The LP told us one thing we HAD to do when on Morro Island is to take a boat trip around the island to see reefs and beaches and mangrove swamps. Our hotel neighbors, super-friendly Londoners named Jimmy and Kate also read the LP so we joined them on the excursion. In the morning we hopped on the boat with about 12 other people and sped off across the ocean. Morro is an island that is straight out of a pirate movie or Lost - long sandy beaches surrounded by palm trees, tall cliffs, coral reefs just off shore.
Our first two stops were at reefs just offshore from the island. Our boat stopped in shallow water and we jumped into the warm turquoise ocean. We had rented snorkels so we could just walk on the sand over to the reefs and look down at the fish. Again we saw hundreds of fish. Some were very brave, following us around and nibbling at our toes, almost pettable. One fish followed Jimmy for several minutes before he escaped.
Our second stop was at an empty beach on another island, Boipeba. Here fishermen had set up a shack where they sold the fish and crustaceans they had caught that day. We feasted on fish and prawns and rice and beans. Following lunch we walked up the beach (our boat had already left) to the small village through a small jungle with a group from our boat and a guide. We saw some interesting trees and met some nice people from Brazil, Finland and Germany. Two of the guys we met, one from Brazil and one from Finland, were actually professional paint ball players who were moving from Jacksonville, FL to San Diego...professional paint ballers? Who knew such a thing existed?
Next we headed into the mangrove swamp. We stopped at floating dock about 100 meters off shore where people harvested oysters. We sampled some very fresh, very tasty oysters. After a long day on the boat, we returned to Morro and watched the sun set from an old Portuguese fort.
The following two days were bonus days on Morro. Our original plans had been to leave the next day to catch a ferry to a bus station where we´d catch a bus to another island near Salvador. Two days later we´d catch a ferry to Salvador. We decided instead to take the faster, direct and more expensive catamaran to Salvador and enjoy our last few days in a fantastic, car free beach town. Jimmy and Kate had also decided to stay a few more days and we were having a great time hanging out with them, so that was also a plus. Our first bonus Morro day was spent on the beach doing a lot of serious nothing. We rented chairs and sat in the shade of our umbrellas and watched the tide come in. Later in the day a massive thunderhead moved over the beach so we rushed back to our pousada to avoid getting wet. It didn´t rain in Morro, but somewhere a lightening strike knocked out the power, so, as the sun set, our super-tranquillo beach got that much more tranqi. We stumbled to our favorite restaurant with Jimmy and Kate and enjoyed tasty local fish by candle and moonlight. Soon after we went to bed the power came back on, so we were able to turn on the AC (we´re not roughing it that much...)
Because our bonus beach day was also most likely our last beach day Chris put on a very small speedo we had purchased at a TACO in Rio for 8 reals (the Brazilian GAP, no kidding, same font, same style, same music, same prices (except they´re in reals and with with 2 reals for every 1 USD, its like everything is half off)) that he hadn´t worn yet. Olivia, feeling a little left out not to be taking the skimpy swimwear up another notch, with the strong encouragement of Chris, decided to purchase a true thong string bikini. Since Jimmy and Kate left that morning, we felt free to anonymously enjoy the true Brasil style. Unfortunately we did run into some French friends who we met in Lençois, but they got a few laughs and expressed some admiration too. When in Brasil...
We really loved our time in Morro. The hotel owner, Ricardo, straight out of "Along Came Polly" (scuba?), is from Portugal, but has been in Morro for 4 years now, and vows never to return. We lounged in the hammocks for hours: reading, listening to the lounge music that was always playing, chatting with Kate and Jimmy, enjoying the ocean breeze. The hotel employees sang as they worked. It was a magical place.
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