It is now the 1st of March and this morning we woke up in Rio de Janeiro! We left the peaceful island behind yesterday and four hours later we arrived at our hostel in Ipanema. This area is closer to some of the nicer beaches in Rio and we have heard that it is safer around this area. Really though we have never really felt that unsafe here in South America. Other travellers have said the same thing and the media has given some of the cities here a bad reputation. Yes you do need to be more careful here but it is not as dangerous as some people might think. Still everyone has their own opinion. We met some travellers who had been told to not even leave the bus terminal in Sao Paulo and that it is very dangerous there. We spent a week there and didn't feel this way. Still I wouldn't go wandering around at night alone, and we always do our research into what the suburbs are like before we go there. We also met a guy in Curitiba who told us, 'Don't go to Bolivia'! about ten times. I know someone who just came back from there and visited the salt flats and they said it was the highlight of their trip so each to their own I guess.

So here we are in Rio! Our hostel is in a little lane off one of the main streets in Ipanema. There are many hostels in this laneway and it has been given the nickname, 'hostel alley'. We booked a private room and this room is actually on the other side of the road in an apartment building. This was a surprise to us, however it is like a small apartment here and we have our own room, bathroom and a shared kitchen and lounge area. We can go over to the hostel whenever we like and make breakfast and use all the facilities there. We are paying more than we normally do though, but this is Rio and it is peak season. I really like this place, the rooms are nicely decorated and it is light, clean and has character. The view out the window has so much to see and is very interesting to already see such contrasts of the city. We can even see mount Corcovado with the statue of Christ on top! He is very small from here but we can see him! We can also see modern apartments right under a favela, a rooftop soccer ground, palms trees, a kids play centre, layers of buildings and a little hanging flower ornament sits below our window for birds to feed from. There were ones just like this on the island where humming birds fed from, but I don't expect to see a humming bird here. All this from our window! On the other side of the building is the beach. To the east is the city and the west is where we just came from. I am feeling more orientated arriving here, perhaps because in contrast Sal Paulo is so gigantic that this city feels much easier to navigate.

…… and 12 days later I'm back to finishing this blob about Rio! We both really liked it here and our time just went so fast which was the only downside. I have never experienced a city quite like Rio before. A cosmopolitan city that is full of many contrasts through its landscapes and the people who live here. The landscape here is what captures my attention with the mountains running along the backdrop of the city and spilling out along the coast. There are people from all walks of life going about their daily lives where the rich and poor live next door to each other. The city has its share of high rises, modern glass buildings and ornate cathedrals, and right down the road the beach is full of palm trees, soccer balls and coconuts.

During our stay we opted for one of the tours where two locals take us out on a mini bus and show us some of the sights around town. We haven't joined a tour group before besides one bus ride in Sao Paulo, but we thought we would give it a shot. The day turned out really well and the tour guide we had explained things about the city and the people who live here. Visiting Christ the Redeemer was a moment to remember, and finally we got to see him in real life size and not the tiny little white dot from our window. On this day we also stopped by the Lapa steps where Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón placed all sorts of tiles that he had collected from around the world. The history behind this story is interesting and worth looking up. I was in my element here and took many photos of the patterns and colours which will become inspiration for me. The last place we visited was Sugar Loaf where the cable carts take you up to the top of the mountain. Here we saw the sunset through the thick blanket of clouds. We could see Christ again in the distance and the view down below was even more impressive. There is no other coastline quite like this one.

There were many things to explore throughout Rio however we didn't have the luxury of time on our hands due to a few hiccups with booking flights to Bolivia, however the time we had here was worth it. Four weeks ago we arrived in Brazil and we were planning on spending about three weeks here. We could easily spend three weeks more! As hard as it is to leave this beautiful country, we jump on a bus and make our way to Bolivia….

Our time in Brazil has been colourful, upbeat, hot yet refreshing and has opened my eyes to a whole other world. We have tasted new fruits, walked through jungles, swam through lagoons and have navigated our way through metropolis's. The weather has been hot every day and every night the fan stays on. Walking through the streets or relaxing on the beaches, there is a different vibe and people go about their daily lives singing out loud or humming. There are many sights of happiness yet many sights of poverty. Brazil is unique and rich in culture and full of warm smiles. Hopefully through its charms the gap between the fortunate and the poor will come closer. For a country that is so beautiful and dynamic, it should be only fair that everyone can enjoy its charm especially all the people of Brazil.