Fish on the Beach in Trancoso, Brazil

I don't like fish very much.  In fact, I rarely eat it in the US, since it's often over-priced and tasteless.  It took coming to Brazil to change my mind about fish.  We moved from Pousada Hibisco to Pousada Mata N'Ativa, which is close to the beach.  Alison remembered that there was a good beach bar, Barraca do Jonas, which served excellent friend fish and chips.  It was easy to find Jonas--a place where the tables are right on the sand, and all the women are in bikinis, no matter what their size.  Interestingly, fried fish was nowhere on the menu, but the waiter was quite happy to take us into the kitchen to select a large Red fish, which was subsequently fried to perfection.  Not cheap, but well worth it.

Our new pousada in Trancoso, Mata N'Ativa, was only about 100 yards away from the first, but light years away in terms of ambience.  The rooms are fantastic, with wonderful touches, like fresh hibiscus flowers around the room.  The bathrooms have showers that are integrated into a small internal, floodlit, garden.  Outside, the owner Daniel and his wife, have planted a tropical paradise with a vast variety of interesting trees and plants.  This is an extraordinary pousada, where no attention to detail has been spared, from inlaid wood in the shape of a tree in a polished concrete entryway, to wood carvings of trees in the furniture.  Several rooms have private whirlpools, so the lack of a swimming pool is no disadvantage.  In fact, I felt so relaxed that after breakfast, I slept for two hours in a hammock.  This is the only pousada to which we've been that provided toothpaste, hairdryers and incredible natural hair products and body washes (made locally).  Too bad you can't buy them.  Daniel is a young engineer, who's worked all over the world.  He seems much more interested in guests enjoying the eco-atmosphere he's worked so hard to provide, than making money! If I wanted to spend a week somewhere to de-stress, this is where I'd come.  But remember to bring a Mastercard or Amex card; they don't take VISA for some reason.

Pousada Mata N'Ativa is a hard place to beat, so it's too bad we were only able to spend one night there.  Next stop, the Victor Hugo pousada in Santo Andre.