Spent a good week in Ilha Grande have enjoyed our time spent longer than intented and could of stayed longer. It is one gorgeous beach after another no cars on the island and it is pristine rainforest with monkeys abound. Our first day it was overcast so went on a walk we saw an old prison being swallowed up by the rainforest as well as a huge aqueduct being covered by creepers. Spent the next day happily on the beach. Only incedent of note was a dog who stole Keeley´s flip flop when I picked him up he spat it out no damage done. That night we moved from our hostel which was not so good and had moody staff to a nicer hostel with a very nice woman running it who kept bringing out treats for us to eat.

The next day we decided to go on a longer walk into the jungle a very steep path up to an unimpressive waterfall which left Keeley cursing me as she slipped and slided on here flip flops. After the waterfall did get to spend somtime on a beach full of crabs but no people, however with the tide coming in we had to leave the beach to the crabs and head back into the jungle. On the way back saw our first lot of monkeys small white faces looked a little like squirrels with racoon tails. Still excited from our little monkleys we came accross a whole troop of large orange monkeys. I do love monkeys. Needless to say my pictures are not very good just cannot seem to catch wildlife on camera.

After another day on the local beaches we decided to head over the jungle to Lopez Mendez beach a surf beach reputed to be the best beach on the island. After going the wrong way for an hour we found the track and arrived at the beach it was beautiful and good fun playing in the waves with Mark and Margret (who also took the wrong path) a couple we had meet at the hostel. Keeley stayed on the beach getting tanned. We walked back from the beach unfortunatly somewhere along the way I lost a flip flop despíte this a very good day.

Next morning up early and back into the jungle in hope of finding my flip flop half an hour in and I did! Quickly back so we could catch a boat to blue lagoon. Our captain was shark man (he had lots of shark tatoos) after about ten minutes on the water he skinned up and passed around a spliff and kept saying how he loved his life. Who can say nay he drives aboat on a beautiful island in the sun its winter here and still hot and he has a bit of a smoke not too shabby. Next day another day in the sun on the beaches our life not to shabby either tomorrow the metropolis.