Brief 2hour transit in bogota Columbia and I'm heading for rio with a wet sail. I guess only now it was actually starting to dawn on me that;
a)I'm heading to a foreign country. b) I'm alone. c) I don't speak a f***ing lick of portugese !!
f*** it ... #YOLO
Funnily enough I met Harry in bogota. Backpacking around South America with two other mates but they had separated due to visa confusions. He was from Brisbane and we were staying at the same hostel.
After a little mission to find the joint in the backstreets of copacabana we were desperate to hit the beach.. We were frothing!!. Body surfing 2ft closeouts and calling each other onto waves like 14yr old grommies.. Really had to savor that moment..
On our return to the hostel i bumped into 3 kiwi guys who I just happened to be staying in their room.
Draper, DC and Matty ... Little did I know now that the two brothers (Matty and DC) would combine forces with myself and reek havoc throughout a few more South American countries.
The first night the Four of us joined Harry and his other 2 pals (Hommus and Liam) and went on a boat party in Rio's main harbor. Heaps loose! A fall from the top to bottom deck by DC resulted in some serious blood loss via the ear- perfect!!
Me Harry and Hommus nearly got booted for climbing on the roof of the boat.. I could go on about Hommus with stories for ages but just trust when I say the bloke is one filthy shameless human that certainly knew how to party !!
The next morning we woke all feeling like week old socks (weathered) and decided we should go get some groceries... I don't know what the hell happened but we didnt make it to a grocery store.. we were on a train to a block party in San Teresa and didn't return to around 8pm. Stuff groceries it's Carnivale; what were we thinking !? Couldn't of asked for a more authentic Brazilian experience - so LOOSE!!! Over a hundred thousand people jammed in this cobbled street lined with apartments where people would spray water out of to cool off the rowdy crowd.. Drums, costumes, samba and plenty of booze !
Groceries ??? Really !?
Our hostel was reamed with travelers from all over the world so it was never hard to find a crew to head out with or just make new friends... I was fast developing a reputation for myself as a loud, tatted Australian that once the sun was down would hit absolute beast mode !
Draper was sick to hang with during the day and we were always getting into mischief of a night. One day we walked and drank beers with other guys from the hostel all the way from copacabana to ipanema. Joined a block party and went for a swim once we got to ipanema. Didn't know what was going on when we noticed thousands of people gathered around a hotel entrance screaming at guys on the balcony... Later found out it was jay-z and beyonce with kanye (uhhhhh!!) and will smith !! Pretty sick
One night i organized through a local chick that worked at our hostel for me and a few lads to go to a favela party! One of the best things I have ever done... So ghetto, got a cab to the bottom of the favela where u then had to walk up a little hill where we were met by a small crowd that we all piled into a mini van with.. Lucky there was a couple local girls there who could speak English cause we literally had no idea where we were or where we were going! Out of the van down side streets, up stairs, through Back alleys down stairs and we arrive at the entrance of a nightclub positioned on the edge of the cliff face over looking the entire ipanema beach - HOLY s***! This place was unbelievable, an open air club with one of the most spectacular views you could ever witness. Me and the Boys were among maybe another 6-8 travellers in this generally locals only club. DJs from the states playing some fresh beats and we were cutting sick ... By about 4am me and draper took the early guilty plea and decided to head out as we were both pissed as 10 men. The next bright idea was to pay two local dudes on scooters to race us all the way back to copacabana on the back of their mopeds ... A good 20minute ride. So crazy weaving through traffic, taking blind corners, up on the foot paths even driving on the wrong side of the bloody road.. These guys were nuts. Haven't even mentioned draper who's hanging off the side his moped squealing like a girl trying to get go-pro footage ... Moron!
Had so many accidental benders in rio it wasn't funny.. Highlights having to be when I performed the haka.. Climbed on the roof with Jordan crazy Welshman(another loose cannon), Jerry springer esque fights (also with Jordan), got nude in front at Least a group of 20 predominantly girls (they weren't impressed) and taking a call from the owner of the hostel saying she can see me on camera , get off the roof and stop drinking after hours in her hostel ... Whoops!
By far my best effort was late in the rio campaign. Felt like I hadn't slept for days when the boys made the call to hit a block party just down the front at copacabana. I was feeling the worst of the lot but managed to perk up. Dominating a dance circle with my mind blowing (perhaps life chaging) limb flailing maneuvers. Shortly after draper and myself sore a big trampoline set up in the street and thought it only fitting that we go and jump on it... After getting chased off by the owner of course a second turn was in order. This time nearly being impaled by a 10ft umbrella that the owner was viciously swinging at me.. Got out fine but a good 15 minutes later the owner comes pacing up the street accompanied by a police officer .. Uh-oh! He was claiming that I had damaged the tramp.. The cop holding my bicep tightly and with a tazer pressed firmly at my chest was going to need some convincing -($$$)
"Don't leave me draper !" .. "Pay the man !!" He yells ... 20reals and we were out of there like a flash !!
Call that one a learning experience. We were feeling as though Rio had swallowed us whole and were just praying this party nightmare would end with us being spat out alive .
I was a broken man ...
I did do a lot else in rio besides party and make an idiot out of myself, but that's gonna have to be another entry ;)
I almost feel a little ill from writing that !