Rio and Sao Paulo

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Well here we are in Beautiful Rio....well beautiful that might be a little over the top...it is absolutely pissing down with rain!!!

The taxi ride from the bus station started with the taxi driver trying to charge us $35 which is about $17.5USD and when we complained he insisted it was correct and got out his book to prove it, only to find that the price in the book was cheaper!!! dumbass i mean really he should know his prices better!!

Anyway we got dropped off in Copacabana and went in search of our hostel in the pouring rain...after a fruitless search and being soaked we saw to english girls and we asked them if they knew where the hostel was...they didnt but said that the hostel they were staying at might know. So off we trudged with them to their hostel, they didnt know but insisted that mellow yellow (the hostel's name) was much better and would we like to have a look. We decided yes seeing as we were already there. The hostel had a spa!!! and free internet as well as a chill out room with a massive projector screen and souund system, as well as a massive DVD collection (about 80 or so) not to mention a bar on the top floor as well :-)

We gave in and decided to stay in a 24 bed dorm, the beds were stacked 3 high!!! (hopefully no falling off the top bunk as we were both on the tops). We decided to take a walk and see the famous beach, it was only a 4min walk from the hostel which was great. I must say the beach in the rain was impressive so we couldnt wait to see it in the sun. Anyway we got back to the hostel and were going downstairs when who should be walking up them but G (from Florinapolis) and her friend in tow absolutely drowned as it had just started pissing with rain. It was a lovely surprise and good to have a friend (they were staying in the same dorm as us, in fact both were on the bottom bunk of our beds)

The first night was spent in the bar getting accustomed to the beer and caprihna's that they served. In fact most nights were spent there, and we even taught an number of people drinking games one that we will take with us everywhere. We stayed in Rio for 8 days in total but left really early 5:30am on the last day.

The second day there it was overcast as well so it didnt really warrant going to the beach instead we pottered around the hostel in the projector room and some other stuff that i cannot remember (too long ago now). We went to see the Christ Statue on the third day which was stunning and the views were pretty damn impressive overlooking Rio. The train up the mountain was entertaining as at one of the tops some guys got on and started singing and had drums and they played some traditional music. There were soooo many tourists up at the statue that it was hard to get a shot without someone in the way, but i guess thats what you get...

On the way home the bus route we took was the same as the one to get to the statue but as it operated in a loop we were now on the long part of the loop!! it took forever and we passed a shopping strip so the 3 girls were constantly looking out the window going oooh and ahhh at the shops and dresses etc (if you havent guessed its josh writing this :-)) as we were coming through Impanea G and Gorgie (her friend) said that they had been to a good pub the other day around here, so off we hopped in search of the pub and food. We got to the Irish pub after a short walk and it was a traditional pub, really small but great. We all ordered our food, me fish and chips, liz a curry, G nachos, and Gorgie and seafood salad. I must say after 2 months on the road that food was unbelievable!! we stuffed ourselves until we were about to pop and liz had to lie down because she was soo full!!! oh yeah and for desert we had home made apple crumble!!! i tell you for that hour or so i was in heaven :-)

The next the sunshine came out so we hit the beach nursing hangovers. It was stunning to see the number of people out on the beach and the number of people too. We were negotiating with an owner of some beach chairs and we said we would take 3 for $10 but he insisted that we take them for $9!! we have never come across someone who has talked themselves lower, so of course we agreed. The funny thing about Copacabana beach is that the sun is actually never over the water, so all the chairs and people all face away from the water...

We had a great day at the beach but unfortunately the sun dips behind the mountain at about 3:30pm so the beach gets rather cold after that. That night we had arranged through the hostel to go to a local street party where literally hundreds of people are partying on the backstreets of rio. It was insane and absolutely amazing. Within 1 minute of leaving the van me and two other guys i had meet earlier that night lost the main group. We were stranded in a huge crowd and a maze of back streets blindly walking trying to find the others. After giving up we found alcohol (always a friend HA) and decided to explore and see what we could find. I have never seen so many friendly people all in one place, and they were all keen to meet us and talk to us (nearly everyone spoke some level of english). We eventually found the others and partied on till the early morning, with only one incident with a local who wouldnt leave us alone. Towards the end of the night we met a group of young guys keen on soccer and we had a great joke about brasil and NZ (mainly that nz would kick brasil's ass) we had a good laugh. It was home time at 5:30am just as it was getting to get light again.

The beach was in order again the next day, and so was a swim in the ocean. The undertow was the strongest i have ever felt but it was still a good swim, but too dangerous to go out to the breaking waves without a board or flippers. Another thing i didnt mention that as you are peacefully relaxing on the beach, you have people coming up to you selling everything from food to bikini's (seriously who would try on a swimsuit in the middle of the beach and from an old skanky man as well??) They dont leave you alone and keep asking and asking until you get annoyed with them and nearly shout at them. Also they come back twice!! it gets rather annoying after a while...A certain member of our crew who will remain nameless (incase she reads the blog and others recognise her), wasnt feeling very well at the beach after all the alcohol consumed the previous night, and all i'll say is that a hole needed to be dug :-)

Most lunches and dinners consisted of a shop at the local supermarket and then a cook up in the kitchen back at the hostel...most lunches and dinners only cost us about $4NZD when we were cooking for 4 people which was great and we usually had left overs as well, to feed other hungry travellers.

