Day 11: today was another drive day, our overnight bus from Foz do Iguazu arrived in Sao Paulo about 10am. We then had a two hour wait for our next bus to Paraty. The bus station was huge though, the largest in South America, so there were plenty of places to get food. The bus to Paraty was comfortable, not as luxurious as our previous bus but it did stop a couple of times on route too for half hour snack/toilet breaks. We arrived in Paraty just before 7pm. We all showered then went out for a meal to a lovely seafood restaurant with huge portions, it warned on their menu each dish is enough for two!
Day 12: we opted to have a free day today to explore Paraty, others from the group went on a Jeep tour. Sitting between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Paraty is one of the world's best preserved Portuguese colonial towns and a UNESCO World Heritage town. The old town has its original, uneven, cobblestone streets and whitewashed buildings, the wood work painted brightly in different colours. Paraty was once a booming port town, famous for its sugar cane liquor, cachaca, but after the abolition of slavery it was slowly forgotten. With the opening of new roads, the town was rediscovered and declared a national monument and is still the Brazilian capital for cachaca. Paratys biggest tourist draw is its assortment of 55 islands and 100 beaches nearby. The harbour was full of colourful boats all competing to take tourists out on island/beach swimming and snorkeling trips. It was a warm but overcast drizzly day, not the best day for visiting lots of beaches. It rained heavy late in the afternoon/evening. It's a beautiful place though, shame about the weather.
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