How lovely to wake up this morning and be able to choose clothes to wear that do not involve padding and Lycra. 

We are done cycling and now it’s time to enjoy a bit of Brazil before heading home.  Paraty (pronounced Para-chi) is a great place to finish with its historic old town and Portuguese feel. 

We have managed to arrive in Paraty at the same time as a group of excited school kids, and even we cannot out-noise them. As we sat down in our very smart but large and empty restaurant last night for our celebration meal, we had barely begun to look at the menu when about fifty 12-13 year olds swarmed in and occupied all remaining tables. 

Noisy teenagers bring out the Victor Meldrew in even the most tolerant of people and we just couldn’t hear ourselves think let alone speak.  Our collective death stares did not appear to be working and so it didn’t take us long to decide to leave, and as we filed out other guests were giving us the thumbs up in solidarity and covering their ears against the noise and sighing at their own misfortune at having already ordered before chaos descended. 

It goes without saying that noise and shrieking is definitely only acceptable if we are doing it. 

In the end, after what felt like an interminable trek through streets with unnaturally large cobbles; thoroughly knackered and in need of food and caipirinhas, we arrived somewhere much nicer where we could celebrate the end of our Brazilian cycling adventure in style.  

Highlights: Wearing proper clothes in the day time, happy hour Caipirinhas at the harbour, not breaking my neck walking across unnaturally large cobbles, buying Havaianas for the same price in Real as £, having the time to be a tourist in a lovely place. Not cycling. 

Lowlights: Only having time for one happy hour Caipirinha, losing George, noisy kids.