Bom Ano Novo!!!!

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Happy New Year to you all!!!

I´ve decided to give up on the long, in-depth journals I´m afraid!!! So here´s one covering the last, well, almost a week I think!!!

New Years Eve I tried to go to Santa Teresa during the day, but the queue for the little train was long and slow, and it was just too hot, so I went to look at the Cathedral instead.

In the evening, the party started at about 7.30 at the hostel, with a big group of brazilian friends of the owners and employees thrown in. At some point we went down to the beach. There we had the 25 minute fireworks display, surrounded by everyone in the white. Amazing. I don´t have the words. Then some of us walked to Ipanema beach for a bit. That was insanely crowded, so after a few hours we caught a cab home!! Continued partying there til about 7. So again, not quite everything to plan, but an awesome night all the same.

The next night we went to a favela funk party. This was a specially arranged tour, with a 45 minute minibus ride into one of the (safer) favelas, where there´s a warehouse full of about 5000 people huaving a big old party! When you can get an ice bucket with a litre bottle of vodka and 5 cans of red bull for about 15 pounds, it´s fair to say I drunk a little more than I probably should!! Anyway, the music was amazing, the women were amazing, everything was amazing, a really good night. Oh, and there were 4 stunningly attractive deaf swedish girls there too. Surreal.

Anyway, relaxed for a day after that! Now I´ve got the 23 hour coach ride to Foz do Iguazu. Gutted to leave Rio, it´s everything I expected and more, and was just learning certain ´techniques´. I didn´t see half the things I wanted (didn´t even go up sugar loaf), but I want to see other parts of Brazil. So sorry Wo, you were too late with your challenge you slacker!!!

So here I am. Went to Itaipu dam yesterday, as well as crossing into Paraguay so that Paul could buy a camera tax-free. Along with half of Brazil it seemed! Border controls? What border controls? The dam is just huge. Today we´re gonna see the Brazilian side of the falls, then on to the Argentinian side tomorrow.

Hope you´re all well.

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Photos

Happy New Year
The riobackpackers gang!

Comments

[Michelle Turpin]

Your'e alive
missed you billy, didn't hear from you for a few days, was about to send out a search party!! you're such a jammy so and so! XX