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Published: August 23rd 2008
Ipanema beach
View across Ipanema beachA good sleep all round and the shower in the morning feels great and I wash off the problems of yesterday.
Breakfast is provided and consists of watermelon, cheese, bread and strong coffee. I'm not normally a coffee drinker but when in Rio...
Our first task is to phone the airline and check up on our bags. It's bad news as the bags will not be arriving until the evening of the 26th and the compensation is nothing until 24 hours after entering the claim.
Dismissing this disappointment we decide to hit Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Despite being winter it is a hot day and the beach is everything I thought it would be with men in ridiculously small trunks and women in tiny bikinis. I'm wearing jeans and a shirt and feeling slightly overdressed.
Passing some men playing beach football and opportunity is handed to me to show them some British skills when the ball runs to me. Expertly wrapping my foot under the ball I manage to flick a load of golden Copacabana sand into one of the player's eye, all I need now is to shout "have it" and wave my can of larger
Corcovado
A shot of Cristo Redentor on top of Corcovado from a far. in the air. The girls have wandered away with embarrassment by this point.
Having seen enough of beaches, small pants and even smaller poodles we decide to catch the bus to Cosme Velho where we will catch the train to Corcovado and see Cristo Redentor or Christ the Redeemer statue. The bus travels the entire circuit of Rio but this allows us to see the many sights and neighbourhoods in this vast city.
Having arrived at the train we acquire tickets (R$36) and some interesting chicken pies shaped strangely in to the form of a breast and nipple.
We board the train which winds its way up the mountain and takes in a vast wildlife area with many flowers.
At the top the views are magnificent and although slightly hazy we can see the whole city below. I am surprised that I can actually go up and touch the huge statue and we take various photos before heading back. On the return trip a small samba band joins us and gets the train rocking!
Before continuing we buy a snack to tie us over to dinner but only find these hideous deep fried puff balls.
Bleh!
Our next task is to find the bus terminus and book tickets for our journey to Paraty (or Parati). Unfortunately the first bus we take goes to Central bus station and we can't get tickets here. But a man helps us get another bus to the correct one.
We purchase our tickets to Paraty on the Costa Verde line (R$44.50) which will leave at 12pm on the 27th.
By now it is evening so we catch a luxury coach back to the hostel where we check in to our new room, smaller and noisier but at least on our own. We also have to pay for the hostel at this point and we find out that I have forgotten the PIN to our holiday card - doh! All my careful planning to waste.
We are hungry so we head into town to find a restaurant. It's at this point that we realise that people just eat later in South America and although we go to a recommended restaurant Casa de Feijoda it is empty. The restaurant is famed for its black been stew and this doesn't disappoint however my stringy dried chicken is an eye
Cristo Redentor
A view of Christ the Redeemer statue. opening experience and their love of fried eggs amused us all.
We return to the hostel and manage to get to sleep despite the room being a little sweaty.
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