Up the Serra dos Orgãos (Organ Mountains)

Our house guest decided against her planned trip to Paraty, as most of the people she needs to see are still away on prolonged Carnival holidays. She's in Brazil to keep things moving on her family-run NGO, which takes Brazilian favela kids up to a camp in the US and in the past, has sent American volunteers to work in the favelas here, although she's worried that that side of it is becoming too dangerous. Anyway, Paraty being off the menu, we sorted things out at home and set off for the hills around 11 a.m. She was blown away by the views as we approached the Serra and we stopped halfway up to admire them.

We found HH and the dogs in fine fettle, and after a caipirinha at lunch time, M went off to her room to make phone calls and wound up napping, HH spent the afternoon on his computer (nothing new there) and we all got together again for dinner and a long chat.