Ola!!!

Following Paraty we headed for RIO!!!! The best place in the world, EVER!!! The first thing we did when we got there was a favella tour. That was really eye opening, it´s like another world. You walk around and one minute your chatting to some kids who live there or something and the next you turn a corner and there´s guys with machine guns!! Its mad, so interesting though, really really enjoyed it. So ghetto its untrue!!

That night (Saturday) we all went to a really nice Sushi resturaunt in Copacabana and then onto a club in Lapa. It was such an amazing night, they really know how to party here in Rio!! We all got rather tipsy and just had a real giggle!!

The next day we went to watch Flamengos (my team, ha ha!!) play Fluminese at the Maracana Stadium, its a local derby so it was AWESOME!! The atmosphere is just crazy, they all chant and light flares and wave flags and jump up and down so much you feel like the whole stadium is moving!! Its brilliant!! We (ha ha, `we` I´m talking as though I´ve supported them my whole life!!) drew 2-2 in the end.

That night we went to (and I still can´t quite believe this...) a favella party. It was absolutely crazy, loved it!! (and it was an organised thing...we didn´t just stroll in!! ha ha!!) They play Brazillian funk music, which whilst its not my usual beloved indie rock and roll, I quite enjoyed, ha ha!! There was a VIP section where the tourists (or gringos as we´re known over here) could stay but we went right into the main bit to dance with the favella kids, ha ha, it was so funny!! Was such a good night, we all loved it!! It closed at 4 and it seemed far too early, we didn´t wanna leave!! (even though it was a Sunday, ha ha!!)

The next night we met up with Matteus, our friend who we met in Santiago who lives over here, we met him in a student pub near the Uni so that was cool, bet hardly any gringos go there!!

On Tuesday we went to see Christ the Redeemer in the morning, its absolutely amazing!! Thats when you know you´re in Rio just because it´s so iconic!! Took so many photo´s!! The views of the city and sugar loaf from up there are amazing too. We had this crazy taxi driver who was a legend!! He took us there and through Santa Teresa and to see Lapa´s arches, and the cathederal, various points of interest in the city really, and he spouted off in Portuguese and didn´t speak a word of English but somehow we understood most of what he was saying!! ha ha!! That night we went to a BBQ at Matteus´s!! So much fun, didn´t get back till nearly 5am, we´ve found the only Brazillians in Brazil who are pretty much as English as us, and who love rock n roll!!!! whoop!! ha ha!!

Today we all chilled out really, popped to see Ipanema beach and then changed hostels, we said goodbye to Ipanema Wave and hello to Mellow Yellow in Copacabana!! Think we might go and see sugar loaf tomorrow, then we´re going out to a club (not like us....ha ha!!)

I´ll keep you posted!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sept 15th, writing from Buenos Aires:

Hola!! So much to write about....here goes...

Our Thurday in Rio was brilliant!! We went out to a club called Casa de Matrix that played INDIE and 60´s MUSIC!!! We were in heaven!! ha ha!! We stopped at Mellow Yelllow bar and a really typical Brazillian bar on the way too (where everyone drinks outside on the street. (well, I wasn´t drinking cos I´d gone to the docs about my elephant foot and it turns out it was infected so I was on antibiotics, booo) but it was sooooo good it didn´t matter at all!! We went withMatteus et al and by the endof the night I think our whole hostel was there too!! Such a good night, it eneded perfectly when Barn, Nic and I went for McDonalds at 4am too!! ha ha!!

The following day we spent on Copacabaa beach, then I had to go for an x-ray (ha ha, no broken bones, yay!!) and then that night we went out to the street party in Lapa!! That was cool, we didn´t stay too late (i.e. we left bout 3am - well early for Brazil!! ha ha). Its really good there just LOADS of people out on the street with music (lots of samba type stuff) blaring out from everywhere!! BEST PLACE IN THE WORLD!!