Dec 13

We anchored off Ilha Grand, Brazil under sunny skies.  Most of the island is a state park and there are no organized tours as there aren't any cars or buses.  It's known for its beaches and rain forest and the town is lined with dive & snorkel shops as well as restaurants & souvenir shops.  Many backpackers also visit the island which has over 150 km of trails throughout the forested hills.  A bit of the street along the pier area is paved with cobblestones but everything else is sand and dirt.  It's a very picturesque place and we walked into the park area past several beaches filled with families and young adults.  We looked around the ruins of former quarantine buildings that housed immigrants during the cholera epidemic.  It was later a prison and was closed several decades ago and is now neglected and somewhat overgrown.  Bamboo barriers prevented us from going inside.  It was nice walking in the forest area since the temperature was in the 90s.  After dinner one of the Playbill performers, two-time Tony winner Christine Ebersole performed.