Bem-vindo a Rio

Arrived in Rio - what can I say - this place is amazing!  I love it already.  After a long 12 hour flight and at least an hour getting through migrations & customs, I´d a 40 minute taxi journey to my fancy hotel!  I felt a bit like a tramp going up to reception with my rucksacks as the clientelle here don´t seem to be into roughing it at all.  Nevertheless the double bed which was more like a triple, was a welcome surprise after being caged up in British Airways economy class for a long time.

Met a lovely Scottish guy at the airport and we shared a taxi to our respective hotels & made a plan to meet up the next morning to do a bit of sightseeing.  I´ve already learnt that you´re never really on your own, as there are so many ´gringos´ (the name for foreign tourists travelling over here) out here by themselves.

After filling up (quite literally) at breakfast - I stuffed my face and my bag with a few things to keep me going through the day, I met up with Alex and we toured around the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.  The beaches are beautiful and we expected to see bronzed and beautiful bodies all over the place (like they show on TV) - how wrong!  There´s a mixture of more untoned bodies all over the place of every size and shape and it was actually really nice, as no-one gives a shit over here what you look like or what you are wearing.

Men of 70+ jogging along the seafront in their speedos - the fashion is wild, but I love it.  If you had two heads, no-one would stop to stare...such an easy going place with lovely people.  We walked for miles and it was 32 degrees (yes, it´s still winter)!!

After doing the beaches, I wanted to branch off and go to a favela.  I visited the ´Santa Marta´ favela which is located on the hillside of Rio.  Any Michael Jackson fans out there will know that he sang his `Earth Song´ here...you know the bit where he sings ¨They don´t really care about us´ bit...¨ that one, which is about that favela.  Wow, the favela was so not you would expect.  Everyone there is employed (but mainly in the low paid service sector) & their community is fantastic.  Houses built out of corrugated iron roofs and others on top of each other. Some poorer houses, along with a bit more wealthier houses squashed in between them.  They´ve their own shops, barbers, school, bars and a big samba hall, where they dance the night away.  Each house has their own TV and 20% of them have internet connection.  There are quite a few dogs and cats roaming around, so visitors have to tread carefully incase they tramp in poo.  I was trying to avoid the animals as I´ve no rabies injection and I can´t have them in general. The kids were cute too - the only English they knew was ´money, money´!

Again, you´re never on your own - I met the airhostesses from BA who were on my flight and heading out tonight with another girl from Norway for a few drinks.  The place is safe during the day and none of that aul shite of taking your jewellery off, not having cameras..all the tourists had them.  As long as you´re sensible and wary, you´re grand.  Follow what the locals do and never go out in dark on your own - taxi, taxi, taxi. 

Well, I´m only here really a day, and I love it...welcome to Rio.  Tomorrow, I downgrade into a hostel = meeting more people and more fun!!