David:

Bit behind schedule since we have been on a tropical island for the last few days and I didn´t feel like going writing...

Anyway, third day in Rio we decided we should spend a day at the beach. Had the usual breakfast (ham and cheese rolls and fruit) and headed off down to Ipanema on the Subway (very safe and easy to use btw)

The beach is about 500metres from the subway station so we grabbed some water in a shop and off we went. Since it was a thursday in the middle of their Springtime, it wasnt exactly mobbed on the beach, but still a pretty good crowd... and what a lovely beach!!!! The sand is really soft (not the softest however... as you will read about when I get around to it), and the views up and down the beach, and out to see are great. Lots of people walking and jogging (and doing situps on benches).... I can only imagine what it is like during the summer months.

After a dip each (we had to take turns), and a well bartered purchase of a sarong/towell that everyone seems to use we headed across to the Copacobana beach which is more or less next door. The copocabana neighbourhood isnt as expensive as the Ipanema hood, but it was hard to tell really. We went up off the beach to get some money and food.... robbed some water from the bank.... and back down for some more people watching and swimming

A lot of people have warned us about the beaches, and also I have heard about brazillians not being very nice.... While we were sitting on the copa beach I heard the guy (looked like he was talking a break from world of warcraft) sitting nearest us shouting something, I turned my head and saw a kid run up the beach towards town with a manky old pair of converse runners under his arm. The guy chased him for about 3 metres and then gave up. He gestured to me what I understood to me something along the lines of "Arse!!!!" and shrugged his shoulders.... me and Reg thought maybe his wallet was in his shoes. After a while with him still standing looking up at where the boy had run off too, a man (maybe a police man) came down the beach with the guys shoes.. smiles all around.... happy ending :). Later while reg was out swimming a nice older brazillian woman asked if I`d like to leave my bag with her while I went swimming with Reg.

After that, we headed back to the hostel for diner and made plans for our next adventure.... Ilha Grande... the Grand Island... our is it the Big Island... it was big and it was grand

We had rounded up to Mayo lads and a Dutch fella at this stage... and the five us made enquiries about buses and boats for the next chapter of the book