Marisol and I misunderstood bus transfer information so right now we have a few hours to kill in a little town on the coast. being such efficient travelers, we are seizing the moment for internet time. we just got returned to the mainland from Ilha Grande. wow. i already want to go back.

there was an interesting mix of travelers/locals on the island. the first night, we hung out with a few British couples. it was fun talking in English with them but most times I prefer understanding a word or two of portuguese and feeling like i´m getting a more authentic experience. one day on the island, we went on a boat from 10am to 7pm and stopped at a few awesome snorkeling spots. snorkeling is amazing! there´s a cave on the island, close to the water, and you can climb down in it and see the water come up under the opening every time a swell comes in. the cave is probably about 60 feet long\deep, and it´s completely dark except for flashlights. then, when you get to the end where the water comes up, everything is glowing green from the little bits of sunlight that seep through. that was the first place we stopped to snorkel. it looked like a completely different world. sorry, it´s hard to put it into words. even cameras wouldn´t do justice.

the next day, we hiked 3 hours to a GORGEOUS beach. probably the prettiest one i´ve ever seen, if my definition of pretty includes white sand, turquoise water, shallow for 100 yards out, and lots of fun waves. they were the biggest waves i´ve seen since we´ve been here, and still wimpy compared to santa cruz. which was perfect because i wasn´t afraid to swim in them. we hiked back to the main village after a full day at the beach. 6 hours of hiking through rainforest, 4 hours at the beach = best day yet, plus lots of sunburn and mosquito bites.

today we bus to rio and find our apartment. it is going to feel so good to plop on a bed that i can call my own for a few weeks. AND, marisol´s birthday is this monday so i´m going to do my best to throw her a little party in an unfamiliar big city. i´m thinking balloons, confetti, cake, and maybe some new friends from the language school. i think about home a little bit each day. i hope everyone is doing wonderfully. to be honest, those cold january nights would feel reeeeeeally good on my sunburn right about now. i have no clue when the superbowl is, but make sure you play catch in the street during halftime for me.

muito amor,

amy