26 Aug 2012
by Ben
in Family Gap Year, Foodie Central, Top Experiences
Tags: Boipeba, eel, Fish, Ilha Grande
I’ve always wanted to fish and any time I see a fishing trip on a board I ask my parents but they just say ‘No, we’ve already booked a snorkelling trip’ or something like that!
I had a brief chance at fishing in Ilha Grande but it was off a boat and I didn’t catch anything. On Boipeba we met some Americans and some Brits and before the snorkelling trip the manager of our Pousada gave us fishing line and hooks so we tried but lost a weight.
Then a local fisherman helped us and brought us prawns as bait but that didn’t work. After saying goodbye to our new friends there was a man standing on the rocks who had a big net!!! He threw the net in and pulled it up with thousands of little fish. Me and Zoe grabbed lots of them and we talked to the fisherman in sign language.
After that there was another local fisherman who we followed to his fishing spot. We stood about 3 metres apart. He showed me how to throw it in. You spin it round your head and then you let go in the direction that you want it to go. It goes pretty far as it has a weight on the end.
Me fishing
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25 Aug 2012
by Martin Clark
in Adventure, Family Gap Year, Safety, Travelling
Tags: Ben, boat, Brazil, Gap year, South America
We expected our gap year to feature some excitement but as so often with these things it can come at unexpected times. Super relaxed after a week on peaceful Boipeba staying at what could easily be the best pousada in Brazil and looking forward to our next stop in Morro de Sao Paulo we boarded our speedboat and waved goodbye.
Bye Bye Boipeba
The weather was overcast but this often clears quickly and we were impressed with the speedboat. Bigger than the normal motor launches it looked the business and we were sure Charles was right and it was the most comfortable boat around and at R$200 a bargain as they were picking up more guests in Morro!
On the way down to Boipeba we took the route through the mangroves from Valenca and expected to go this way again as most boats arrive this way. It is lovely and calm but about twice as long as the sea route if you look at the map. As often is the case ‘assume’ makes an ass out of you and me and our skipper headed straight out to sea. More
24 Aug 2012
by Lara
in Family Gap Year
Tags: Bahia, Boipeba, Brazil, Family Gap Year, Pousada Santa Clara
It’s 8.30am. We’re in Boipeba. Mum and Dad are upstairs and there are no children in their bed because there’s a little spiral staircase leading from the kid’s bedroom up to theirs which could be quite dangerous in the dark so it’s out of bounds. All being tucked in under our mossie nets helps! Zoe wakes first and is allowed to come up for a cuddle, then Lara…..
Windy stairs to Mum & Dad’s room!
It’s like we’re snuggled in a big bed in a lovely wooden tree house in the jungle.
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22 Aug 2012
by Martin Clark
in Family Gap Year
Tags: Ilha Grande, Wi-Fi
I awoke today to the sound of rain. Coming from the UK this is something that I should be used to but it felt different, maybe in the way that a holiday cocktail tastes great on the beach but when you try and recreate it at home it is just not the same but more likely it is because for the first time in a month on our gap year we can really relax.
South America, Brazil and especially some of cities we have visited have a reputation for KRE (A joyful new TLA we recently discovered for ‘kidnap, ransom and extortion’!) as well as petty everyday crime like mugging, pick pocketing etc. While I am sure there is an increased threat and these things do happen only bad news sells newspapers (maybe it is our fault in wanting to read about other people’s misfortunes as apparently only 30% of reporting is good news!) and you don’t hear about the many fantastic, friendly, helpful people you meet.
Run Zoe!
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10 Aug 2012
by Mo
in Family Gap Year
Tags: Ben, Brazil, Ilha Grande, Lara, Paraty, Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Zoe
We’ve just taken off on a flight out of Rio, on our way to Brasilia, with fabulous views over Sugarloaf and the many bays and islands of the city. It’s exactly 4 weeks since we arrived in Rio and began our family gap year! The time has flown!
Copacabana beach, Sugarloaf to the right of the wing and Christ the Redeemer sits atop the peak on the right of the pic with his head in the clouds!
We didn’t expect to stay in Rio de Janeiro state for a month. To be truthful, (and to the horror of many of our friends) we didn’t have much planned for Brazil at all
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07 Aug 2012
by Martin Clark
in Family Gap Year, Health & Fitness, Kids Stuff, Photos, Videos
Tags: Ben, Bunk bed, Gap year, Lara, Zoe
And the winner is…
Lara
A few weeks into our family gap year she has managed to break:
- A shelf climbing on it
- A toilet seat by jumping off it
- An iPad by dropping it off the bed – luckily just a small crack on the edge of the screen and still usable
Dad managed to fix everything apart from the iPad with a spoon and swiss army knife.
Metal Tree Climbing
She has also had a few scrapes: More
05 Aug 2012
by Ben
in Adventure, Family Gap Year, Kids Stuff
Tags: Ben, bugs, South America
(we are back with better WiFi, expect more posts very soon, lots to tell, MMBZL)
I was walking out the door of our beach house when a most unusual creature dropped on my head. I brushed it off and then I very stupidly head butted the half opened door. I was a bit scared!
Scary bug!
We took a close-up photo of the bug. More
27 Jul 2012
by Lara
in Education & Schooling, Family Gap Year, Kids Stuff
Tags: Brazil, Ilha Grande, Lara, lara interview
Dad, Ben and Zoe have just left for an ambitious 2.5 hour hike across the island. It’s a chance for Mum and Lara to do a blog and have some quality time! We begin with a small bribe!
Mum : Lara come and do an interview with me and then we’ll have some chocolate!!
Just chilling!
Lara : Ok Mum, come on sit down! Are we going to have MY chocolate?
Mum : Yes, after we’re done! Do you know where Ben and Zoe have gone with Dad?
Lara : they’ve gone! ….. More
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