Beautiful Island

Summer is drawing to a close, and we figured we should hit a few more beaches before temperatures plunge to the low 70s. So this weekend we went to Ilhabela. Literally translated, the name means “beautiful island.” I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description.

Ilhabela

Besides Kim and me, our group included seven other people from Kim’s school. Despite the heat (95 and humid), the nine of us crammed ourselves into a single mini-van on the taxi ride to our hotel. The driver was quite talkative. He was speaking in Portuguese, so I couldn’t understand every word he said, but I’m pretty sure he was telling us about some of the best beaches on the island. He also said our hotel was nice, since it included a restaurant, a pool, and a sauna. Using my rudimentary Portuguese skills, I said, “We don’t need a sauna—this car is enough!” The driver laughed, but I’m not sure if was because of my awful joke or my awful accent.

Crowded cab

On Saturday, we took a boat to the north side of the island to visit a beach that isn’t accessible by car. The boat was pretty big—I think it had a capacity of about 100—but for some reason the nine of us were the only passengers. It was great having the whole boat to ourselves. We had plenty of room to relax and soak up the sun. Unfortunately, the sun disappeared a few minutes after we left the dock, and the rest of the day was overcast.

Our boat was the one on the left.

When we arrived at the beach, we all jumped off the side of the boat and swam to shore. The water was ridiculously warm, so we spent most of our time snorkeling rather than relaxing on the beach.

We had the boat all to ourselves!

On Sunday, we went to the south side of the island to check out a beach called Praia do Curral. It was a little crowded, since it was right along the island’s main road, but it was beautiful.

Praia do Curral

Epilogue:
We had to switch buses on our way back to São Paulo, so we ate at a little diner during our layover. I had a hamburger and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. I’m happy to report that the OJ was delicious. Even the fly I found in my glass couldn’t diminish my enjoyment. It wasn’t until we got back on the bus that I realized I forgot to ask the waitress a very important question: What kind of oranges did they use?!