Angra
dos Reis
the "green paradise" about 90 miles
south
of Rio (see map)
Three views of the
moody and
dramatic skyline in Angra.
It thunderstormed
every night
we were there, lending a tropical quality.
Boats in the cove by
our hotel
in the morning clear
We took a memorable
half-day
cruise aboard this schooner.
Tim and Deb enjoying
the start
of the trip
Angra is the
location
of many fabulous vacation homes owned by the rich of Rio and
São
Paolo.
Brazil has a terrible
gap between rich and poor, by far the worst of all major
countries.
And Brazil is huge;
only China,
India, the United States and Indonesia have more people.
We were told nice
houses
like these in Angra would cost about half a million US
dollars.
Average wages in Brazil
are
about $500/month. Still, there has never been a revolution
in Brazil and the
country
has the world's lowest suicide rate. Sociologists attribute
the people's
happiness to the
perfect climate
and the annual release from all inhibition known as Carnaval.
The clear green
water
of Angra is a big attraction to city-dwellers with the cash to
get away.
A lovely setting, on
the ocean
against a backdrop of forest-covered mountain.
These folks even have
their
own helicopter, that's convenient.
A chapel that can
only be
reached by boat.
It is used for
weddings and
they must be very romantic ones!
Our schooner
skipper at the
controls
|
This
personable fellow was
our guide on the boat.
|
These guys spoke
Portuguese
and a little Spanish. Brazilians generally do not speak
Spanish,
but knowing Spanish (or
Italian
or French) helps you understand enough Portuguese to get by.
A picturesque rocky
outcropping
Angra has 365
islands, "one
for each day of the year."
I asked if they've
all got
names, and they do.
So even this one is
called
something!
Liese wanted a
picture of
just the water color.
Moments later, a bit
of bread
thrown into the water brought swarms
of brightly colored
fish immediately
to the surface.
Later we swam and
snorkeled
among the fish.
The boat stopped for
a while
so we could have lunch here.
Restaurant decor
Liese and Deb enjoyed
the
water while waiting for lunch.
These two little boys
on the
excursion have a British father
and a Thai mother,
and they're
living in Brazil.
What a nice life!
Harvesting scallops
A sailor under the
Brazilian
flag
Shipboard bar
(there's no
running away from those caipirinhas)
Slightly sunburnt
kids
on boat
Tiny shrine on the
water
Part of the hotel
where we
stayed in Angra
"Submarine" bar in
the hotel
pool, swim right up!
Liese on the beach at
Angra
On to the Botanical
Gardens
On to the Beach
and Pool
On to Corcovado/Pao
do
Acucar
Back to THP
