Pedra Branca cachaca distillery, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 13 Apr 2012
Water slide, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 13 Apr 2012
Jeep transport, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 13 Apr 2012
Tony swimming at Pedra Branca waterfall, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 13 Apr 2012
We spent today, Friday 13th, on a jeep tour to several waterfalls, one of which was called Pedra Branca. Apart from the picturesque scenery, we spent time in the swimming holes. The highlight was going down the large natural water slides which was a lot of fun. We were very tame with our slides but the locals obviously have it well under control and go down backwards standing up! The tour also included a visit to a couple of cachaca distilleries with impressive stills. The tour ended up with a visit to a nursery. We're not sure why they took us there as we were not likely to make any purchases but we did enjoy seeing all the different orchids and bromiliads.
Tomorrow we head for Sao Paulo and then on an overnight bus to the Iguassu Falls. We've really enjoyed our stay in Paraty.
Produce in cachaca shop, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 12 Apr 2012
Egret, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 12 Apr 2012
Street scene #7, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 12 Apr 2012
Church spire, Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil, 12 Apr 2012
After leaving the hustle & bustle of Ilha Grande, we made our way by mini bus down the Costa Verde overlooking the bay with lots of tropical islands. Our next stop was at Paraty, a small coastal town founded by the Portuguese in 1531. During high tide the cobblestone streets are partly flooded by seawater and are designed with a dip in the middle so that boats can navigate them. The township is full of little touristy shops and we were able to sample the local cachaca ( sugar cane liquor). It felt a bit like wandering around Battery Point only a few hundred years older.
Internet is very slow here so you will have to wait for photos.
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