So after arriving at Rio airport and finding a reasonable cab I made it to what I thought was my hostel, however nothing is plain sailing! wrong address...so after my second cab ride I arrived at my hostel - Che Lagarto, Copacabana. After checking in I went straight to sleep after my long haul flight, numerous free wines and a confused body clock!

When I woke up I made my way across the bay to my hotel meeting point for the first trip I have planned - Project Brazil. Once checked in I had a quick change and headed to the beach. Here sticking out like a sore thumb to put it bluntly is not an exaggeration, been blessed (or not!) with the pale english rose skin which after a 4 month ski season is close to that of an albino is not the average sight on the Brazillian beach front. Anyway I set to work on my tan!

In the evening a met someone who was also volunteering and we headed out for dinner, here it is pay per kilo and you weigh your food...not my cup of tea to be honest, felt abit like a Little Chef on a motorway however I enjoyed getting to know my new fellow traveller, a few glasses of wine and then I headed back to the hostel for a Favella Funk party. Here I met some english speakers and got a minibus to one of the many favellas. The party was in a warehouse and the music (Funk) is created in the Favellas and is about having a good time but also the favella life and the various gang and drug issues - although I could not understand a word! Together with my new friends we danced the night away and I returned back to the hotel at around 7 am nice and fresh for my 8:30 taxi to Rochinha - the favella I was going to be volunteering in!