Well, they say Sunny Rio.....MY ARSE!!!! So we arrived in Rio hoping for a week sunning ourselves on the beach.. unfortunatley it didn't quite work out as planned as it pissed down and was overcast for 4 days out of 8... They first two were great, spent on Ipanema Beach. They waves were really strong and both Elaine and Andy got caught short in the waves and lost their bottoms in the sea!!! Next few days were overcast and we began to get pretty pissed off with it!! ITS SOOOO UNFAIR!!!.. Visited some of the sights.. Sugar Loaf mountain.... Tara was happy as there was cable car to get us to the top.. Once at the top the view was amazing for about 2 minutes and then a massive storm cloud came over and we couldn't see a damned thing!!!... Next few days we played cards and lot and drank numereous Caprinihas...)tradional Brazilan drink which is 40 proof!! pretty much neat apart from some token lime juice!. Planned a big night out in Lapa which is supposed to be party central.. took 2 cabs and arranged to meet outside Rio Solarium and really good club... Unfortuantley for Andy, Elaine and Anna an american girl we met.. the taxi man did not understand them and dropped them off at the wrong place.... with streets full of people, cram packed and a massive great big circular venue which they assumed was the right place...not knowing this they proceeded to go in as figured there was no chance of finding the others outside and found themselves in a 80 tribute concert in Portugese with about 5000 other Portugese people and not knowing any words!!!! Tara, James and Catherine later informed them what a fab night Rio Solarium was!!! Gutted!! A night out in Copacabana was on the cards... dodging the pouring rain for a start, visited a few bars, one of which we noted had some pretty good looking transvestites and drug dealers sat next to us...__!! thats what Copacabana is all about.. On to a rock club until about 5 in the morning.... They funny thing is in all these bars in Brazil, they give you a card when you enter and you get the barmaid to tick it everytime you have a drink and pay at the end!!.. this really is a recipe for disaster.. how do they expect you not to loose this when you are drinking Caprinihas!! On day 7 the sun finally came out and we hit Cocapabana beach for some rays.. as it turned out Ipanema was much better but it was a good atmosphere... Did the sights Visited Christ himself, along with millions of other tourists and had to fight to have our photo taken in the usual pose... Visited the Macarana stadium, which was under construction and the Cathedral. All in all it was a good week, just which the sodding sun had been on our side before we spend 6 weeks in the cold in New Zealand,, oh well, many a caprihinas were consumed and many a good night out with some cool people that we met!! On to New Zealand...