Last weekend we went to a place that I have wanted to visit for a very long time, Ubatuba, the surf capital of Brazil!
It's a bit of a long trip for a weekend but the weather forecast was perfect and I had just been paid for my evening teaching job so it was now or never! After a quick stop at a cafe on Paulista for a super unhealthy breakfast of Brigadeiro cake, Vanessa and her sister picked us up at the metro station and we took the marginal out of São Paulo.
After the usual two-hour delays due to traffic we finally arrived. We dropped our stuff at the hostel and headed straight for the beach! The first beach we chose was called Itamambuca, around a 15 minute drive from the centre. It was without a doubt one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to.
We arrived starving after the long journey so immediately headed to the beach bar. We ordered an ice-cold Brahma followed by camarão and chips, typical Brazilian beach food but maybe not the best for our plans to swim afterwards!!
The rest of the day was spent doing absolutely nothing...
We stayed until sunset, and it was definitely worth the wait. I tried to capture it on the camera but it never comes out as good as you hope.
Vanessa cartwheeling in the sunset
My not quite so elegant attempt!!
We stayed until the beach was deserted...
In need of a sugar boost following our hectic day (!), we headed to the centre for an ice cream at the famous Sorveteria Napoli.
When we got back to the hostel there were already people cooking in the kitchen. We cracked open a bottle of wine and introduced ourselves. Like all the best hostels, there were people from every corner of the world, all with amazing stories to tell,with which the copious supplies of caipirinha only improved as the night went on! Before we realised it was 1AM, Vanessa partied on and I called it a night!!
For me breakfast is definitely the most important indicator of a good hostel and this one did not fail to disappoint! The best tropical juices, fresh pão francês, coconut cake, homemade goiaba jam and Toddy (the Brazilian equivalent of Nesquik!)were just a few of the things to choose from! After eating enough to make absolutely certain that we wouldn't need to buy lunch we set off for the town bus station.
When we thought it would be impossible to top the beach from the day before we arrived at Praia Félix. It was different to Itamambuca, surrounded by thick forest, but it was equally, if not more beautiful.
Watching the surfers made me really wish I'd hired a board, especially as the water was like a warm bath compared to the Scottish and Cornish beaches that I'm used to! I will definitely be surfing next time...
The day only got better when Vanessa went for a walk and brought back a coconut!!
After what felt like no time, it was time to head back to São Paulo...My estimation of the hostel went up again when the owner gave us a lift to the bus station in his pick-up! Even the fact that the journey back to São Paulo took 8 hours when it was meant to take 3 couldn't dampen our spirits.
Friday night was eventful. My flatmate woke me at 3 in the morning having returned from a club to find a cockroach in her room. Let's just say I was not happy, it was nothing I could help with; she said she woke me for "moral support"! Eventually she called the porteiro and begged him to come up to kill the cockroach, he must have thought we were such wimps!
Anyway, the next morning the cockroach incident was all forgotten and we headed to Paula's parents beach apartment, in a resort called Riviera de São Lourenço. On the weekend the whole of São Paulo seem to leave the city and head for the beach. The traffic is AWFUL, a journey that was meant to take 1hr30 ended up taking nearly 4!
However, when we arrived at the apartment, the stress of the journey immediately disappeared. It was in an amazing location, after just a 2 minute walk from the apartment we arrived here!
After a few hours of relaxation, or in my case pacing up and down the beach, why do I find it so difficult to sit still and do nothing?!, We headed back to the apartment and drove to Pão de Açúcarto buy provisions for the all-important churrasco.
Barbecue duty!
View from the apartment...
Bye beach...until next weekend!
Sunday was a very chilled day spent alternating between swimming in the sea, going for walks and browsing the beach barracas! Paradise...
After another huge meal we headed back to São Paulo and got caught in another traffic jam...
