Rio De Janeiro

---

Hi Guys,

So we got a bus this morning from Buzios to Rio. We had read that the bus station in Rio was not in the nicest of areas but when we went to get a taxi they were just to expensive so we decided to get the bus as so many people had told us it was fine. We were only out of the station a minute and we were getting hassled by some dodgy looking guys, Laura immediately started freaking out and with everyone in the station telling us to get different buses we decided to go back and get a taxi. Luckily though we managed to get a taxi for nearly half the price so all's well that ends well!

We had heard so much about the Mango tree hostel so we booked in there. After settling in we liked the hostel but we don't see what everyone was raving about. There are not enough bathrooms and as a result not the cleanest, and the rooms are a bit small! But the location is excellent 1 block from the beach and the main shopping and bar area. First things first we headed out to watch the drama that was Man united V Real Madrid, I shall say no more!

We spent our days in Ipenema relaxing on the lovely beach and watching the beautiful sunsets! We decided to head out on a day tour to see all the main sites in Rio. We got picked up at 10am and our first stop was a lovely beach to get some nice pictures and see some people hand gliding. We had just finished getting a few pictures when there was a scream from Laura, she had been stung by a bee and she was screaming like a baby! After I got the sting out we got some Alcohol from a first aid station and again she was in floods haha! I have to admit it was a big sting and with Laura's sensitive skin it quickly went red and swelled up. Great start to the day! We then moved on to see the Tijuca national park to see a waterfall and then on to see some great viewing points over Rio. It was then on to see Christ the redeemer. Usually there is a small train to bring you up but unfortunately this was not in use the day we were there so they had a bunch of mini vans to take you to the top and then you had some stairs to get to the foot of the statue. I had imagined it was a lot bigger than it actually was. The crowds are crazy it's very hard to get a photo without people getting in the way. The view itself over Rio is actually better than the Statue. So we got our photos with Christ the Redeemer which is kinda difficult being so close, and on we went to see Lapa. We spent an hour or so walking around Lapa and getting some nice photos. We ended up having a nice lunch with some of the guys on our bus before heading back to our hostel to catch a lovely sunset on the beach.

After 3 nights in Ipenama we had booked into a hotel in the only place we could get one which was down the road in Copacabana beach in the best western. We were both looking forward to having a swim in the roof pool and we both got a shock when we realised how small it actually was. Good photo editing we think! The weather the whole time in Rio was excellent so again we spent most of our days chilling on the beach in complete whine down mode. On our last night out in Copacabana we got to see the not so nice side of Rio! While out for dinner in a bar we could see loads of European men picking up prostitutes from outside, and while having our dinner we had kids coming over asking us for food, which is just horrible to see! We gave them some food and they were so delighted for it. It's hard to know if they are actually desperate for food or if their parents just send them out cause they know they will get it from the tourists! Either way it's not nice to witness in a country that is supposed to be doing so well and has so much going on over the next 4 years.

On our last day we hit the Sunday market to pick up a few souvenirs and to enjoy our last few hours in Rio. Again it was another gorgeous day and we were starting to realise that our adventure was coming to an end. We later caught the bus to take us to the airport for our long journey home.

It's hard to sum up our whole trip but the both of us have had the time of our lives for the last 7 months. Even Laura who had never really wanted to travel as she was such a home bird was not home sick apart from a few days over Christmas has loved being away and having something different to do everyday. We were so afraid leaving home at the start not knowing what to expect but after a few days we were completely settled in and we didn't look back. We would of loved to be able to spend more time away in the end but we did choose some expensive countries to travel around and we don't regret that at all. We would recommend everyone if the opportunity comes around to travel as it really does broaden the mind and it makes you appreciate what you have back home. We hope you all have enjoyed keeping up to date with our travels and hopefully we have helped with our information to plan your own trip.

Thanks for reading

Laura and Ian

---