First month of Brazil

We´ve been in Brazil now for almost a month and we have experienced so much it feels like an year already! We have had many visitors and caught up with many from our family.

The reception, attention and love received has been overwhelming, not only from our family but from many of our blog followers!  It´s quite humbling to have so many people so excited in seeing Moonwalker and its crew... they share our dream and dramas and even though I am a bellow average blogger they are loyal and patient, waiting for my updates and photos. Its quite inspiring as we, that live onboard and lead this life, take things for granted most times and don´t quite see what it so special about it.

Myself personally am one of the most skepticals about it... people keep saying I should write a book or something about your lives etc, and I can´t quite see what people think is so interesting about our lives or experiences. Brazil has kind of opened my eyes a bit about the charmed and unique life we live. I kept thinking: “ we are just another couple sailing around” but the sheer discrepancy in numbers of the “doing”, “wanna dos” against the “landlubbers” here, and actually everywhere in the world, is gigantic! People are truly fascinated with what we do and what we see.

One reason I can see is that most Brazilians are connected to the net, not just for emails and work, but they see it as a mobile entertainment and information gate they seek daily. We are over 130 million people guys... it´s a lot of people if you get my gist. They read and access information very easily, especially now with the translating tools available.

A classic example: Russ went to this mechanical shop, that fixes water pumps, water blasters and other related things. He was trying to explain what he wanted and the mechanic guys behind the counter asked him to wait for a sec, picked up a laptop, went into some program online and got Russ to speak to the computer. Russ finding it quite funny said to the computer what he wanted and the computer translated to the boy behind the counter to the amusement of not only Russ but everyone in the shop. There you go, done. My own brother, the biggest geek I have ever known, came up with his flash Google phone and got Russ to speak to the phone too, so it could translate for him... lazy f@#k. Anyhow, the thing needs the internet connection so I make sure we got none so Eryk gets to speak English a bit more. Actually his English is fine and Russ´ Portuguese is getting much better, especially after a few caipirinhas!

We stayed in Rio for 2 weeks, mostly at anchor in Urca, a little heaven in Rio de Janeiro. Very safe and accessible. There we had absolutely everything we needed and Brisa became a local at the kids playground and waterfront. We befriended another couple living on their boat for 12 years. They are from Brazil and have never left the country on their boat, they are perfectly happy to cruise around these areas at their own pace. They were a fountain of local knowledge and very entertaining.

We actually met them because our anchor got stuck… yes… 8 meters of Guanabara´s  Bay water… oh boy. Webber was going to hire a scuba tank to clean the bottom of his boat so he said he would help with the anchor, our savior! It was all a bit nerve racking but we got there in the end.

We had quite a few visitors while in Rio and our time there was incredibly pleasurable. Russ said he would even go back! Now that´s something! We were anchored in quite an amazing place really, just below the sugar loaf and with an amazing view of the Corcovado (the Christ up on the hill) and the main beaches of the inner bay, Flamengo and Botafogo.

We did a bit of an expedition into the Bay and visited the island of Paquetá, a very quiet place without cars right in the middle of the Bay. Unfortunately it was raining so not the best of times.

Now we are anchored in Ilha Grande, an island paradise just 60 nautical miles south west of Rio... it is heaven people, just heaven... and I haven´t even gone for a dive or tried to fish. And there are plenty around for what I see just from above water.

Russ has finally caught up with most work that needed to be done and so have I, so we are now, only now, starting to relax into our time after being so long living ashore (for Brisa and I) and after a long passage (for Russ). We got lots to look forward to, so much to see, but we are very excited about the approaching family gathering in Paraty, just another 30 miles south, still in the same big bay that hosts Ilha Grande. We will celebrate Brisa´s 1st birthday with many friends and family coming from all over the country. We have hired a Pousada (guest house) which has a marina in front so we could put Moonwalker there and enjoy the 4 days of holiday planned as it is Corpus Christi holiday – you got to love these Catholic countries... the fun starts on the 22nd and goes all the way to the 27th of June! 

After that we travel a bit more around this area then extend Russ´ visa for another 3 months and start heading up the coast aiming to be in the Caribbean for Christmas.

Yes, you guys, we are heading home... slowly but surely. Be there by end of 2012. No work, just fun from here on. 

So if you were planning to visit... NOW IS GOOD!

Russ is here! Actually he has been here over a week but internet troubles, a burocratic but friendly entrance to the country, a sick daughter, and the facility of sending news from facebook made us a bit lazy... Regardless we are here even if writing from a mobile! Russell´s trip was nothing short of remarkable: 12.5 days from St Helena to Angra dos Reis! He covered the Atlantic in a total of 21.5 days, wonder what they would have done if they had come straight. By the sounds of it, St Helena is worth the detour. I will endeavour to have Russ type his own report on the trip, but i can advance it was a beauty. They hit the brazilian coast at Cabo Frio and covered 55 miles under Moonwalkers new kite in 5 hours until Rio where they had to turn on the motors for the following 60 miles to Angra. The only other time they used the engine was to avoid oil platforms of Macae coast in Rio. By far the most dangerous part was entering Angra during Easter time! Brazilian yachtsmen are notorious for their slack attitude to boating rules and Russ saw himself in troubled waters amongst motor yachts going 4 abreast giving no room to him (probably because they didn`t even see him). Easter over Angra was paradise. Checking in was easy and friendly, people are lovely and Brisa is by far our best ambassador. She has been sick with seasonal allergies causing lots of coffs and full chest. Her nose looks like a water tap when we take her for a swim in the sea which she adores. We had my brother and family onboard twice and my uncle Giovanni had a peep when he dropped me off. Next weekend should be fun when we go to Rio to catch up with other family and have a peep at the Rio Boat Show. Another very nice episode was being recognised! Brazilian boaties whom follow our blog were here and came to welcome us to Brazil and wish us luck on our travels. A proud moment for Moonwalker and crew!