19/ PARADISE AND BACK

I think I've found a place that you will like.

After weeks of stressing out with work/no work, weird atmosphere in the house, and generally a sense of claustrophobia from a very packed city, I decided to get the fuck out.
Had a chat with my friend Marcello who knows the region quite well, and he directed me towards Boipeba.

He scribbled the directions on a piece of paper, it goes a little something like this:
"Get a boat from Salvador to the island of Itaparica, then get a bus to a village, then get another boat, then get a tractor, and ask for Lucas, you can camp at his gaff."


Ok. So that's what I did.
The trip is about 7 hrs, but felt more like 4 as it was split into different parts.
I arrived in Valenca to take my 2nd boat (lancha)





I hooked up with a "guide", who guided me to the shop so I could buy a torch, and then I offered him coffee, cerveja and a bit of a chat (+ a good tip) to say thank you.
He reminded me a bit of you, Alfredo, very smiley guy, look:


Then bought ticket
, and boarded the boat, and off we went, VERY slowly on the dark waters of the rio.

Very calm, peaceful journey.


Pirates of the Carrebeans like...



When we finally arrived in Boipeba after a 3hrs journey, I didn't get a tractor as there wasnt any running at the time(about 5pm), so I walked from Boipeba to Morere, accompanied by 2 guys who happened to be walking home too (they do this everyday, a 40mins walk to go to the village to sell their stuff to the tourists).

When I arrived in Morere, after this little trek on a sandy path, I arrived from the top, and found this resort that was being built. By a Frenchman called Dominique. Family business, one of his son is the chef the other the manager, his wife, the administrator, and he's the designer...
Anyways, he kindly invited me to stay in of the unfinished bungalows, for free.

Which I did.
The resort is pretty nice, very high end of the tourist trade, very designy interiors. So I didnt exactly fit the picture when I arrived all sweaty with my rucksack and tent, but still, I appreciated the hospitality, and fell asleep under the rays of the moon...


Woke up to this:

Then walked down...


... to meet my hosts


Gibi, Chris and Jean-Paul's dog

Chris and Jean-Paul who own a posada in Boipeba and where there to visit.

Check their posada here:
Posada Horizonte Azul
They're very cool.

I then left them to it (they all had to go to Salvador to do business) and went off to find a place where to camp.

There is a lot of land to buy, if you ever get tempted

The house of the don of the camping

The don, a fisherman

Gatinhos do camping

Ben, I hope you're proud of me:


Cooking up some hot stuff

An ant drinking from my foot

...
So after I'd set up everything, I went to explore the place a bit, and set off for the BEACH! Which I never do in Salvador, cos they're packed, and noisy...
Set off from the beach outside the camping


Pontizinho



You get some amazing nature out there, beautiful flowers which attract the most pretty birds


Some weird nature too


And then, the beach... Which I had to my self... Awesome

A silly crabby


Went to visit Boipeba, but this time took the beach trail rather then the interior.
Twas very hot indeed

Just so nice to be in nature...





One hell of a bbq

Chairs up to avoid the tide

MAMAN ET PHILIPPE, ca c'est pour vous:

(j'avais pas de thunes pour en manger, mais la prochaine fois ca fera partie de mon budget!!!)
One hell of a beach

Fishermen






Went to visit Chris and Jean-Paul in their possada








And finally, the little harbour of Boipeba.




I'm now back in Salvador, with only one thing on my mind: when do I go back?
XXX