The end of Teacher Summer 2016 was with a trip to Fernando de Noronha, an island off the northeastern coast of Brazil. It was an additional country point that definitely earned its status as a separate point!
Fernando de Noronha is an island chain protected by UNESCO for its ecosystems. Only one of the islands is populated and the entire area is a national park. Upon landing you go through a version of customs to pay a park fee to help preserve the island. It is an especially popular location for divers and snorkelers.
I knew the island was fairly primitive from the hotel search. All of the hotels are guest houses (pousadas) with no more than 8 or 10 rooms. I don't think there were any buildings on the island over two stories and many roads were not paved.
Besides being a country point, I was excited to go for the beaches. I arrived in the late afternoon and made it to a nearby beach for sunset. 
In hindsight, I didn't take any pictures of actual buildings on the entire island, so please don't think this was the quality of living. Instead it was just a pretty thing in the forest en route to the beach!
I promise my pousada was nicer!!
I spent the first day enjoying the sunset at the local beach and planning a trip to another beach. With the advice of possibly the only English speaker on the island, I worked out a trip to one of the more exotic beaches the next day- Praia do Sancho.
I learned that since the roads aren't paved, taxis can't take you everywhere. Instead it would be a bus ride to a walk to the beach. It sounded slightly complicated, but worth it.*
The beach excursion started off well, the bus wasn't hard- there is only one road and so only one bus route. I told the bus driver when I boarded where I was going and he gave me a thumbs up. When we got to the unlabeled beginning of a dirt road stop, the driver announced it by another name. The whole bus waited for a few minutes while I did the classic "look around, wonder who he is talking to, wait are people looking at me? ask is this my stop" routine.**
Once that was sorted, I got off the bus and started walking down the only dirt road while the bus made a u-turn and went on its merry way. The walk began as:
A few minutes, no signs, and a road turned to mud later, there was a slight wavering. 
My decision to keep walking was based on the following conclusions:
1. I didn't go the wrong way because there was no other way.
2. The island isn't that big so eventually I will hit ocean and, presumably, some kind of beach.
3. I came all this way.***
After a little mud-slipping and about 30 minutes, there was a beach! And not just any beach, the one I was actually trying to find!
I sat on that beach for a while before heading to the national park portion.
Uphill was fine and on the descent back down there was this lovely warning:
Personally, I think "evaluating your personal limitations in order not to surpass them" is always a smart move. What they meant to say was, "from here on out you will be picking your way over rocks. Look at your life. Look at your choices." I interpreted this as, "I came all this way."
It was worth it.****
There was oohing and ahhing and then there was more walking over rocks. At some point, there were many crabs. I talked openly with the crabs about various topics, including, how much I enjoyed their work in "The Little Mermaid" and how if they let me pass I would never eat one of their kind again.*****
At some point I made it to the end of the line. 
But, really. It was so beautiful. 
After some more beach time, I began the return trek. Fortunately, the roads had dried out for the walk back. Unfortunately, it was now uphill.
I was all of four minutes into the trek when a family in a buggy, similar to this one, drove by. 
The buggies are popular all over the island because they can handle the roads where cars can't.
The family (consisting of a man and two women- one of whom was holding a toddler in her lap- all in swimsuits leaving the same beach) slowed down and asked if I needed a ride.****** Ignoring everything I have ever learned about hitchhiking and stranger danger,******* I hopped in and they drove me to the bus stop. This will be something I look back on from my death bed as one of the greatest decisions of my life. Fortunately, one of the few things I can say in Portuguese is "thank you."
The remainder of the day was chillaxing, loving buggies, and another sunset. 
On the last day I stuck to the walkable beach before returning to Rio for a last day on the Copacabana beach.
Teacher Summer 2016, you have been wonderful and I can't wait to see what 2017 holds!
-KT
*Incidentally, this is the byline I would like to flash on the screen should I ever appear on a reality TV dating show.
**Classic.
***My motto for most travel adventures that has led to mostly excellent choices.
****All these beach photos are #nofilter, btdubs.
*****I, of course, did not anticipate that later that same day I would order a mango and tomato salad that was actually a mango, crab leg, and tomato salad. The lesson here, crab friends, is to never trust a giant lady who thinks she can read Portuguese.
******I assume. We all took a gamble with my interpretation of Portuguese.
*******Sorry, mom and dad!! And double sorry you're learning about it through the blog. I was tired yesterday.
