Rio De Janeiro - Carnival!!!!

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So after a fab 24hrs on a bus, yes that was 24hrs, and having the rudest Brazilian man sitting next to me we arrive in Rio (20/02)!!!! I am still not sure how but all 5 of us get into a taxi with all our luggage and head to the hostel.......sorry I mean hovel.......OK I know when I booked it I did not expect the Ritz it was only a tenner a night over carnival period but serioulsy this was just a doss house!!! So our 4 bed dorm was basically a floor over the common area that you just about fitted 4 matresses, sorry 3 and a piece of foam in it.........no rooom for luggage or anything........oh and the best part we don´t have a door we have a curtain that went all the way across the front of us.......well as you can imagine we were not impressed and then after talking to the new owner we have to pay 3times the agreed ammount and that the contract set up with hoselworld meant nothing to him - OK we are on it its 9pm on the night carnival starts and we are looking for a new place to stay - I dont hold out too much hope but call Karen and her hostel finds us one near by......Lucy and I head off to find out all the ins and outs......OK it is a lot more than we are paying but hey we are on top of the beach, we have a 4 bed private room en suite, air con and we are close to Karen (Dad dont ask how much more!!) but cannot move til the morning........OK one night I think we can cope, we put the smallest deposit down and promised to be back in the morning!!!

So up we all get nice and early, well it not like you can sleep late there anyhow and off we all trek to the new hostel to check. We knew the room would not be ready yet but hey we are all checked in and pretty much paid up.........so Karen gets to our new hostel at about 10.30ish and off we all go to get our carnival tickets it is very exciting considering this is one of the main reasons we are all here.......so we get them all very cool and offical looking and we are now all excited as you actually have the tickets in hand ;-)

So we head back check in properly and the room is pretty cool but we do all realise one major thing we have not really eaten since before the night bus or the 24hr bus a part from crisps and biscuits - lunch is def in order and then hey what else do you do on your first afternoon in Rio - you hit the beach!!!! Hee Hee!!! Well it had to be done really........went for a nice dinner and have come to the conclusion its not easy to be a veggie in Rio - poor Emily she is basically living on pasta and pizza!!! So we head out to our first look at the bloca parties (basically the street parties that happen every night in carnival time) and it was pretty cool just to see the different levels of costums and the variety of people.......OK so across the road is the irsh pub and well you have to sample one in every town so off we go ;-) was pretty cool there was a live band in there but yes it is full of us loverly foriegners!!

OK Rio could be a tad samey until after Carnival as today was a nice relaxing beach day and at about 4ish we head to one of the bloca parties and meet with KT (from the last tour) and some of her mates which was really cool was mixed in with all the locals and just dancing, well moving down the street with the party was just a totally different experience really and was just totally mad - yes I loved it!!! Went and met with KYT and her mob and some of Karens friends to a typical Brazilian resturant. OK if you ever come to Brazil you really only need one meal for 2 people the amount of food they give you is just mad, but I have to say it was really good food.......the local wine on the other hand really can do with improving!!!! My girlies went home as there are some dodgey bellies going around........but I head to the beach party with Karen and her friends. It was so cool just a massive party of the beach, we meat a few Brazilians who luckily spoke english otherwise I am not sure the conversation would have gone to far seeing as our portugese really is pretty rubbish!!! Was all quite funny though and a pretty late night well there is no last orders on a beach!!!!

Today there is lots to do in the morning Karen and are heading to go hand gliding at about 11ish this is postponed to 12sih so get some Havaianas.....far to many hee hee!!! We get picked up and off we go, OK so it looks like they have over booked - story of my life really but all OK I will just have to go paragliding instead - oh well much the much really I still get to go up there!!! It was really cool and to see the whole place from up there was great......I saw the house I want to buy - I may need to start saving hee hee!!! So we finally get back to the hostel at about 3.30ish need to get our grass skirts and stuff for tonight so we hit the streets - cool just managed to find some now I think we are def ready for carnival fever!!! ;-)))

So we head off at about 7pm ish need to get the good seats, use public transport to get there I will never moan about how hot the tube is again!!! Oh well we get there and its mad just trying to get there as there are people everywhere and you can see soo many of the floats on the way in - Man they are huge.......we get in and get pretty cool seats - well steps - and I can see and being the shortest that the main thing hee hee!!! I really cannot describe the atmosphere in there people all come to support their schools and they soo get behind them we seem to be in thew middle of differnt ones which is great as the atmosphere keeps going and we sooo need that - you have to look at all the pics and that will show all about it so much easier than me trying to descibe it.........and dont worry I will go through it all again when i get home hee hee!!! We do finally get to leave at about 5.45am no I have no idea how we did it either and could not get on the Metro so got a cab it was worth it although 5 people in a cab is not at all comfy!!!!

Well Emily and I did have about an hrs kip but woke up for brekkie - no I have no idea why but hey then straight back to bed!!! We did put on an alarm as we could not waste the whole day the girls go home in a few days.....we went to Sugar Loaf mountain which before it got all foggy was really cool the views were fab you could see pretty much the whole city as you walked around it........as it did get cloudy we sat up there and chilled and made a plan for the last day tmw........we head to Gloria Marina to try and book a boat trip from tmw or even later today but no luck we could not find the office to book it from - although the place is cool and they had just shut off a 4-lane road for a huge bloca party for the last night of carnival!!! We head back for dinner and drinks as its Karens last night ;-( Was def a funny night went for some dinner but only Hayley me and Karen went for the party on the beach......was a bit quiter than before as alot of people have started to head home but still just as much fun - we did have to pretty much carry Karen home bless her as a few too many drinks had been drunk but still all pretty funny!!! hee hee!!!

So today we headed out to see Christ on top of a mountain, they still say he is the largest but someone is lying as the Bolvians think theres is ;-) oh well they are both pretty big to me and seriously this was madness not a lot of room and everyone wanting the same shot!!! Oh well I got mine and I really only care about that!!! Back to the Marina as we now know where the offices are but no luck we will just have to do without a boat trip.......Em, Hayley and Lucy head to the look out point on Ipamema and I book my bus to Ilha Grande and then meet them it really is a pretty cool look out and the pics on here are only a few of them!!! Sorry Tash!!! So its the last night in Rio and tmw the girls head home so we all go for a last dinner together - it will be a shame as all my buddies have gone I will need to make the effort to meet new ones!!! hee hee!! Could not believe how quite the streets where now there is no carnival we could actually walk down them!!! ;-)

OK thanks for the memories Rio.....Until next time!!! xxxx

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