Rio de Janeiro: first leg

This place is crazy!

We´re currently sitting in an internet cafe in Copacabana and the time is ticking down so what follows will be a very short account of the first few days in Rio. Yes please.

After the 7 hour bus ride to Rio we shared a taxi with Isabella, a elderly woman with a slightly scrunched up face who sat next to Fausto on the bus, took an immediate liking to him and insisted on calling him ´Faust!´ like they were old friends. Isabella says hi by the way. Just kidding. After mothering Fausto for the entire bus ride she gave all of us a kiss on the cheek as we parted ways on the main street (Atlantico) of Copácobana. We miss her dearly.

After another hectic search for a place to stay, we climbed a huge hill about 4 blocks back from copacabana beach and found Rio Backpackers, a smallish hostel with a friendly vibe - full of other young travellers of varying nationalities. We were welcomed with Caipirinia´s from Dean the barman (a lad from Manchester who had somehow found his way into the position of barman simply by staying at the hostel for too long and had developed the inability to leave Rio). We met a couple of Frankfurters (Germans, not sausages), Felix und Linda, who we took a liking too immediatly. But we have discovered that with people coming and going, one cant get attached to the frankfurters one meets, can one? Oh felix...

We spent a sunburnt day on Copacabana beach where we ate (2) (tiny) PRAWNS (each) for lunch and watched the Cariocas (Rio-folk) enjoying the sun and showing far too much skin for their own good. We have, sadly, discovered that, contrary to popular belief, not all Brazilians look like Alesandra Ambrosia - some of them simply should not be allowed to wear g-strings.

In celebration of good friday, there was a huuuuge street samba party in Lapa, in central Rio. Absolute madness ensued and soon the three Gringos were the undisputed kings of Samba. Not really, but we gave it a go, shirtless and all. The experience of buying beer from an 8-year-old street vendor is one we wont soon forget, althought I must say he was more efficient and friendlier than most Joburg barmen.

Tomorrow we go to Maracana - a massive football stadium to watch a Rio derby of Flamengo playing Vasco de Gama (not the portugese explorer - a local football team).

Alright time is up. Pics from Sao Paulo are up so check em! (http://picasaweb.google.com.br/steveo.zogg/Saopaulopicsfromthefirsttwodaysoftheadventure)

Peace. Los Gringos