the day of the waterfalls... continued

back to the car and down the busy pavement to our next beach. this one called praia do meio (middle beach) de trindade. we followed the noisy tourists down the hill until we, once again, saw the beautiful giant ocean. in front of us were 4 or 5 outrageously large boulders that were precariously positioned on the edge of the cliff. in front of them a small stream passed. we turned left and drove up the small stream followed by a bumpy trail. at this point i was used to them and held on to the "oh shit" bar located above my head. we parked under a tree and walked toward the beach. this beach was the opposite of the last. packed with people and bars and restaurants, cheesy plastic tables adorned with beer label logos, and a the black eyed peas blasting from the back of a family car.


i was hungry and craving a bowl of fresh açai. we found a place and took a seat under the shade of a "skol" umbrella. our skin sticking to the plastic chairs beneath us. the açai was cold and melty, topped with honey and granola. because the açai is so cold, the honey freezes on top of it, creating this stiff gooey substance that you can chew yet melts in the heat of your mouth. a very cool sensation. as we sat, sandra told me of the beach across the water. supposedly it forms a natural pool with no waves, but in order to get there we would have to catch a motor boat which was 15reais each. i assessed my money situation and decided that it was too expensive. we stayed and listened to "tonight's gonna be a good night" eating the soupy remains at the bottom of the bowl. in front of us the beach was not so pretty. the sand was dirty and dark tan, the water murky and filled with people, their children and dogs. the scenery beyond them, however, was heaven. we were sitting in an inlet, surrounded by mountains. the mountain's rocky boulders and cliffs lead your eye to the water. directly across the water was the other side of the "U". tons of motor boats making their way across with their passengers wearing life jackets.

we paid for our snack and headed back to the car. we drove through the tiny village of trindade. sandra stopped at a pharmacy and i looked around a little boutique. the owner of the store was a small and very tan blond woman/girl. she fashioned a silver belly ring and a matching silver beer cup. she could not speak english very well (nor i portuguese), so we spoke of this until sandra returned.

we got back on BR101, the highway along the coast line. i learned that this road takes you from the bottom to the top of brasil, twisting along the beautiful scenery. our next stop was pataty (pronounced "pah-tah-chee"). pataty is in rio de janeiro, we had crossed the state line without noticing. pataty is one of the oldest cities in brasil, the architecture is preserved by the town. any one who wishes to alter Anything about the houses must get approval beforehand. we passed a winding bay filled with islands of grass, a lone horse and dozens of colorful tugboats.


we parked and stopped for a quick bite, sharing a 30cm pastel de queijo. we walked along the tiny cobble stone streets beyond the chains where no cars are allowed. the houses were in rows, looking to be one long building, with different colored doors and window frames. sandra and naiara wanted ice cream so we stopped at a pub and sat outside in the warm air. behind us i heard "a grotesque figure" spoken in a british accent. i jumped up and ran over to the table, sitting down before finishing "where are your from?" the family of three were on vacation in brasil. the older couple, being in their 60's live in minas gerais (another state about 5 hours inland) for 6 months of the year. their son (im guessing in his late 20's) was visiting for a 2 week holiday. during england's summer the couple returns to their home in london. it was so lovely to have a group conversation with people who speak the same language. we talked so quickly, making jokes and telling stories without thought or hesitation for the right verb conjugation. it was exciting and releaving at the same time. we parted ways and walked through the town. i bought a necklace made of red açai berry seeds. they were layed out on a white sheet next to a family of native brasilian indians. we walked more and more until it looked like chuva.


we drove out of pataty, sitting silently, breathing in the smell of just before rain, listening to sandra's asian groove cd comprised of beautiful sitar songs. we sped through the forming clouds, lightning was filling the sky. 40 minutes later, we entered ubatuba. drops of water slowly made their way to our windsheild. we got home, made dinner as it poured and watched a movie in silence, letting our bodies begin to unwind from that beautiful day.