Prawn Surprise
-Day 11-
The biggest learning curve of this trip so far for me, has been adapting to playing things by ear. Or at least, attempting to do so a little more graciously.
As those of you who know me well will agree, if I had a fifth middle name, it would probably be “The Organiser”. I just can’t help myself (although I won’t take all the credit, it is a quality mirrored in Mr Kelsall which I adore!)
So… the not knowing what time we will leave here, where we will go tomorrow or how we’ll get there, and who knows what bed we’ll be sleeping in… it’s feeling very much as Ian once described this trip as ‘the great escape’. Or for me, a bit like I’ve got a spaz attack coming on at all times.
Anyway, taxi’s are extortionately priced here on Santa Catarina, and our Portuguese is so laughable, it’s occasionally the only response we get, so it’s a good thing we had Chester (the Brazillian Gok Wan, darling) on hotel reception to help us navigate bus schedules for the day. We chugged our way South with the locals to Barra Lagoa beach.
Though the crowd at this beach was a little bit ‘trashier’ than at Praia Mole, we had an unusual experience as a crowd formed just a stone’s throw away - we has a nosey to see what was happening and were lucky enough to see a turtle being released into the wild by the local turtle sanctuary!
Another long traffic fuelled bus ride to what may have been the only ATM on the island, and we found ourselves in Lagoa. A pleasant little stumble upon, as we found ourselves weaving in and out of a craft street market, live music, and had a taste of Brazil’s famous Acai - like a berry sorbet topped with granola & sliced banana. DELICIOUS!
At sunset we strolled back across the bridge and watched a man cast his net into the shallow lagoon scooping up blue ‘Siri’ (crab). What better place to stop for dinner, we thought, and walked a little further until we came across a lively waterfront bar-restaurant called ‘Peixe + Frito’. Other than the feather boa wearing cover-band, all was looking good, until they served our ‘sequencia de camarao’. This I can only describe as ‘a sequence of prawn surprises’. Though this meal ranked as the most affordable we’ve had so far in Brazil, it certainly did not place as the tastiest!
We headed to a bus stop with the niggling feeling we might suffer the ‘surprise’ portion of our meal the next day. After a while on the bus, things began to look familiar which was a good sign! Until we realised we were in fact doing a loop. It was dark. We were lost. Bus drivers were defiantly unhelpful. Cue Cass flip out + unnecessarily expensive taxi back to the hotel, cancelling out our chirpy smugness about our affordable supper!
(Only because i’m writing this with a days hindsight & no prawn surprise am I able to write this next sentence…)
This holiday is becoming a perpetual great unknown, but the unknown is becoming an aspect I’m starting to enjoy :)
- by Cass
