Trindade, Brazil

Natural Swimming Pool

After our time in Paraty, Russell and I decided to head to the paradise of Trindade. The New Zealand/Brazilian couple decided to take up our invitation and came along with us, although they made a day trip out of it while we stayed the night.

The bus ride to Trindade was 45 minutes of pure excitement - not the excitement you feel from anticipation, but more like the excitement you feel on a roller coaster, that fly by the seat of your pants kind of excitement. Bus drivers here go as fast as they can without tipping the bus, and the road to Trindade is one lane, with sudden ups and downs, and sharp turns. The driver was constantly talking to the money taker - with a sign above them that specifically stated, "DO NOT TALK TO THE DRIVER." Although the ride was wild the scenery was incredibly beautiful throughout.

See photos of my trip to Trindade on Flickr

Arriving in Trindade, Russell and I got a room at a beachfront pousada (only R$50!), dropped our stuff, and got to hiking the jungle/beach trail to the natural pool. The beaches we passed (Cepilho, Ranchos, Meio, and Cachadaço) were some of the most dazzling in Brazil. There was a great surf beach, enormous boulders, mountain and jungle fringed white sand beaches, and our trail that wound through dense jungle, only to be rewarded at the end of our hike by arriving at the amazingly beautiful natural swimming pool.

We spent a few hours at the natural pool exploring, swimming, and sun bathing. When the clouds began to move in a we felt a few sprinkles on our heads we decided not to take our chance hiking back through the jungle (with rain the already muddy path would have been rough, especially in sandals) and instead paid R$30 for the 4 of us to take a quick boat ride back to the main beach, where all sat down to sip some fresh juice... mmm suco de manga (mango juice). After our juice break we walked the really great couple to the bus stop and said goodbye as we each continued on our separate journeys. Meeting other travelers is great like that - you can hook up and travel together for as long as it suits you then go you separate ways when the time comes and everybody stays happy and grateful for the moment.

Jungle trail off Praia Trindade

Russ and I went back to the pousada to shower off then went to grab a bite to eat. We found a place that served a prato feito com peixe for R$35 - rice, beans, salad, french fries, and two fish fillets. Plus we each got a caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail) made with local cachaça - really delicious. I am actually thinking about bringing home some cachaça just so I can make caipirinhas at home for my family.

After dinner Russ and I decided to take a walk along Praia Trindade - the long beach that the town sits on. A beach dog decided he wanted to walk with us and followed along the whole way, even climbing rocks with us! Along the way I spotted a jungle path that was so dense it was more like a cave. Russ and I explored that for a bit before returning to the beach to continue our walk, along with the beach dog, who only left us to check up on the very few other people walking the beach... he was like the beach welcome/safety dog. I think that is his purpose, to make sure all of us are all right. I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of traveling is all of the really chill street dogs that I meet. Every one of them is good tempered and some of them even play fetch!

The beach dog followed us everywhere.

Praia Trindade is littered with giant boulders everywhere, that are sometimes covered by the ocean water - it is actually amazing the amounts of water that come in and out with the tidal shifts in this area! I am happy that we were there at a low point so we had a huge beach to explore.

When nighttime was beginning to settle in we made our way back into town where I bought some jewelry made of Golden Grass. After our little shopping excursion we headed back to our pousada and relaxed beachfront before heading in for a night of restful sleep.

The next morning I woke up to a terribly infected foot wound so Russ and I decided to head back home so I could recover away from the sand and jungle.

What a great mini-vacation!