Sun, Sea and Cristo Redentor!

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Last week in Brasil. Having made flight plans and hotel bookins and such Joaquim and i set off on our adventure to the State of Rio de Janiero (river of January), last sunday night! For starters the car journey seemes a bit hairy and scary, being my first proper drive at night in Brasil... especially when you cannot see the big potholes looming out of the road at you every 2 seconds! Anyway, made it to the hotel in Uberladia - flight down to Rio, via sao paulo the next day... then picked up by a driver and taken to Juiz de Fora, north of rio in the state of Minas Gerais. Juiz de fora was a nice city, but unfortunately, no time to explore, as joaquim made an appearence at the mass for his priest friend, then dinner with the archbishop and dignitaries, before 3am start for drive back to rio.. joaquim flying back to Brazilia that morning, and me staying in Rio for few days of city and tourist exploration!

Rio is a beautiful place. It was like a lot of people said and a bigger version of Cape Town in South Africa, but for me was even more spectular...especially the views. An expensive ride around the city... in what turned out to be practically a private chaffieur driven tour to the sights, did have its great advantages.. mainly allowing me to ´do´ rio in one day! A trip up to Cristo Redentor...Christ the redeemer was spectacular. The view and the statue were gorgeous, and theirs even a coffee bar a and a chapel right inside the statue. Next was a trip to the cable car, started in around 1912, it ascends to three high points on the edge of the leafy mountains surrounding the city. The starting point is aptly named pao do açucar (sugar bread hill), they used to dry big blocks of sugar there during the slave trade. At all three stages the views were even better then Cristo de r... and i couldn´t help but envisage my memories of Jurrasic Park, the mission and idiana jones all rolled into one, as i looked out onto the vast misty mountain range.. glimpsing pockets of greenary and buildings down below through the cracks of cloud. At the last stop on the cable car, you could see the whole vista, including the famed beaches of Flamengo and Copacobana.

After this i went on a brief tour of the Maracana staduim, home to some of Rio´s 4 or 5 football teams, flamengo etc... and also the place where pele got his 1000th goal (or something of that nature). The tour was pretty cool and took me to the dressing rooms, journalist boxes, and right onto the pitch, which made me feel special!

Later that afternoon, i thought it only right i put on my cheap bordie shorts i had purchased from the market in the center the day before, and head on down to the sunblushed beach of Copacobana!

Soon as i got there it started to rain. Determined not to let it defeat me though, i took in the sights of the Copacobana palace... home to tom cruise and the like when he stayed in rio a few weeks back, and also strolled along the waters edge, trying desperately not to wet the 10 reais i had left in my pocket for a beer , which i took and sat and watched, some fusion of volleyball-football thing going on at the other end of the beach by some very talented brazilians( no girls though)!

Any way, Rio was nice... ive since returned to Itumbiara for last few days in Brasil before heading back to England next week!

Ciaox

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