the day before carnival

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Carnival time!!

Yesterday we spent the day trying our best to recover from the night before and sorting out tickets to one of the biggest parties in the world, carnival. The good news is we achieved both with incredible success. we are joining our new friends from ireland (met them on the bus to paraty) for the festivities. it all kicks off tonight at 9pm, rio time, and goes till 6 am so we are going to be up for a long time tonight!!

last night was a bit crazy. We went down to see a free concert in a square surrounded by some of the most beautiful buildings in rio - teatro municipal, congress, national library, national fine arts measum - and spent our time there hiding under crudley fashioned tarps to avert the rain, eating no end of grilled meats, chatting and dancing with many of the locals, and drinking many a carpirinah (a drink that is limes, sugar, and cuscha(sp?). After a little bit of time and too many drinks we then shot off to a "balie" at a club called carica de gema. we had a great time dancing to the rich sound of samba and continuing to distort ourselves with sugary libations. The night finally ended at 2:30 and we were home to bed. We slept till 2pm to prep for the all nighter we are on the verge of.

we are having the time of our lives and it has only just began...more on the way!!

cheers, ciao'

ben and alana

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