Ilha Grande...it may be wednesday or thursday, July some time...?

drinks in the evening with a couple fo Ilha Grande´s boatmen drunkards has led to cathrina drawing up a contract with them on a scrunched piece of the paper on the table. This contract says that we can turn up the next day for a boat trip around the island and they include fruit in their price of 20 reals. Good price. They stuck to it, took us out and gave us fruit. The drunkard from the night was drinking tequila all day. He was hammered. Their boss was away so he wanted to take advantage of his drinking time. He chose Vicki to be his girlfriend and hugged her alot. She took it well. The girls looked nervous when the captain let me take the wheel a few times. I was moved away when we came to the docks even though it looked pretty easy to do, where´s the faith!? Ok, I suppose they did get another more experienced man to dock us but how will I ever learn if I never try? Sue, I guess I´ll wait until I sail with you one year.

The drinks last night made me just as drunk as the two boatmen. I left earlier than my roomy and found the dog huddled up against our door. The poor dog smelt so much that I heard myself making a deal with her ¨You can only come in if you are clean, and you aren´t clean, I have to clean you to let you in and it´s too cold to shower you out here. You can come in but only for a wash¨ I took the dog in to our shower and used two soap bars on her. One wash wasn´t enough for Lexi, she still had a stench. I gave her a second scrub, dried her off with my hotel towel and pushed her outside smelling better but still not good. I held off from telling clare what I had done until the morning when she asked me why I had left my towels outside. She was not impressed but still wasn´t angry with me. I was expecting a battle field because she hates dogs, especially ther smelly one with fleas.

Somehow Ellie guessed what happened because Lexi had a spring in her step and now had a friend. Still, none of the girls could stand her being around because no matter how hard I tried to clean her the night before, the smell was still there. Ever since this night my head has the odd itch and I worry a little... I´m sure I don´t have nits... well I hope I don´t. Some of the girls had cold showers in their rooms and were hoping to use ours because it was a warm shower. They changed their minds. Funnily enough, so did I. I went showerless for a day. Clare braved the shower, now I´m in shock.

Parati. what day is it now?

now I don´t know which day it is or where I am half the time. When you stop writing a blog time moves along as it pleases. We´ve been on a bus all day and all night to get to Parati, a cobble stoned villiage that charges a bomb for laundry and internet.

The sun has come out to play and we are out on a boat relaxing with Caiparinahs and beer. The boats look a little bit like they are from Pirates of the Carribean. We are stopping at three different beaches to relax and snorkel, swim, or dive off the boat. Ilha Grande Bay is truly beautiful and relaxing. The food is delicious, just imagine, this is the paradise I never thought I would see, I thought I´d need to be rich to see this view under the scorching sun. Oh happiness.