Parati

The small coastal village of Parati is a virtual museum within a tropical paradise. It is located 125 miles southeast of Rio and possesses a fine collection of classical 18th century Portuguese colonial buildings. I spent a very relaxed 3 days exploring the "old town" and the gorgeous beaches and waterfalls in the area. Ally then joined me on the final day from Islka del Mel for a romp in the mud (see below!). Great to be reunited again.

We went on a trip of the surrounding waterfalls in the area in a little beach buggy. Lots of fun, thanks in a large part to the wonderful group I was with - Veronica and Ben from Sydney and 2 metre tall Steve from the UK.

I am terrified of heights but when there is a high jump into water, I feel compelled to do it. Must be an adrenaline fixation. This one was pretty cool.

One of the highlights of Paraty was the mud. According to popular beliefs, the sulferous mud makes skin healthy and beautiful. During carnival, the locals dress themselves up as cave men, cover themselfs with mud and parade through the streets chanting: "Uga-Uga! Ha-Ha! Uga-Uga! We did a bit of that ourselves.

Wildlife we saw in Parati