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Copacabana
Name on hotel says it all!Ola 😊
Sorry for the delay in really getting started with this blog but Brim and I have been having too much time relaxing and meeting people to write about it! Before I start I just had a few administrative matters I wanted to set out:
1.I am not sure what people are hoping or expecting to read over the next weeks but I hope you enjoy my updates and the pictures when I am able to upload them;
2.Apologies for past, present and future grammar and spelling errors. I will do my best to minimise these but please bear with me!
3.Last but not least, thanks to Brim for (a) suggesting I down tools and join her for the South American leg of her year long adventure and (b) for putting up with Deirdre 😊
So, now on to what I have been up to for the last week - following an 11 hour flight from Heathrow (I think I told people it was not too far - but as it transpired it was!) we arrived in Rio De Janeiro! The hostel we stayed at, Mellow Yellow had arranged for a taxi to
pick us up. So we duly followed the man with the sign and headed into the city. As it was late we couldn't see an awful lot but did glimpse Christ the Redeemer aglow atop of Corvoda! After a slightly terrifying taxi drive - not quite Bangkok style - but close we had arrived in Copacabana and the hostel. This blog is not intending to be a review of all hostels and transport systems but if you want that kind of detail please let me know, in any event, the hostel was quite lively if not a bit of a culture shock for me and Brim! Anyhow, we slept fairly well that night and next day headed to Copacabana beach. The sand is like very soft brown sugar and I had to restrain myself from trying to eat it! After watching the world go by and a quick paddle we then walked to the base of the cable cars to Sugar Loaf mountain. The weather was a bit misty but the view was still amazing. Somehow I managed to attract a number of other tourists asking me to take their photos - they didn't want any of me in them
though! Following our meanderings at Sugar Loaf we ventured back to the hostel just in time for the second half of the second leg of the United game v Arsenal. You know the rest so I won't bore you with my analysis of the game. Brim and I sampled the Itavipava beer and, like a real hero, Brim also drank the local fire water....the bar lady high fived us the next day for being the crazy English girls 😊
Next day, with Barton feeling a bit worse for wear we made our way to Corvoda which was our first chance to try out the Rio bus service! Brim intelligently had looked up the bus numbers and we stood on the edge of the street waiting for bus 358. Likely bus rounded on the corner on literally 2 wheels and Brim and I had to run to catch up with it! Anyhow 2 Reas later we were safely on bus and on our way to Christ! The guide describes the bus drivers as trained racetrack drivers....the Stig would have been impressed 😊
Get to Corvoda and embark the train up the hill. The train moves mainly through forest however about half
way up there was a gap in the trees and the view of Rio was truly breathtaking. If I was a poet I may write a little something about it, but as I am not, lucky for you, I won't. Suffice to say even if you are not particularly enamoured with the statute the views are worth the trek 😊 So, having stood posing and gazing out at the world below we headed to Ipanema. Before getting there however, we found ourselves the butt end of some Brasilian scamming! Basically, we duly got on the bus and paid the conductor our fares. Instead of waving us through the gate however he intimated we must get off the bus and get on at the back doors! Like the tourists we were we duly did and found ourselves running like mad women to the back of the bus should the driver go without us! On reflection we realised that as we were the first on the bus the driver and conductor took the opportunity to take our bus fares and pocket the cash instead of processing it through the gate system!!!!!
Ipanema
Sugar Loaf
No Fairy and Smut it is not in Wales :) beach is my favourite in the world. We watched the beautiful people of Brasil strut their stuff, gazed out at the surf and looked at the backdrop of hills and buildings. Ipanema is better than expected and I would have no hesitation in telling you all - GO THERE!
Okay, so after watching the sunset we had to make another brave bus run. This time Brim and I were pros and calmly stepped aboard the bus, paid our money and sat down 😊
Thursday morning and we were up early to get to the central bus station to take us to Paraty. The hostel had again arranged a taxi - at 30 Reas (£10) we thought it was worth the extra cost to avoid having to stand on a street in Copacabana with our rucksacks and navigate the crazy turnstile! The taxi driver was friendly enough but the language barrier caused much confusion when he kept showing us his price card to take us all the way to Paraty after some smiling and pointing and some broken Portuguese we managed to agree he would take us to the bus station......thankfully he did!
OK
so that is a run down of the first few days in Brasil. So far I have found everyone to be very friendly and despite a huge lack of language understanding Brim and I are more than surviving so far 😊
Hope this finds you well. Thanks everyone for your comments and emails. Please keep them coming and PLEASE PLEASE keep me updated on the football.
Also, as my pictures are taken by me, if you want to see more please check out Brimelow's travel blog at mytb.org/Brimster.
Next update on Paraty coming soon. Take care all, Sx
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Craig
non-member comment
Excellent
Thanks for the update! [jealous] :-)