We took a boat back from Ilha Grande to the mainland and then a 2 hour bus to Paraty. You could instantly tell how different Paraty was to other parts of Brazil as it held a different character featuring cobbled streets and coloured buildings.
After checking into the hostel we joined the free walking tour of this colonial town. The tour started as darkness took over but I soon saw why – pretty lights enhanced the buildings and the town showed itself in a new way. We were given historical facts and architectural information as we wandered round. There were no tall buildings in sight, just two storey houses with fine detail in parts. Walking around was pretty tricky because a) cobbled streets (Durham alert) and b) a lot of streets are flooded. The guide told us the design of the town was purpose built to allow flooding, as it used to work as a waste drainage system in the past. Our guide, Juan Jose, also delivered a Capoeira lesson (Afro-Brazillian martial art).
After the tour we all headed to a restaurant and enjoyed Moqueca, a fish and shrimp stew. This was then followed by ice cream whilst watching children dancing to folk music in the square (love how cool this place is).
