Trip to Ilha do Mel

The journey is just as important as the destination. Calvin and I set out to Ilha do Mel (Island of Honey) at 7am on Saturday, and traveled a total of 10 hours by taxi, train, bus, boat, and foot to our hotel Pousada das Meninas on Ilha do Mel, and it was all completely worthwhile.

The trip started with some bad news. After the cab ride to the rodoviaria, we were told that the train did not continue to Paranaguá (as my Rough Guides book claimed it does on weekends, in reality it only goes that far on Sundays) and stopped at Morretes, and economy class was full. So, paying more and not going as far as we planned we sleepily got on board. Excited anyways about my first real trip on a train I watched Curitiba thin out to cattle farms in the morning light. Eventually we were in the Serra do Mar mountains, with thick vegetation and rocky peaks jutting up out of the green rolling hills and valleys. The ride was not as “vertigo-inducing” as my book claimed; it went a bit slow for that. But all the bridges and tunnels (which made the car pitch black) were cool, and some of the more mountainous views were unbelievable. Close to Morretes, children ran along side of the train hoping for some food.

We hopped off in the small town of Morrets and made our way to the bus station to figure out how to make it to the port city of Paranaguá. We walked around (pretty much all of) town for 20 minutes waiting for the bus. It was neat to see a small Brazilian town, where life is simple and there is no tourist infrastructure. We paid our small fare and squeezed on board and, sitting on the stairs at the rear exit, we began our third leg of the trip. As the bus made its stops along the highway we were granted an actual seat, but heat and stopped traffic kept us from enjoying this ride much.

Once in Paranaguá, we found the docks and began a mini-saga to find an ATM that would take our American cards so we could pay our way to the island. Eight banks later HSBC granted us some cash so we walked back to the docks and got our tickets to and from Ilha do Mel. An hour and a half on the choppy water of Paranaguá Bay watching cargo ships slide across the horizon we landed at our long awaited destination.

It did not disappoint. At all. In any way.

The island was amazing, especially since it was in the offseason and the numbers of visitors were low, mostly Brazilian surfers from our deducing. We walked down the main drag (sand trail) and found Pousada das Meninas and asked for the simplest room they had. We were guided up some narrow and steep stairs to a loft room with two beds and some space between them, over a common den-type area with our bathroom off the side. Very simple indeed. We hauled our butts while the sun set to the nearby light house, eager to enjoy the island while we could now that we were finally there. The view was stunning, if dim. Excited we found our way down the stone stairs from the lighthouse to the path and then to a restaurant for one of the best meals I’ve had so far, the shrimp “express platter” with shrimp, carrots, rice, beets, and lettuce with super fresh lemonade. Back to the hotel to relax and enjoy a cerveja while scribbling in my journal. A gecko hunted moths, rather successfully, inside the spherical paper lamp overhead.

We were in bed by 9:45, exhausted from the logistical gauntlet of the day and in preparation of our 6am alarm. Up and at ‘em as the sun broke over the horizon, we hustled back to the lighthouse for the sunrise. The clouds, wind, sea, and early morning greens were simply amazing. As the air warmed we made our way across a beach, Praia de Fora, and back to our hotel for breakfast where I enjoyed good banana bread, fresh fruit, and the best fresh orange juice I have ever had.

We headed back to Praia de Fora and began to scramble along the boulders out on Ponta do Joaquim. Lots of surfers. Bouldering was fun. Got my feet wet in the southern hemispheric Atlantic. Took some underwater photos of fish in a tide pool. Sat on the boulders taking photos, watching surfers and enjoying life. We then began the long walk to an old Portuguese fort; built in 1767 to guard against Spanish attacks. About 4K on the beach, walking quietly and independently, Calvin and I did our own thing along the way each stopping for various reasons. The fort was cool, right up against the waves, and sitting in the shade of a canon and drinking some água was very welcome. We didn’t stay at the fort long, and the walk back to our hotel didn’t seem as long as the walk out. We gathered our belongings (ie our jackets and toothbrushes) and checked out, grabbed a quick lunch, made for the dock, watched several ferries arrive and depart before getting on ours back to Paranaguá at 4:30. The sun set as we motored back to the mainland; small dolphins jumped in our wake. We took the direct (and express) bus to Curitiba and were in our hotel by 8:20pm (a slightly shorter return trip!), where we started sorting through our batches of 550+ photos each.

Ilha do Mel is HIGHLY recommended for anyone who is near it, that is anyone who is in southern Brazil. The lighthouse is almost too picturesque to be true and the feeling of the island is such good vibes. I’m not sure how it would be in summer, but I absolutely enjoyed every second I was there. The trip was so cool. We left the relative comfort Curitiba with clothes and cameras in our bags and a destination in mind.

---

Today (Monday) was pretty tame, especially after the weekend. Hours of lectures that were given in Portuguese to local students and then translated for us, thus taking twice as long, made for a pretty lame day! I guess I need to remember that this is a graduate level program! It was still interesting, but just hard to get into it via translations.

Enjoy the photos!