Christmas in Rio and other shenanigans

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24/12
We woke up in Rio on what was in fact Christmas Eve! The last few weeks have gone so quickly! We woke up feeling refreshed and immediately started chatting to some girls from Jersey (Abbey, Katie and Vicky) who are doing a round the world trip too, and their Australian friend Lauren who they had met in Florianopolis They said they were thinking of doing a roast for Christmas and we decided we were definitely in. We headed to the supermarket and the 7 of us spent 55 real (or 20 quid) each on booze and food (including the most disappointing and expensive trifle in the world). We had decided we were going to do, like true Brazilians, caipirihnas but we couldnt find ice, a core ingredient - anywhere - Abbey and I traipsed for an hour to find it... and failed (apparently you order ice in?????). Anyway - we did successfully find Christmas hats which the girls were very excited about.

Later that evening, we decided to do a traditional Christmas eve and get drunken in our has - seemed apparopriate enough anyway and there was a real party feel in the hostel - at 10pm tempos brazilianos (midnight UK time) we sang the Pogues, Wham etc and did similar at midnight Brazil time - finally feeling a tiny bit festive - about time really!

25/12
Merry Christmas everyone! First hangover of the trip so far but was a dedicated girlfriend and got up early to Skype Ross... who was still in bed... then began Christmas dinner preparations - Katie took on the role of Project Manager. Tasha opened the presents from her family - THANKS FAMILY OF MINE! he he, and then we started prepping, cut up the bacon, kept an eye the Churkey (not sure what bird it was) chopped veg and Abbey made a cracking Marie Rose sauce for the prawn cocktail starter (very posh in Jersey). Tasha, Amy and I put on our hats and with it being 32 degrees we put on our summer dresses and went for a wander. We just ended up walking to a petrol station and back but we got beeped at, stared at, asked for presents and was referred to as Mama Noel - height of subtlety we were.

Anyway, back to the three course and bubbly, I carved the bird ( SOOOOO HOOOTTT) - we had a full roast sans sprouts - BONUS! Laurens extraordinarily expensive trifle which cost 25 quid was a huge flop so we just had fruits and spent the afternoon speaking to family - then love actually came on! We had a great day and we were able to avoid any real homesickness which was a bonus.

We spent the evening going to Copacabana and Lapa on a failed night out - Lapa can be dodgy and boy did we see some sights there - the street party was ending and we werent 100% comfortable so we headed back to the hostel and chatted. The group we have in the hostel are sound though, so the whole night was fun - we just need to get our dance on!

26/12
Post christmas blues failed to really set in as we kept with tradition and made turkey sandwiches and went to the Copacabana! It was so busy - looking across from the sea you could see thousands of people, all ages, races, shapes and sizes splashing about in Brazils most famous beach - we headed to the beach, grabbed a Macdonalds for the girls and a subway for me and we got our sunbathe on. It was really tiresome - honest! Me and some of the Jersey girls had fun playing in the sea too, there was some serious surf to jump around in, Katie flashed her very white bottom to most of Brazil due to being sent under by the waves - we had such a good time, but it was knackering - not that I expect sympathy! All in all a great way to spend what is usually an anticlimactic boxing day - certainly one up on not being able to go anywhere due to buses/weather/general British rubbishness!

Rxxxx

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