Hola, Okay how are you doing guys, this is the first entry in a while, since Paraty, then my birthday happened and it's been one big party since then, Rio deserves it's reputation as one of the coolest places in the world. I loved it. I had a fantastic birthday in Paraty helped by their very own brand of sugar cane alchohol, had to be some of the strongest stuff I've ever had, almost 50% proof, but it does make you smell like a hobo, it started on the 9th and stopped when we left Rio just yesterday. I've probably had only a nights sleep in the last 5 days, hence I slept for 15 hours last night straight through. Hopefully I will sleep on the next leg of our journey, a 16 hour bus ride from Santa Cruz to La Paz, climbing the 3000m plus trek overnight. No booze for me for a few days not until we've sussed the altitude thing. Our Tango and Samba tour ended with a bang, and I feel as if I've done my fair share of my own brand of Tango and Samba helped by a beautiful senorita. That had to be one of the best birthdays I've had ever, surrounded by the wonderful people on our tour. Paraty is a really great little town, full of colonial buildings and rough cobbled streets, donkeys leading carts and men fishing from the only bridge in town. As you follow the coast from their to Rio you gaze at wonderful beaches, and blue turquoise seas, although I did catch some shut eye at this point. Lots of people ride bikes here, and you can buy bananas from people sleeping in hammocks, watch out for spiders. We did all we could in the short time we had in Rio, we partied hard, we drank the local beverages, we visited many of the sites, Christ the redeemer, sugar loaf mountain, ipanema, leblon and copacabana beaches, we also took in the cathedral and saw some favelas, that's where the poor people live, driving through you really wouldn't want to be there at night, but they mostly had smiles, always the hardest part is seeing the children on the street. We saw the long straight stadium where each year they hold the carnival and Andy even tried on a costume, pictures soon to come. The weather in Rio was unpredictable and we've seen our fair share of rain, had coconuts on Ipanema, although technically Leblon, it is the same beach divided by a small river channel. I even walked on Ipanema beach after midnight, it's completley floodlit so no chance of any dark places anywhere (one of the Lonely Planets don't do that). I felt much safer here than Sao Paolo. Even got to use the buses and metro which is very cheap. London Underground take note. It's an awesome, inspiring place, where I've spent time with great people, and is certainly one of the best places I've visited on this trip, our tour has also been a fantatstic experience, and I'm hoping we've made some friends for life. As for the football, well Sao Paolo let us down, their fans were so badly behaved in the the previous game that the game we were going to see was moved 4 hours away to avoid the mass riots and problems that occurred when Sao Paolo played an Argentinian team. However all was redeemed as we went to see Vasco de Gama play Flemencia at the Macarana stadium, the biggest stadium, and boy was it an experience. After 5 mins I decided who I was going to support, my decision made easier by the group in front of me who were passionately following Vasco. Hence I cheered and howled and ahhed and booed with the best of them, and got ecstatic when Vasco scored the winning goal. Claire and Andy had decked themselves out in Flemencia, and were siutably ribbed when leaving the stadium. Firecrackers and very large flags flashed and waved and it was a tremendous experience, one I would certainly do again. Santa Cruz a sweet little town if you avoid the street money changers, a few dodgy taxi drivers, the taxi we had to the bus station, I only had half a door! It has a lovely sqaure with an impressive red brick church and museums, and some really good ice cream and coffee places. No one speaks english and even if they do they refuse to speak it. So my spanish face has been working overtime, the claw has been out (explain the reference another time for those who don't get it). Anyway, we are off now for a hellish bus ride, 16 hours long, probably said that already. Claire has just freaked herself out by reading someone elses experince on the Copacabana MEM bus service, cockroaches, freezing cold, ah well, maybe there will will be a few chickens and goats on board too. It all adds to the experience that is South America. Adios Amigos, lots of love to everyone, Pistol Pedro y Senorita Clarita xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx