WE LOVE RIO DE JANEIRO!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHH!

I will write this blog properly very soon.

Miss you all and love yas lots

Kate and Jon xxxx

Ok, sorry about how long its taken me to write this blog!!

So Rio De Janeiro! We had such an amazing time over carnaval!

Our hostel, the lighthouse was brilliant, very small with only one dorm room and one double. We shared the eight bed dorm with some lovely friends, Yun, from Essex, and Sophie and Hollie from Australia! There were a group of Aussies lads aswell but they were on serious party mode and we didnt see much of them!

Our first night in Rio, before Carnaval had started we headed to a samba club, we were joined by Aussie blokes Tonga and Simon, who were also part of our carnaval gang! The samba club was brilliant. You couldnt help but shake your thang to the live music, especially after a few, very strong, but free caiprianhas!!

The next day, we headed for Sugar Loaf, but unfortunatley it was really cloudy and miserable, so pointless going to the top, we wouldnt have been able to see a thing. But we had a stroll around and saw the monkeys playing in the trees!!

We were organised completly by our hostel owner, Silvia, who is the craziest yet lovliest person in Brazil. She ordered us to the market to buy our costumes as "You will feel stupid if you don't have a costume for carnaval baby"!! So off we went! The market shops for the carnaval gear were amazing. Full of sparkles, beads, sequins, feathers and Brazilians on the hunt for their costumes!! As you all know i opted for the gypsy look and Jon for the jail bird!!

The next day carnaval began. We headed for one of the bloco's (street parties) and joined with our gang had a wicked time!! The crowd was packed and everybody was so friendly, sometimes, overly so!

From here on it just got better and better, we headed for Lapa one night, and watched street dancers strut their stuff! Ha! They even tried to teach us a few basic steps, which didnt really go too well, but gota try these things! ha!

We actually took part in the proper Carnaval, jumping and dancing like nutters down the sambadrome behind one of the floats, dressed in our costumes and waving to the crowds!!

We re-visited Lapa and got mugged! Which was scary, Jon was very brave, i cried!! Ha! But the bloke held up a broken glass vodka bottle to Jons tummy shouting at him for his money!! All they got was money and we were safe and sound in the end.

We watched the best dance schools on the last day of carnaval at the sambadrome!! They were amazing!! Have you watched the "Samba baby" video?? Brazilian people have more rhythm than the rest of the world put together, im sure of it!! Even waiting to dance down the sambadrome, the bin men, banged on their bins to make a beat and they danced and moved like professionals!!

We sang , danced and was merry for the whole week!! I was actually tearful when we left!! Brazil was a real highlight for us, Me in particular.

Hope you are all well?? We are mising you all lots.

Now in New Zealand, next blog on its way soon.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx