Up and off to the airport. I have to check my bag within Brazil, because they have a 13 kilo limit for carry-on; their eligibility is by weight, not volume. First plane was an easy hour, then transfer to second flight. So silly: they have you walk out of security, upstairs and back through for a connecting flight. I bumped into another english-speaking couple following the same route (and by english, I mean that literally) and together, we found where we needed to be.
Approach to landing brought into view a 6-mile long craggy green chunk of land out in the middle of the ocean. Stepping out onto the tarmac confirmed that I was surrounded by water! I thought it was warm and humid on the coast of Brazil, but evidently that was just the first step!
The island is inhabited by 3,500 people and tourist visits are strickly regulated. Everyone must pay a visitor environmental fee that1s based upon how many days you remain – about $24 US per day.
There are a few little neighborhoods and it appears that almost every house is a pousada (guest house). Mine was at the end of a street, and looked a little funky from the street, but Beco de Noronha is completely charming with a little garden complete with umbellas, hammocks, lounging beds with pillows and the sweetest receptionist. I was greeted with a tour of the place (takes about 3 minutes, only 5 guest rooms), a welcome cocktail (boo, no alcohol) and a short foot massage by a wanna-be my masseuse local woman:
Spent the next little while settling in my room, then headed to town for viewing the sunset, a get-to-know you visit and to get some dinner. I’m pretty hungry after little lunch and no dinner yesterday. An easy 10-minute walk by pousadas, and as I get into town, some little funky bars and restaurants. I am schvitzing like you wouldn’t believe (and people who know me surely wouldn’t believe it). Run Timor Martin and Diana in the dive shop (the British couple) and get the lowdown on diving ($190 US to maybe see rays and sharks, but when I’m told that the water is rough at the moment, that seals it for me. Don’t give me any grief, Bert and Dave!).
Walk down along the path and come upon a great and wondrous tree:
and become the appetizer, entree and dessert for a whole lotta little bugs. I keep moving and schvitzing, waiting for 6:30 and the recommended restaurant to open (I am now 5 hours ahead of Boulder). I finally take a seat on the porch by candlelight and order pasta with seafood in tomato sauce. These are indeed high island prices and no one takes cards. Will have to plan accordingly. All the power in town goes out suddenly and more candles come out. I am rubbing my legs together and running my hands up and down my arms in hopes of saving some of my skin from the itching and bugs. For the moment I am more hungry than tortured it seems. Food comes out and I dig in- my first meal eaten with no nausea in 4 days. Yum! When I’m done, I trundle on home for a good night’s sleep before my first full day of discovery in Fernando de Noronha. I would love to post a map so you can see where it is, but that will have to wait until I return home, or you are curious enough to check out for your own bad self….