I left Salvador, with a Scottish couple, whom I had met at Hostel Galeria where I was staying, and we set off on our 6 hour boat followed by bus journey mid morning. They too, were lured by the beachy paradise promised by Itacare and had decided to spend a few days at the same hostel I was booked in. Considering we had to navigate our way through some rather dodgy looking areas in order to find our ferry, I was glad to not be doing the trip alone!
After a fairly non-eventful trip we arrived at Itacare around about 5pm, and got a taxi to our hostel which was located about 10mins out of the main central area of town. A mere 15 min walk, but with backpacks not something we were willing to tackle.
We arrived at our accommodation - a hostel owned by a group of friends who now live in the UK, called Ben's Place. Its basically a group of bachelor type apartments which are all independently owned, but get put into the mix for purposes of operating it as a backpackers. The owners of the apartments are a group of Aussies, Kiwi's, Brits and a South African and they all seem to take turns in living in Brazil for a few months and operating the backpackers. The couple whom are currently running it are a South African woman, and her partner, a Kiwi chap - they had both come from the UK were they had been living for several years. In general the place is really welcoming and relaxed, and we were welcomed by a barbecue which they had on the go when we arrived. It seemed as if we were arrving at a friends place rather than a hostel, which gave the place a very warm feel.
Some pics of Ben's and surrounds
the local football field which we walked past to get to the hostel - whatever the time of day, always people playing football!
Ben's Place - nice pool!
The bar at Ben's
you can see the apartments on the left, the building is double storey with awesome hammocks dotted about....seriously addictive..
The road to Ben's - in the little town, roads are either cobblestones or dirt roads
This brief shot taken from the car, shows part of the town and the lush greenery which surrounds it - really rural and gorgeous
Anyway, didn't take me long to settle into Ben's - a lovely group of people were staying there when I arrived - again from all corners of the globe. I intended to get the most out of my last few weeks in Brazil and do as much travelling as possible, however once I arrived in Itacare, and at Ben's - I knew it was were I was going to stay until I left Brazil. The little town itself was postcard cute, it had the offer of amazing beaches, had a fairly vibrant nightlife and in comparison to some of the other places I had stayed at, it was dirt cheap.
My last 2 weeks in Brazil were spent lazing on golden beaches lined with Coconut trees, drinking far too many Caiparinhas, swimming in waterfalls and just completely relaxing. I am not sure if it was the effect of knowing that my travels were coming to an end, or if it really was - but Itacare seemed to be the best and most beautiful part of my whole trip!
Words dont do my experience justice so I will post photos with captions below:
coconut palms everywhere
little hike to the river
view from the water
one of the busier beaches in Itacare
waterfalls!
day trip to the waterfall with some hostel crew
one of the amazing quieter beaches in Itacare
If that isn't paradise than I don't know what is!!
heaven....
more views of the lush vegetation and crystal blue seas!
locals making a swing
Sunset on one of the beaches - things really came alive at this time, people dancing, practising Capoeira, boxing, singing and having a good time!
Er...one of the hot bodied Capoeira dudes I was stalking....
View of the bay where all the fishing boats anchored
One of my fave beaches in Itacare - amazing!
Underwater camera fun :)
is that a mermaid??
my fave beach snack - grilled cheese sticks - HMMMMM
Day trip - canoeing with the lads from my hostel
Stunning vegetation seen from our canoe trip
Local fisherman
Canoeing through the mangroves
Stunning orchid just growing naturally
Quick swim in the sweet water pools
freshwater prawn we were trying to catch...hmmm
waterfall fun with our trusted guide...
More waterfall fun...
Our "Band" cover shot
Good times!
Ahhh more beaches!
Stunning sunset on the beach
sharing a moment - one of our band members in a bit of a strop - others getting along well...
Someone always has to ruin the photo.
Ahhhhh :)
Brazilian Perfection
Our trusted guide :)
One of the best beaches EVER
Brazil I love you!
After 2 fantastic weeks, I said quite a teary good bye to Itacare and the friends I made - and headed back to the concrete Jungle of Sao Paulo. 2 bus trips, 1 cab journey, 2 flights and 10 hours later I arrived in Sao Paulo, on a sat eve at 11pm.
I managed to settle in to the same hostel and spent my last 2 days in Brazil catching up with a couple of old mates and just getting all my last bits of shopping done. I finally got to go to a proper Brazilian BBQ and stuffed my face with loads of delicious bbq'd meats and spent an afternoon eating, drinking, laughing and enjoying good company. Really lovely to see some familiar faces - and a nice end to my time in Brazil.
So now - finally back home :)
My time on this trip may have come to an end but I look forward to my next adventure - creating a new life back in South Africa...until I have enough money to travel again!!
So much money spent, so much learnt and an experience that can never be aptly described.... and I would do it all again - in a heartbeat. Carpe Diem - seize the day!
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