Rio Samba Show and Beach Football

Great show last evening, colourful costumes, skillful dancing girls 6ft tall without their heels on, and they really could move and shake!! The pre dinner meal was a steak eaters paradise, though as you know i don't really like rare meat. At one point i used my barbaqued banana as a damn to stop the river of blood from contaminating my salad!! I managed to exchange the superb steak for Damian's banana, so we were both happy. Liah, I tried a small bottle of red Sauvignon from Brazil 2005, I think you would have enjoyed it. Back to the show, it was full of energy to say the least. The couple we were sitting with were from california and in their 80s. When the show was overthe woman remarked that she felt exhausted, and that yoga was never quite like that...her husband on the other hand almost skipped out of the door with the biggest smile beaming from his face!!!

Next I would like to announce that after all these years, Damian and I have found a common passion.....discovered on Weds evening from a comfortable position reclining in a champagne cocktail bar adjoining Copacovana beach. Ladies it was beach football, a very serious league game....let me explain.....the men wear special tight short shorts, bare feet, and some don't wear shirts, just their team bib. Well, I found myself able to comment on exceleration on and off the ball and various other technicalities...though Damian did tell me that the yellow team were far more skillful than the black team....not from where I was sitting!

Earlier that day we were picked up by a shiney black taxi, driver and guide. We went up to see the statue, along a beach or two, ate lunch in a special steak restuarant, went up the sugar loaf and were dropped back at the hotel. A really good way of getting orientated.

On Thursday, we thought we would take a strole and a swim on the beach....several obstacles unknown before 1) there are no white bodies at all walking, jogging, sitting or trying to swim. 2)The waves even on the calm day are tremendous surf waves...no women swim, they simply stand in the waves up to their ankles and douse themselves with seawater from a bucket, 3)the sand gets very hot when youcan't remember where you put your flip flops and shorts, 4) the long shore drift takes you much further down the beach than you think, and the statue of the soldier marking our place is not visible from the shoreline. Damian made his way accross the sand by sprinting and then throwing his shirt down and standing on it as he searched for our things...there are more stories to be told on our return.

Flight form Rio to Iguazu: This was very special. We left Rio mid afternoon and circled Rio harbour, flew south along the coast , turned south westerly to fly over San Paulo and then approached iguazu. The plane was about a fifth full, and the pilot flew 2 low circles over the falls before landing. We were all moving from side to side to see the spectacle....we literally had a window each, and the opportunity to move despite the seat belt regulation!!!! Our hotel is over the border in Argentina, inPuerto iguaza, is very comfortable, with a swimming pool set in lush tropical gardens. Can't wait to see the falls tomorrow. Our guide is calling at 8am, he says we'll be out for 4 hours tomorrow on the Brazilian side of the falls, and for the whole day on the Argentinian side on Sunday.