The day we decided to go to Sugar Loaf (the cable car that gives the best views of rio) was closed for 4 days as the cables needed replacing (it only happens once a year and we got it!!! our luck continues) Most of our days consisted of relaxing at the beach, reading books, laughing at the posers running or walking by, and admiring the skills of the boys playing hacky and soccer (although liz would also say admiring the boys).

One of the days we were there we also went to a soccer game between the Flamengo's and the Flamenase (or something like that). Outside the stadium the police were in force and carried batons that came up to their hips (we have a photo of each of us with one of the cops) the game sold around 60,000 tickets but the stadium holds 102,000 but used to hold 205,000 until they scaled it back) the noise and atmosphere was amazing, nothing like a rugby match at Eden Park. People came around selling beer and food so you didnt miss any of the action!! talk about brilliant :-)

The game was followed that night by a party to end all parties. The hostel we were staying at had organised a group (us included) to go to what is known as a Favela Funk party. The stories that we had hear about these parties was all good, and there were stories of sex on the dance floor (which we saw none of). The place was packed with locals and tourists, and within 5 mins my shirt was off walking topless because of the heat (just so you dont think im a porn star nearly every other guy was doing the same, and some girls just to spice things up and keep things interesting)

The music was cranking the drinks flowing and everyone having a good time. Before long the floor was covered in beer cans and plastic cups, and you had to feels sorry for the girls in high heels (well not really if they are stupid enough to wear them to a dance party good luck to them.)

By the way a Favela is a shanty town/slum in Brasil that the drug lords control....

Part way through the night the stage erupted in fireworks sending sky rockets along string lines towards the back of the warehouse as well as a shower of sparks down in front of the stage where the DJ was doing his thang.. As this was happening Liz was dancing with some HOT italian boy and didnt notice the sparks quickly enough and they started to fall down onto her which as she found out in the morning burnt her.

The Evening ended around 4:30am when we had the fun task of rounding up drunk peoples to pile into the van to get home.. (i might add i was the last one in, but this was after i had been in the van already)

The next day it was sleeping and lying on the beach for me while liz went in search of Sugar Loaf Mountain which i already mentioned above..

We left Rio the next day for a 6hr bus ride to Sao Paulo before our 11hr flight to Frankfurt and then onto Egypt..

Our bus ride was slow mainly due to the traffic and we only just made it to the bus station in time to run upstairs to get a ticket for the airport bus which was leaving in 5mins time... i have never tried to run with 20kg on my back and never will again :-) Needless to say we made it and were on our way.

A couple of things we have forgotten to mention in this hurried catch up of our blog...on the way to Campo Grande, in the middle of the night i awoke to find 3 military policemen on the bus checking passports etc. After a few mins one of them pointed to me and another local and we were hauled off the bus for interrogation.. needless to say liz was worried and i was slightly nervous because i had a pound of crack on me!! Nah kidding just nervous coz i didnt speak the lingo.

It was a short lived affair as the policeman soon gave up trying to work out what i was saying and i couldnt understand a word he said, so he put me back on the bus and hauled someone else off...what it is to be a tourist and not speaking the local language :-)

Another point that should have been in this blog somewhere was in our bus ride to Rio we had a slight delay when at the bus station in Sao Paulo the bus in front of us started reversing.... it keep coming and coming and coming, before we heard a nasty crack and the sound of plastic breaking. What ensued was a lot of yelling and heated argument between drivers and those who were meant to be guiding the bus. As it turned out the bus had a cracked windscreen and also lost a wing mirror. We left the depot only to go to the bus companies workshop to wait 1hr 30mins for them to fix the wing mirror, when we could have easily got on one of the 100 or so buses just sitting there.

The final thing we missed was on the trip to Sao Paulo to catch our flight. We came across a massive traffic jam through which we crawled. It lasted for an hour or so before we came across the cause. On the other side of the road i saw 4 pairs of tyres as well as two axles just sitting there...quite confused i sat up and paid attention...30m later i saw the cab of an 18 wheeler just sitting on the road, no wheels no chassis...now i was really interested. 50m later we came across more wheels and axles just sitting on the road before finally coming across the trailer and main chassis lying on its side with its contents (i think it was limestone, really small chunks) spilled across the road. The thing was it didnt affect our side of the road at all, it was just bloody rubber neckers that slowed the traffic down..so it seems its a condition that affects people all over the world :-)

Anyway thats it for now we will update this blog for Egypt in the next week we promise!!! we have added a photo for the last entry as well so scroll down if you wanna


Lots of love

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Photos

Copacabana Beach
Hope i spelt that right...for some reason we didnt manage to take the camera to the beach on a nice day

Train
Up to Christ the Redeemer Statue