`Tom`s taking too bloody long on this...he thinks he's George Orwell.`

A German with a big c*** is not the way we pictured our first night in Rio. After touching down at the airport we headed in a taxi towards the Pousada Favelinha - which is located near St. Teresa; a small village on a forested hillside overlooking the entire city, directly opposite Sugarloaf Mountain. A Favelha is technically a shanty town but the people were very friendy...a passer by stopped to carry Victoria's bag down to the hostel...imagine strapping a bungalow to your back and then filling it with the Weightwatchers international convention and you still won`t be close to how heavy her bag is.

 In the Pousada we were met by a German called Andreas. A 50-something brick s***house of a man who was touring the world to complete his collection of photos of naked ladies (mums...don't panic at this point, he was quite gentle and was very apologetic for the War). For our evening meal we had white beans in a pork sauce with rice and salad, which Victoria loved but I didn't given the fact that I'd had curry at the airport, curry on the plane and frankly felt like I could jet over to the mountains using my own wind. Feeling constricted to the confines of the hostel and not giving a toss about the fall of the Berlin Wall we decided to make our escape to the relative civilisation of Copacabana. (oh...and the c*** thing is a reference to the cockerel which lived next door and wound the German up more than the Normandy invasions).

Today has been spent travelling to Copacabana using the metro, which has been 'de nada'. The beach is beautiful (well it would be if I could have seen it from behind Victoria`s bags!). The hotels are really expensive- and after a morning of looking for a place to stay we decided to be constructive...by sitting in a bar and drinking oursleves silly...er, I mean 'savouring the culture'. We're fine now though, currently writing this from the Copahostel...and meeting ANOTHER person from Brighton. Tomorrow we will head off again to see Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain and hopefully avoid Germans and chickens. (oh...apparently we`re going to sunbathe tomorrow)

Amazing to read all of your messages! Talk among yourselves...it`s funny.

(Pat we're not drinking that much....water)

 Love to you all,

 Bon Noite,

Tom and Victoria xxxx Rio...1/5/07