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Published: December 6th 2009
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Rio de Janeiro - 1st to 4th December
The majority of the last day of November 2009 was spent on the bus that took us to Rio. We had checked out of the hostel after having some breakfast and updating some blog and then went to the bus station for our 1.30pm bus. The bus to Rio was a good one and although having to do a bit of polite asking to do a seat swap so Bowks and I could sit together we were able to settle into our nice big comfy seats that reclined and relax. Having crossed the border into Brazil with no trouble we again watched changing scenery, this time more open fields that didn´t look dissimilar to those in Britain in the hieght of summer with various bright, luscious green vegetation. After a nights sleep and a brief stop in São Paulo we arrived at Rio de Janeiro bus station to be welcomed by more hot sun. Then with a quick jump onto a local bus we arrived at our next hostel the Mango Tree in the Ipanema region of Rio, just round the corner from Copacabana.
With bags dropped off in our dorm
we set out to explore the local area. The first thing we noticed was we were one block away from the beach which was an instant winner! So after walking down the main streets we then took a walk on the beach which had soft white sand and if you stood on it for too long burnt the bottom of your feet.
Bowks writing now...
We then had a wander round the local area of Ipanema. Even though it is one of the safest and richest areas of Rio we were still careful not to take any valubles with us and hide our money as muggings and pick-pocketings are still very prevalent. The area was nice and had a cosmopolitan feel to it, however the only downside was that it was so expensive. We had been warned that Rio was expensive and it´s true. It is comparable to the UK and in some cases more expensive. After eating at a nice (and fairly reasonable) restaurant we went back to the hostel and got chatting to some of the others who were heading to a Brazilian samba party that eve so we decided to join them and party Brazilian
style!
The samba club was really good and we attempted to dance like the locals with the help of the free caipirinhas (a sugary rum based drink that is traditional in Brazil but with much bigger measures than you would ever get in the UK!) When we were worn out from all the dancing we headed with the group from our hostel to the beach for a few more drinks and to chat about our travelling experiences. It was a really good evening and we met some nice people.
On the Wednesday morning we had planned to visit the Christ the Redeemer statue however the visibility was not so good so we went to the beach with Chris an Irish guy we´d met at the hostel. The beach was beautiful with white sand and lovely warm water. We lay watching the, having a giggle at the men in their tight speedos and the women in their tiny thongs. One Brazilian in particular caught our attention. He stood on the beach for over 3 hours staring at the sun and every 30 minutes putting his tanning oil on and changing position slightly so that every part of his body
could be exposed to the sun. This was taking tanning to the extreme and hilarious to watch!
Every few minutes a different person would walk past selling items ranging from food and drink to bikinis, sunglasses, dresses and bags. It was great, you could do your Christmas shopping from the comfort of your sunlounger on the beach.
When it got too hot we would cool off in the sea and although warm water the waves could be very strong which made it a little tricky to get in and out of the water, although once on they were good to play in!
That evening we went to the Maracanã football stadium, the biggest stadium in the world holding 160,000 to see Fluminense versus Quito in a cup final. The game and the atmosphere were brilliant. We were surrounded by the locals and it wasn´t long until we were dancing and chanting (I haven´t a clue what we were saying!) with them and receiving handshakes and hugs every time Fluminense scored. The match had everything, fans setting off fireworks and flares, 3 players sent off, 3 goals and the referee was booed off and had plastic cups thrown
at him at the end of the game. Although Fluminense didn´t win we left in high spirits after a really good eve.
Thursday morning was spent trying to decide whther to go to Islã Grande, a suppsedly beautiful island 150km south of Rio. However, due to the high costs in Brazil we decided our money would go further in Argentina so we would give the island a miss this time. After lunch we caught a bus with a couple of others from the hostel to the Christ the Redeemer statue. The cog train took us to the top of the hill where we were greeted with some spectacular views of Rio. It was a beautiful day and we could see the beaches, districts and Favelas that make up Rio. The Christ statue was very impressive, especially how it stood looking over the city as if protecting it.
When back in Ipanema we booked our bus to Buenos Aires which meant we would have to go back via the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls and then back down south to BA as it would be half the price of travelling down through Brazil.
Our final night in Rio
was spent ina bar round the corner from the hostel with a few of our friends we´d met during our stay. We went to bed trying not to get too creeped out by the ¨Do you mind if I sleep naked?¨ wierd American guy in our dorm room.
On Friday morning we awoke to rain, not too heavy at first but after going to the post office and supermarket it absolutely chucked it down and we got wet through. Luckily it was warm rain and we were able to shower and change clothes back at the hostel. At 1.30pm we boarded the 23 hour bus to Foz do Iguaçu which was to be our worst long bus journey yet. It was a single decker, the seats were narrow and did not recline very far, there were no films to watch and the other major problem was the air conditioning seemed to be linked into the toilet and as the journey progressed and more people used the toilet the smell radiated around the bus, not pleasant at all! However saying that the journey seemed to go quite quickly, especially when some people got off and we were able to spread
out a bit more.
Having arrived in Foz do Iguaçu and 24 hours before our connecting bus to BA we checked into the hostel and were straight in to the pool for a refreshing dip. That eve we ate at a rodízio, a buffet where they bring you round different selections of barbecued meat on scewers and carve off pieces for you. The food was really tasty and we both returned very full. The rest of that eve was spent on the internet where we managed to secure a campervan for the Christmas period in New Zealand, doing a delivery similar to what we did in the States which was great news.
And what´s even better news is that the blog is up to date!
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