Rio-what a place!

The city and the people are very full on. We visited a Favella on the first day-ever seen City of God and you~ll get an idea of what it is like. Although there is a lot of poverty and drugs-the people are very nice and trying to get on in life-whether that means through education, selling pictures or selling drugs.

After the city tour we went to the Maracana Stadium-the largest football stadium in the world (i think) to see two local teams play-Botofogo and Flumenese. Botofogo won 3-1. The atmosphere was electric-drums, fireworks, beer-shouting, etc-you get the idea. If only English football was the same I think I would enjoy it more. After our busy day we checked into the hotel for a quick power nap before heading out-at 11pm-they start late in Brazil-to a favella party. If you have ever been to the junction just imagine it tens times bigger and louder. They played Brazilian funk all night-the beer was (relitively) cheap and there were lots of guys and gals shaking their ass! A good time time was had by all-we even had a Butlins stylee ass shaking contest! I found out how nice Brazilian me are (by getting pinned to the bar by some guy who wanted to eat me for half an hour before being rescued by a gingo-very traumatic! The party ended at 4am, then it was back to the hotel for another quick nap before the next days sight seeing.

On the last day of tour 1 we went up to Cocovado to see the Christ Statue-an awesome thig-whether you are religious or not. A lot of work went into designing something that would look realisitic yet kind from that height so we were told. We then shopped till we dropped for Havianas (flip flops to those not in the know!) and then headed back to meet the new group for tour 2.

We managed to walk to copacobana and Ipanema before we heded off with the new group. Beautiful beaches with equally good looking people on it.

I will definitely come back to Rio if I get the chance-it~s an mazing place.