Blogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 226

Helloooo from Ilha Grande! We´re at a baking hot intenet cafe in 1 fan but I was desperate to come and update our website. The island is gorrrrgeous! It´s like a mythical island with brightly coloured houses, loads of forests and beautiful white sandy beaches. On Wednesday we just arrived on the island, went for dinner and then to a bar to bond with our tour group. They´re pretty cool, a good mix of English, Canadian, Danish and Swiss! I had my first Caprinha- a very strong sugary, rum drink - not too bad once you get over the sweetness! Yesterday we did a 2 hour hike/trail to the most popular beach on the island - Lopes Mendes. It was pretty tough going as there weren´t proper paths and a lot of hills and its been ... read more

Apres un bain de soleil laprem, il etait temps de faire la fete sur la plage de Copacabana (full moon party). Apres qques caipirinha au bar de l auberge, je pars avec 5-6 pers direction la plage pour faire la fete. Ce fut tres sympa, jai rencontre une charmante bresilienne parlant parfaitement anglais avec qui jai fait 2-3 trucs mais sans plus car javais des petit problemes de memoire du genre je lui ai demande son nom 2 fois en lespace de 5 min car jetais un peu pompette comme dirait certains.... nous avons fini vers 6h du mat, non sans m etre un peu pete l epaule en sautant par dessus un feu... (no comment) et on a decide de dormir un peu sur la plage. (malgre que tous les guides de voyage disent quil ... read more

So before digging up Senor Ronaldinho´s back garden, we decided to take a look a round the city. Firstly, Copacabana beach - what a place! Along with Ipanema beach, there are no places like it, golden sands backed by palm trees and high rise buildings, peopled by beautiful Brazilians, and in view of Sugar Loaf mountain and Christ the Redeemer, who looms over the city like a guardian angel. The next day we went to the Maracanã stadium and watched Botafogo beat Americano 2-1 in what we discovered afterwards was some sort of semi-final. They played in 40 degree heat, and the fans had some really big flags. And Eric was on a radio station - this commentator sat next to him - shoved the microphone in front of him- Eric´s famous words to all of ... read more

For those of you who have been checking every day, we finally made it! After a 13-hour flight and a noisy group of Swedes 'on tour´ we are now in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! Not done too much yet, spent a lazy day soaking the rays on Copacabana, and watching a semi-final at the world-famous Maracana stadium, where the frisking security process involves a pat on the chest, a pat on the bum, then a hefty whack into the crown jewels! There´s no need for that.... Today we set for to explore the local area, including a cathedral that resembled an Aztec Temple. The highlight of the walk up to it was Eleni stepping into a steaming, sloshy, infected, fresh pile of dog . Luckily we had on hand 2 fresh ... read more

January 23nd, 2006, second day in Rio de Janeiro, Bresil, day 17 of our cruise. We are at the cruise ship dock of Rio, minutes from downtown, safe because the tourist police have a station at the gate. Rio is one of the most beautiful cities that I have had the privilege to visit. Yesterday we went up Corcovado Mountain on a cog railcar to see the city and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Back at sea level, we visited the new, cone shaped cathedral, San Sebastian, which can hold 20,000, it was built with openings in the walls and large doors that slide open to let the breeze in- making it cooler in church than outside. The digital thermometers on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches registered a high of 42 degree Celsius and the humidity ... read more