Traveling in Brazilian winter we expected yucky weather. Well, today was just one of those days. It wasn’t exactly pouring, but it was bad enough. Still, we were here to explore the area and that was what we did. We started off with a visit to a 19th century cachaca factory, where they make the prime ingredient of Caipirinha, sugar cane liquor. Unlike in Europe, here they have many flavors, including the clove-flavored Gabriela, all of which you drink ice cold. Each of us bought a couple bottles – just as a cultural souvenir, of course. Then we went swimming in the rain forest. There is a little stream that runs over large stones and has thus formed a natural waterslide. At first I was scared shitless, because it looked like you’re going to crash into some stones at the end of the waterfall, but you really didn’t and it was great fun. The first time around, at least. The second time around I got careless and slipped. And as usual I managed to fall very elegantly, just like a log, which means that I landed exactly on my ribs. I ended up with a bruise of the size of my fist on my rib cage. Ouch! We also got into a bit of a fight with our tour guide Wilson, who (surprise, surprise) brought his girlfriend along with him into the forest. They were constantly making out so we felt like we’re intruding on their honeymoon – this is no way of providing a service. Even though we told him, things didn’t improve. This was really the big black spot on our trip.
But anyway, I was just telling what we did next - we went for a mud bath. There’s a spot with apparently very therapeutic mud on one of the beaches. You have to dig it up from the bottom of the sea and smear it all over you. Then you’re supposed to leave it on for a while for the mud to sink in. I got cleaned up pretty soon though as I was freezing (caught a cold, too, but that’s a different story).
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