



(pictured...Bhavisha (London), Enzo & Wendy from front to back)