Sun! Sea and Sand!

Easy
Punch
Ilheus
Coast

Before embarking on the mayhem that will be Carnaval, Pete decided that a few days chilling out, taking it easy while beach-hopping along the coast was called for. Plus we were in desperate search of the sun and puddle-inducing heat.

Porto Seguro was our first stop and it has an extensive coastline, about 85km of beaches of fine white sand and little pollution. We stayed at Praia de Mundaí which was a pristine beach but very busy as it is a popular holiday destination for locals. The ocean was tepid but still refreshing at about a ten degree drop from the 35 degrees experienced on the beach - hot!! Our campsite's pool was also very nice and frequented often. Evenings were slightly competitive on the discovery of ping pong-, pool- and foosball-tables. Ken and Robin spent a lot of time winding up poor Francois after France's defeat to Italy in the 6 Nations. Will try and find pub for next week's Ireland v England match as that potentially will be the deciding championship match! We have to win, as camp could be unbearable if we lose.

Before I forget, we have been introduced to a new beach delicacy, Halloumi cheese on skewers. Vendors cook the cheese by placing them close to hot embers in a metal container and then flapping a sheet to generate heat. since Halloumi has a high melting point it allows the cheese to keep its shape and firm consistency when cooked. Overall it's a tasty snack, especially when drizzled in a honey and soya sauce - tasty goodness!

Ilheus was our next stop. I think we stayed along Praia Dos Milionários, a very long strip of sand bordered by a row of coconut trees (although to be fair it has got a lot of Praias so I might be incorrect here). Again the beach was beautiful, but this time we had the added bonus of practically having the beach to ourselves. The ocean was wild, we were buffeted by constant pounding waves, plus there was a rip that was determined to pull you down the shoreline. The first evening I had a lovely walk along the water's edge at sunset, marvelling at having the beach to myself. It was utterly serene.

The next morning I tried rousing in time for sunrise, but sadly I slept through my alarm. Instead I got up at 5:15 and popped down to the beach to watch the remainder. Steve and Karen were already on the beach with their camera and tripod and informed me that it hadn't been a great sunrise due to the clouds. I quite liked the way the rising orange sun peeked out from the cloud while the sunbeams did their best to shine out from every side of the cloud - very pretty. Since I was up so early I went for a walk up the other side of the beach, after walking for an hour there was still more and more beach ahead of me but I had to about turn and return to camp as I was on breakfast crew and needed to setup the food.

Our final night spent at Ilheus involved cooking sausages on a beach bonfire and then drinking homemade punch made from tasty limes, oranges, passion fruit and of course the local cachaca. Tasty goodness, and getting some of my 5-a-day!