We were happy to join the BRally
as my husband Barry always wanted to see Rio de Janeiro and joining the rally
would add safety and companionship to our voyage to Brazil. We had a good sail from St. Helena to
Brachui, about 60 miles south west of Rio . The
entry point of Brachui was a lovely setting but not very practical, there was
no ATM to get local currency, there was only a very small store for groceries
and you could not buy a SIM card of get independent internet access, although
there was free Wifi at the dock. Our
stay at the dock was more expensive than anywhere else in the world and for
that reason I would recommend that the landing site in the future be at Angra
Dos Reis where you can anchor for free, take a mooring ball or go to a
dock.
We set off to
The Lopes Mendes beach on the south east side
of the island is not to be missed, it is superb. We thoroughly enjoyed our wander from one end
of the beach to the other. We visited the heritage town of Parati with 3 other
boats from the BRally and enjoyed exploring, shopping and eating out with them.
We headed up to a more remote anchorage and
found a waterfall that was described in the cruising guide. We had to beat our way through the forest to
scare away the snakes, but were rewarded at the end with a lovely fresh water
swim in the pool below the waterfall.
We headed off to Rio and were so happy that we had made the trip. The harbor that the city of Rio is located on
must be one of the most beautiful, protected harbors in the world. The setting of the city surrounded by rock
pinnacles and beautiful beaches is second to none. We lovely all the old colonial buildings in
the downtown area and were fascinated to read the rich history of the city and
the state. On Easter morning we wandered through a deserted downtown and
visited four beautiful old churches as they prepared for their services.
We needed to head home to Canada for the northern summer; we planned to
leave the boat in Trinidad at the end of May
so it was time to go. We knew our
sailing trip would be tough up the coast in early April and we were right. The first bit around Cape Frio
We had a short but wonderful stop
in Salvador . It
is a city with a rich history and culture and although we only touched the
surface we really enjoyed the area. Our last stop was Fortaleza and we were happy to be there. It is at the top of the bump of Brazil and once
we started sailing westward, it was smooth sailing. We had the wind and current with us and were
pushed along at great speeds. The
weather co-operated and we just flew along. Fortaleza
was easy to check into and out of and soon we were off to Trinidad our Brazil
adventure was finished. The one thing I regret about our visit to Brazil
was that it was too short. We did not
get to take a trip inland or do any other extensive exploring. One thing we found very difficult in Brazil
was our inability to communicate; only about 1 in 10 people speak English. We were very thankful to Silvio on Matajusi
for teaching us a few rudimentary Portuguese phrases on the radio schedule on
our trip from St. Helena to Brazil . One of the things we enjoyed the most were
the Brazilian people. They were so
helpful and friendly wherever we were. In Isle Grande Niteroi , across the bay from Rio , a woman gathered us up and took us to her favourite
shopping center and drove us up the hill for a look at the gorgeous view. Shop keepers were patient with our lack of
knowledge of their language. All in all
we had a very positive trip to Brazil and have no regrets and lots of good
memories to take with us through the years.
Submitted by Ann Lange
First Mate
s/v Cat’s-Paw IV
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