We reached Paraty via Pablo our transfer driver who could easily be a contender for the land speed record. I’m pretty sure we were on 2 wheels a couple of times. But the drive south also includes 4 hours of coast roads and some of the loveliest tropical scenery, little hamlets in coastal valleys and white empty beaches! Travelling off-peak definitely has its perks.
Paraty 
is a pretty colonial town of brightly coloured doorways and cobbled streets. It is obviously a popular tourist destination for Brazilians from Sao Paolo and Rio as the shops are boutique and well stocked with souvenirs, and many restaurants have menus in English, which is a little less fun than ordering ‘carne’ and wondering what kind of meat will arrive! The boys both had a cartoon drawn of themselves by a local street artist and we’ve bought some Brazilian flag sarongs to use on the beach as they dry so quick (as no one seems to use beach towels.). Street vendors also sell churro’s here, thank goodness, but they also make fresh cocktails to go, so Ben & I are sorted too!
The cocktail vendor!
Paraty port
DIY Ice cream shop (Sorveteria) shop where you pay by weight!
Not bad!
We lucked out with accommodation here as we are staying at a small hotel (or pousada) owed by two Dutch brothers (Gerben & Joan) who came here 7 years ago and started with a patch of mangrove swamp to create Jabaquara Beach Resort. We are renting a small bungalow and they have lovely pool, which can usually be found with two small English boys floating in it, and the occasional local boy called Arthur.
Jabaquara Beach Resort – our home from home.
Joan and Cameron between lessons!
Jabaquara has a lovely beach with bath-warm water and no surf, so perfect for swimming and paddle boarding which all 3 boys loved once they got their balance. The ‘shacks’ on the beach sell lovely food and caipirinha’s the local cocktail, so it’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon in the sun.
A Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça (sugar cane liquor), sugar and lots of lime
Dessert vendor.
We are very fortunate to have a former Maths teacher in Joan, so he is giving the boys lessons which are definitely better than mine as he keeps them going with magic tricks when they do well. Schooling also includes biology as Joan has borrowed a microscope and bug collection from Arthur’s dad Simon, enthusing the boys in a new way. I am really starting to appreciate the benefits of home-schooling.
The animals here are fascinating; we have seen hummingbirds collecting nectar fromflowers, small monkeys, fireflies that flash bright white whilst dancing over the grass near the mangrove swamps and a multitude of common and exotic birds and even a tree frog that attached itself to the window last night giving us the perfect view of its orange bulb-like toes.
Interestingly schooling here does not seem to be very well regarded and in this part of Brazil the school day is only about 4 hours long. The children attend one session per day, either 8am-12, 12-4pm or sometimes even 6-10pm, and teachers get paid depending on how many sessions they teach. Everyone hopes this will increase in the future.
all sounds great…we are showing the boys where you are on the map. cheers craig
Good to hear from you and to know that we may be helping with the boys geography! Hope all well with you guys. B
Brilliant stuff guys – this trip is simply fabulous.
Disappointed not to see Boom Boom in a sarong – still there is plenty of time yet.
Raining and Strictly here (which is why I am typing this)
We lost last night – we could have done with some of Big Ben’s power house hitting
PS; Paul says can he have the Men’s baking trophy?
Hi Phil, I don’t think wearing a sarong would improve our chances of being allowed into Brazil again in the future! Best to keep a low profile me thinks!
We’re now in Buenos Aires planning a few days on a ranch in the Pampas which should be a good experience.
Did Paul win the baking contest then, what did you have to cook? He probably had two attempts, apparently that’s a good winning strategy!
Cheers
Ben
Well it looks like you are really embracing Brazil. There are some similarities with Britain though, I have personally had that “ooh what’s going to turn up from the kitchen” feeling when I ordered a ‘meat’ curry in a take away in Wolverhampton once. Also there are some schools in Reading where the kids only go for 4 hours a day as well! I think they are supposed to be there all day but exercise their right to be home schooled in burglary instead.
It is nice to see that despite the uncertainty with language and strange customs that Adele is maintain a healthy drinking habit. It is so important to remain hydrated in the warmer climes. It is also nice to note you are befriending some of our fellow earth dwellers in the animal kingdom, personally if that bloody frog had turned up on my window I might have heaved a walking boot at it….
The kids look like they are having a great time and in this I include Ben. Looking good on the paddle board sir, I bet the locals have never seen anyone quite like it.
Looking forward to your next post, stay safe and don’t drink the water.
Hola Stephen, as you have spotted the similarities are endless. There have been many times when Ben has created quite a stir I must say, but when he pointed at his dessert yesterday and said gatto? (meaning gateaux as in ‘is this cake?’) he wondered why the cook didn’t look too impressed. Yes, he just asked if his pudding was made of cat! Fortunately, it tasted a lot better than this. Love to all, Ax