the past week or so…

We’re a bit behind on the blog. Maybe having too much fun?  Too busy? Something like that.

Over a week ago, we bid farewell to my mom with a final caphirina, de-activated the BodesWell Security System*, and started our drive north.

The first destination was Buzios. Actually, our first night was camping with the mosquitoes near Cabo Frio, then to Buzios.  This is the place popularized by Bridget Bardot in the 60’s. Despite it’s continued popularity and being a cruise ship destination (we saw two), it’s still relatively under-developed (no condos) and a good hang. We stopped at the long Praia Geriba and filled up on açaí. We snorkeled at Praia Fernandhino and saw a big sea turtle and octopus. This tiny little cove has a few overturned boats lined with booze and a dozen or so umbrellas.

We camped just north at Barra de São João and started to think harder about Carnaval.  They celebrate it everywhere, and everywhere we go, they say there’s is great. Even here in this small town.  Since it looked like mostly a drink-til-you-vomit type of affair, we decided to keep moving north. Still, we had fun here with some easy-going locals.

We did the same thing a few hundred kilometers up the coast at Itaoca (Itapemirim). Again, a small relaxed town with comfortable camping right next to the beach. Again,they say their Carnaval here is great… and everyone is pressuring us to commit to 5 days or so, since “everywhere will be full and you won’t find any place to camp.”  We  kept waffling on Carnaval, and decided to just keep going north.  Head up to Guarapari… maybe check it out in Bahia or Porto Seguro if we can make it that far.  There was no shortage of possibilities. Every town we’ve driven through is setting up a stage and getting ready for a party.

Again with Guarapari… everyone told us there’s great Carnaval here.  This town is big (we camped beach-front, north of town outside of the condo zone), so it must have a pretty big party. Still, it’s not Rio. We finally just let Bode decide where to go.

He didn’t seem to mind that we were 500 kilometers away. Rio it is.

*Two weeks parked in the streets of Rio without incident.