Day 100 - Salvador to Buzios, Brazil

Wow. 100 days down. Can't believe it. Travelling definitely feels like normality now though - we are in full swing. Experience effects also also definitely kicking in now too - we managed to get up, packed and out of the door in 23 mins flat this morning. Every min in bed counts when the alarm goes off at 4.30am!

Our flight to Rio is at 7.13am so this is the second time we arrive in Rio and not see any of it (or see it from afar). Third time lucky on Thursday. Once at Rio we get a taxi to the bus station and then the bus to Buzios, a gorgeous coastal town further east from Rio. I have finally managed to book a bus ticket online in Brazil via www.brasilbybus.com which was actually pretty easy after I had sorted out my PayPal account (which was still linked to my lost card from Vietnam so didn't work). Nothing is ever easy!

Few glimpses out towards Copacabana on the way into land we couldn't spot Sugar Loaf or Christ the Redeemer yet though. 

Plus a mountain that pops up from nowhere that we have to turn left at to land. I know it's all under control but not they always seem to leave it very late to turn. 

The taxi journey from the airport to the bus station was a bit of a nightmare as firstly the queue was huge for a taxi with about one turning up every ten minutes and then the traffic along the 10km route to the bus station was crawling the whole way. We go from having all the time in the world to kill (2.5 hours) to running for the bus! At least in running for public transport I feel right at home. 

The bus is then 45 mins late, leaving us standing in the blistering heat and building up a good sweat ready to get on the bus. Then to top it off an absolutely horrible fat hairy sweaty rude bloke sits in front of me puts his seat so far back his ugly face is resting on my lap as he proceeds to talk very loud (American style) on his phone for the first half an hour. Luckily the bus isn't full so we can move. Although it then happens again. We have found on every bus journey in South American that they don't really care about encroaching on your personal space or "getting up in your grill" as I like to call it. 

As we leave Rio we cross a huge bridge across what seems like a the sea which after a bit of cross referencing to the map we realised gives us a great view of Rio and helps us start to piece it together. The tallest mountain on the right is Christ the Redeemer and the mountain in the left is Sugar Loaf. Copacabana is to the right of Sugar Loaf but the other side to where we are. 

You can just about make Jesus out. As with all of these world famous icons they always seem smaller in reality but we are a fair way away. 

We finally arrive in Buzios at around 4pm - it has taken four hours, double the amount of time to get here than planned. But the wait and effort is well worth it. Buzious is gorgeous and the hotel absolutely perfect. We are staying in a boutique hotel called Porto Bay and it is exactly what we need. 

http://www.portobay.com/en/hotels/brazil/buzios-brazil/porto-bay-buzios/

Firstly the weather is stunning and as much as we don't believe it is here to stay for the next few days! (Yay no more rain). 

Lovey bar area over looking Buzios. 

The pool is fantastic, set in what feels like a mini rain forest. 

And as an added bonus they even have little gym. 

That evening we make the short walk into town. It's so nice being back in a place that is completely safe to wander around again. Makes such a huge difference. 

We have dinner an a restaurant that is ominously called Mr Brads. Now I would normally eschew such named places but this looked pretty alluring so we risk it. 

The risk well and truly pays off - best Fajitas I have had so far. So much I thought I had 'mistaking' ordered the 'for two' dish. They even have a half decent beer - Xiang dark. 

We go for a walk around the town after and it really lives up to the reputation of the St Tropez of Brazil. It's really posh and (as Nat calls it) swanksville. Amazing boutique shops, gorgeous restaurants and bars they even have a whopping great Privelige (the nightclub) here but we won't hold that against it. The calibre of people here is also demonstrably better. There is a lot of wealth here and no miscreants hanging around. 

Lovely walk down the sea front where we stumble across where all the really nice restaurants are. 

Probably the best sand castle ever built. It was epic and massive. 

Now random story is that Bridgette Bardot used to come here every summer with her Brazillian boyfriend so they made a statue of her. 

On the way back we stop at the petrol station for water and stumble on this little fella. The ultimate fridge we have been looking for in South America to overcome their crappy, watery, Carlingesque beer.

They even have Brooklyn Lager in it (our fave beer) and we make it so far as the counter to pay for it then realise it is ridiculously expensive - about £6 per bottle from a petrol station! So back in the fridge it goes. We do manage to finally find a bottle of Devassa which is our last hope of good local beer that we have been unable to find anywhere. 

When we get back we find that the hotel had a nice little DVD collection so we borrow Kill Bill Vol 2 for the night and settle down to watch it in bed. As is customary Nat barely makes it past the opening credits.