To Copacabana, Rio de Janiero!!

So... we were in Rio for almost three weeks living in an apartment on Copacabana beach. It was just like being home again, like having a holiday from backpacking, ie living room, couches, TV, phone.. all the things we usually take for granted - like EVERYTHING unpacked and in WARDROBES ... wooOOooo!! - except we´re right next to one of the world´s most famous beaches. They have running and cycling tracks right along the 4km of beaches and we were even good enough to make use of them in the mornings (when we can be bothered!), drink some coconut water and do some people watching.

Aside from lazing around in the flat or on the beach (which, by the way, we did LOADS of), we went to the Circo Vaodor to watch Brazil beat Ghana - a wee arena with a few large screens, like a wee football festival - very cool place to watch the game. We actually needed tickets but managed to blag our way in - snuck in with a big crowd and picked up used tickets from the floor - yaay!! Love a good sneaky in!! My favourite cocktail, Caipirinhas, unfortunately, got the better of me that day (baaad idea to start on them at 12pm!!!) but at least while we were still standing we had an absolute ball. Unfortunately, as you all know, Brazil then went on to get knocked out of the World Cup so the atmosphere took a little dip for a while, but most Brazilians just quickly picked up and started supporting Portugal - not the types to sit about being depressed about that sort of thing. I was very happy to see Italy winning though.

What else..

Corcovoado, one of Rio´s most famous morros (bigger than a hill - smaller than a mountain), is where the massive Cristo el Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) stands blessing the city. You get a wee specially built tourist train up and the views are too amazing from up there that it´s just too hard to put in one picture. Same with the Pao de Azucar (Sugar Loaf): two cable cars take you up the morros and we stayed there long enough to see an amazing sunset - I wouldn´t say the most beautiful sunset I´ve ever seen in my life (probably have seen those in Scotland) but Rio is such a stunning city with it´s lakes, morros and bright lights, that however you look at it, you can´t fail to be impressed.

The weekly Lapa street party proved to be popular, needless to say I ended up there a few times - a cool district of Rio with bars, clubs, parties and people everywhere in the streets selling beer and cocktails... a proper festival atmosphere (but without the live bands). Talking of which, meanwhile in sunny Scotland, a heatwave is sweeping the country, T in the Park is on... and despite all the fun I´m having here, for a few days a wee part of me wished I was there - I´m missing out on the summer music festis!!!

Santa Teresa is a pretty district, old and cute, which we briefly visited on a round trip tourist train that takes you there. It runs through pretty wee residential streets, chugging past peoples front doors and knocking mirrors on parked cars - there are even cars parked on the line! However, despite waiting two hours in line for the train, we didn´t even bother to get off and walk around, just enjoyed the ride.

Rio´s favelas... we got an interesting tour round these, getting loads of information about their history, and money from the tours goes towards setting up schools and improving conditions, as well as creating awareness. The favelas are slums/ shanty towns that are all over the place in Brazil but the most famous ones are in Rio and Sao Paulo. Originally, refugees and former soldiers involved in the Canudos Civil War around 1895 settled on unreclaimed public land on the hillsides of Rio - the law was that if no-one claimed the land in 10 years then they owned it (I think it´s now been reduced to 5). At the time, the rich didn´t already live there as they weren´t safe from landslides, so the poor now have the best views of the city (albeit the worst of everything else). They´re called favelas after a bean plant, because like the plant, they managed to carve their poor, but sustainable existences in spite of unfavourable conditions.

As time went on most of the poor population, mostly freed black slaves moved in and became the major ethnic group there. The favelas were handy because they allowed them to be close enough to go to work, but at the same time keeps them away from where they were not welcome. Until quite recently, the streets didn´t even have names, therefore the people living in the favelas couldn´t get bank accounts or good jobs or even an education. Some of the favelas were only recently officially recognised and given street names, and lots of them are still without running water or opportunities for an education. This is where the tours help, as we visited a school where everything had been funded by the tours, so it was good to see that things are improving a bit.

The worst thing is that are entirely run by the drug lords - what they say goes and as the government seems to pretty much totally shun them.. police don´t even go there, they just turn a blind eye to everything - no-one can really do a thing about it.

After the favelas, I fulfilled a lifelong dream and went running very fast off a cliff ...and hanglided around the whole of Rio.. totally amazing!! After going over the edge of the cliff the you get swooped up and go soaring around, getting views of everwhere while the sun set - I thought i was going to land in the sea but thankfully landed safely on the beach and got treated to a free beer (courtesy of Lorna´s second-to-none blagging skills!!)

We made time before leaving Rio, to go to Maracana, the biggest stadium in world, to see Flamengo play Vasco. Strangely, when you´re inside it doesnt seem to be as big as it actually is.

All in all we found the Cariocos - Rio dwellers - and Brazilians in general, to be gorgeous, happy, friendly, proud, patriotic and really welcoming people... how could you not be when you live in such a stunning city in a beautiful country, Rio is gorgeous as you´ll see from pics.

We flew to African influenced Salvador next, where we stayed a few days, soaking up the arty, lively and vibrant party atmosphere. It seemed a bit dodgy when we first got there as it was 3am and the streets were deserted, with only police on street corners, but sticking to the tourist areas, we were totally fine. A drum band parades through the streets 3 times a week, getting a big following of dancers and general public joining in. There are also stages with live singing and some very impressive dancing on the Tuesday we were there and some great stalls all over the place selling caipirinhas - among other cocktails - I love this about Brazil, you get cocktails on just about every street corner!!!

We are headed towards the Amazon now, which is a long haul so we've come to Fortaleza to stop a day or two to break up the journey. However, there is their winter carnival this weekend so it would be really silly - and downright rude I reckon - not to stay, so we've decided to stay, just to be polite y´know. By the way, their winter is currently consisting of pretty much the same temperatures as you lot in sunny Scotland (and England) are experiencing and we´ve just been enjoying soaking up the rays - there are miles and miles and miles of beautiful beaches surrounding this city... we have one of them right at our front door so the rest have as yet to be explored!!

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