Our final ever blog! We've been in São Paulo state for about six days now, visiting Ubatuba on the coast and then coming down to São Paulo after waving goodbye to Maggie and Dave and Carly and Nick.

Our first full day in Ubatuba was Wednesday. We somehow decided it would be a good idea to hire bicycles, so we all found ourselves on one by 10:30! We certainly got our ten reais worth out of them! In total we must have biked over 20 kilometres during the day, and then another little bit on top that evening. We all felt pretty sore the next morning! We made our way from our beach over a bridge and along a pier to a lookout point giving views across Praias Itaguá and Iperoig ou Cruzeiro. We were going to be biking their entire length straight afterwards...We also stopped at the line which marked the Tropic of Capricorn, which passed through the town. Following the curve of the beaches round to the next headland, we followed a trail which ended at another pier, where we had a little break. This pier had been recommended to us as a great place to spot turtles, and it wasn't long before we caught our first glimpse of a long neck and small head poking out the water. They remained rather elusive, however, popping up for only a few seconds at a time, but we did manage to observe a fair few. We biked back, then along Praia Grande, and then up two hills towards Praia Enseada. Jo had a funny turn with the heat and lack of water, but Dave managed to knock on someone's door and get some water for her, and Nick and I biked down the hill and bought some more, so she recovered quickly! After lunch at Praia Enseada, we took a slow ride back, stopping for icecream on the way. In the evening we went to watch Darryl, the owner of our guesthouse, practice his 'capoeira' (fighting/dancing, local to Bahia state). We cycled over to a local school where they trained in a tiny outdoor space. Little did we know they would try to drag us up at the end to join in as well! Nick and I ended up doing spinning kicks and swirling around on the floor, acting like we knew what we were doing. Everyone else found it hilarious!

On Thursday we got the bus northbound to Praia Félix, then had around a kilometre walk downhill from the main road to the beach. It was lovely and well worth the effort. We had a long expanse of sand pretty much to ourselves, and the crescent beach ended on both sides with huge boulders. The setting was capped off by the huge swathes of Mata Atlântica (Atlantic rainforest) around us, which covered the various peaks and troughs of the Serra do Mar (the mountain range) into the distance. We sunbathed, went for dips in the ocean, and walked the entire length of the beach.

Friday was our final full day altogether, and we decided to go out on a boat around Ubatuba. We were joined by four other guests from our hotel, which helped keep the price down. We took over the front of the boat for the duration of the trip, kicking back as we made our way over to the Ilha Anchieta. Again, we got great views back over the mainland and the rainforest-draped Serra do Mar. Ilha Anchieta was amazing. It was practically empty except for our boat, had an intriguing history (former penal colony, barracks, and base for the British in their attempt to enforce their ban on the slave trade), and was stunningly beautiful. Every corner turned would produce another frameworthy shot. Whilst there we bumped into capybaras (the largest rodents in the world), idly sunning themselves on the beach. They were huge things, reminiscent of pygmy hippos rather than rodents. Jo thought they looked like giant guinea pigs as well! Something about them was quirky and cute, as they lolled about in the sand or river, and they didn't mind us getting close. Jo and I were particularly pleased to see them, as we'd cut a plan to go and have a look at them in Argentina. The best part of the island was yet another idyllic Ubatuba beach, Praia das Palmas. Perfectly fine white sand arched its way around in a thin curve across the bay. There was no one else there! Dave even found a huge sand-dollar washed up by the tide, with absolutely symmetrical patterning.

Back on the boat, we went over to Praia Sete Fontes. We were met by a tiny boat which would transport us to the beach. Dave got absolutely drenched by a huge wave that washed over the front of the boat, soaking all his dry clothes, money, etc. He definitely wasn't happy! Carly, Jo and I were still on the main boat at the time, and noticed him waddling up to the shore! We sat on the beach and all had a drink, gazing out over the setting as the sun began to come down, before turning back for the day. As we steamed away, Maggie realised she'd left her shorts on the beach! Thankfully Jo had a skirt to lend her, otherwise she'd have been walking back in her swimming costume! It turned out to be a really enjoyable and relaxing day. That evening we said our goodbyes to Maggie and Dave, who were getting an overnight bus to Rio and staying on in Brazil for another week.

Saturday was a slightly dull day, as we took a four hour coach journey from Ubatuba to São Paulo. In the morning we waved goodbye to Carly and Nick, who were flying back to the UK from Rio that night, and then we spent some time on the beach before our bus at 1. We had trouble finding a hotel to stay at in São Paulo as our first choice was full. The receptionist phoned round trying to find somewhere else for us, or organise a taxi. We were beginning to worry, but then a girl dropped out from one of the dorms, allowing us to both get space at our original choice, Pousada dos Franceses. We spent the evening sat in the lounge there, playing backgammon and watching the James Bond film, 'Quantum of Solace'.

Yesterday, on our final full day in São Paulo and Brazil, we went for a wander in the vicinity of Avenida Paulista and the Jardins neighbourhood. We walked around the Parque Siqueira Campos, a park designed to resemble the Atlantic rainforest which was flattened as the city expanded. It was full of dense vegetation and heaps of locals, many walking their manicured dogs on a Sunday 'passeggiata'. We went to a cheap and filling 'lanchonete' for lunch, eating lots of grilled meat, rice, chips, beans and salad, for under ten reais each! We also went for coffee at Café Suplicy in Jardins, mixing with the rich of São Paulo. We spent the late afternoon and early evening packing our bags and throwing away anything unnecessary before our flight home today.

All that remains is our flight home today. We're flying at 4:15, about six hours away right now, and get back to England at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Hope everyone who's been reading the blog has enjoyed it, it's been a real mix of pleasure and pain for us, but we hope it'll always be able to bring back fond memories! Ollie and Jo xx