More rain, and a dodgy pousada...!

Trip Start Dec 23, 2008
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Trip End Jan 13, 2009


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Where I stayed
Pousada Mendouca
(Mangaratiba hotels)

Flag of Brazil  , State of Rio de Janeiro,
Tuesday, January 6, 2009

After a smooth journey from Buzios to Rio, Julia and I managed to get a bus within half an hour to get us to Mangaratiba - for the ferry to Ilha Grande the following morning.  The connection from Rio to Mangaratiba was on a dodgy local bus - it was dark and when you put the īreading lightī on, I swear it got darker instead of lighter! 

We were right at the back of the bus which is when Julia chose to tell me the story about some poor guy in Canada who got his head sawn off by a crazy passenger last summer, and that she imagined this being the type of bus that would happen on - brilliant Julia!  A policeman also got on and she said she thought we were now safe...until I reminded her this was Brazil and that might not necessarily be the case!

The rain didnīt stop the whole way to Mangaratiba, however we didnīt have a clue where we were going, and all the other passengers seemed to be getting off along the way.  Despite not having seen water yet, we were a bit worried that we were lost!  We decided to sit at the front of the bus when we were two of three left on the bus - we should have stayed at the back!  Buses over here separate the driver from the passengers with a plastic window & door - Julia sat behind the driver, so she couldnīt see what was going on (thereīs a curtain on that side too), however from my perfect view out the front and to the driver, I grew more concerned as he kept standing up to wipe the condensation from the window with a hanky, as the bus careered around corners....

....hmmm.....we got there in the end though!  It was around 9:30, and having left Buzios at 2:30, we were hungry, so chose food over finding accommodation first!  We got lucky though, as two Americans, Joe & Kaitlyn, came into eat in the same place, so were able to tell us where the pousadas were without us having to look.  We ate with them, and made them try caiparinhas for the first time, then went and checked into a pousada before going to our arranged meeting place - the īgas stationī (remember I said before?  Thatīs where Brazilians hang out after hours!)  So we had some beers there with them before retiring for the night...

....when we got back to our pousada, we realised it was a bit dodgy...on the dividing bedside table lay a pack of condoms, with a note on them saying if you used them, then you have to pay $2.50 reals when you leave...
...dodgy!!  (We slept on our own sheets!) 
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