Ilha Grande- Manaus

Today was a long day of traveling. We had a relaxed morning playing games and realized we definitely need a foosball table when we get back. Then, it was onto the boat to take us to the mainland. The journey felt completely different from our first—being a Monday, the boat was nearly empty, making it feel so spacious. I can’t say the same for the van ride to the airport though, as I got the last seat in the back, and it was a very bumpy ride.

Finally, with decent Wi-Fi, the kids could attend their classes, which made all of us so happy. I got to sit back and enjoy a spritz.

Our late-night flight brought us to Manaus at 1:30 in the morning. The kids have become such amazing travelers—they managed to snooze and were still cracking jokes at the airport.

When we finally reached our bed, it had never felt better!

Lopes Mendes beach

One of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil is on the island and today was our day to visit it.

We hiked 7km of hills to get there spotting a green snake and lots of Marmoset monkeys, tents re very cute. We passed two beautiful beaches along the way. One had swings and a pier to jump from and we were wondering whether to stop here itself but we continued on to see what lay ahead.

By the time we got to Lopes Mendes the clouds had rolled in, the winds were strong and the water turbulent. The red flags were in place so no swimming in the water, luckily the sand was silky soft so we sank in and played around till the skies cleared a bit. Then the kids jumped in, enjoying the surf and the waves near the beach.

Honestly this wasn’t the prettiest beach but I think we caught it to on a bad day, the previous beaches appeared much better.

We then took the taxi boat back which was quite an adventure. We had to change boats midway and it was so rocky that we were hanging on for dear life as we got sprayed and thrown around! Kids had the best time and said it was better than a roller coaster!!

After dinner we were all excited to be in a time zone that online classes for school can be attended. Happiness was short lived as the wifi was so poor that we decided to try another day. 

Last night in Ilha Grande, we had the best time here. It was perfect for us with hikes,  and beaches and gorgeous views.

Ilha Grande- waterfall

Today was a rest day for our tired legs but it ended up being longer than expected.

We had a lazy morning gorging on mangoes at breakfast and playing games (air hockey, pool and foosball). Then we headed out to stretch our legs but it started raining so we were back to our hotel.

Second attempt in the afternoon to do the short circuit in the island (turned out to be not that short). We passed a beach then a set of ruins of a farmhouse which had been a quarantine place for cholera and then a prison. Next up was the aqueducts which are still in use. There was a sign for a waterfall but no time or distance so we started along, after 15minutes of no sign of a waterfall we decided to soldier on for 5 minutes longer. We then met a woman returning who told us it was another 20-30 minutes, as we had already started we decided to continue. There were slippery hills along the way which was not the best in our flip flops. Anyway we made it to the waterfall where we got the fright of our lives when Jeevan slipped on a rock and into the water pool. He tried to grasp on to something but there was nothing to hold on to and he had both our phones. It made me think of a friend’s death at a waterfall but luckily we got him out with a few scrapes and nothing more.

We made our way back discussing that we would not have done this had we known the hills and slipperiness, we would not have ventured to it on our day off.

We were too knackered for the beach after that so returned for the scrumptious afternoon tea at our hotel.

Dinner was at beachside restaurant, the food was fabulous but was odd to see that the bill included a cost for the live music! The people seated next to us were on a Google translate date, was fun watching them. 

In the end, our so-called rest day was anything but restful—equal parts frightening and fulfilling—but it wrapped up on a high note.

Ilha Grande- Pico da Papagaio Hike

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

After some uncertainty, we made up our minds last night to tackle the Pico da Papagaio hike. It’s rated as extreme, but the trail numbers, while daunting, seemed just within our capabilities. While many hikers opt for a guided sunrise trek, none of us were up for a 2 a.m start. Instead, we began our day with a fantastic breakfast before heading out.

The first 1.5 kilometers lulled us into a false sense of ease, but soon the real challenge kicked in—endless uphill stretches. The humidity had everyone soaked, except for Aanya, who somehow remained completely dry. The trail took us through towering bamboo groves, dense forest, over rocks, and across trickling creeks. Fortunately, the ropes along the rocky sections were more of a safety net than a necessity, thanks to the dry weather over the past two days.

Along the way, we spotted the most beautiful mushrooms in a kaleidoscope of colors. Thankfully, no wildlife appeared, as there are venomous snakes known to roam the area. Near the top, we hit a small snag, getting slightly off track as many reviews had warned. But the detour led to some unexpected bouldering and a stop at the opposite base of the parrot-shaped peak, offering an amazing view that many people miss when they go straight to the summit.

We then navigated back to the main trail and made our final push to the top. Savik was determined to be the first to reach the summit. Once there, we had the peak all to ourselves for a while, enjoying lunch and gazing out at the spectacular island views. Soon after, the fog rolled in, slowly enveloping the islands below us, was quite surreal to watch. 

The descent was much faster and less strenuous, and the kids were in great spirits, knowing they had conquered something huge. My watch clocked our ascent at 1,200 meters, thanks to the little extra we added while being briefly lost. The kids kept calling each other "dhost" (friend) and were unusually kind, clearly proud of what they’d accomplished.

We rewarded ourselves with a big bowl of Açai once back in town, which felt like the perfect end to the adventure. Just as we returned to our rooms, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour—our timing couldn’t have been better. We are incredibly proud of the children and all they achieved today.