I walk through customs and immediately get jumped on a by a dozen taxi drivers, I explain that I´m getting the bus...the guy lets out a little snigger... `the bus finishes at 10 (...its 10 to 10 and I need some local currency). I frantically seek and cash point and eventually find one after scaling 3 flights of stairs. (9.57). I make it (a bit of a sweaty mess). As I board the bus (throwing my high denominations at the driver saying the words ´Bogafoto)...it dawns on me that I know not a word of Portuguese. I (seek anyone English looking and) meet ´Hugh´ a very middle class young man from the New Forrest...God bless Hugh... We had nothing in common but at that moment in time (it felt like) we needed each other.
If you´ve never been to Rio it can appear to be fairly intimidating under the cloak of the night, we (Hugh and I) pass many empty streets and Fevela districts...(empty streets, Fevela districts and crazed bus drivers make me nervous). We´re keeping our eyes peeled for a shopping centre...from there we will get cabs to our pre arranged hostels. I eventually make it and hit the sack (...a 2mm thick mattress).
The next day was spent getting my bearings...apparently Brazil are playing their first match in the World Cup and I should watch it. I don't normally watch football but I´d make an exception in this case.
Most of the day is spent walking round a lake and by Ipenema Beach... it turns out, if your by water in this area then its almost compulsory to be jogging and have gigantic pictorials' ...I pass several workout stations, they appear to be every 50 yards or so (I assume just in case your muscles slightly deflate before passing the next).
I eat my first ´per kilo ´meal... a buffet of your choice (mainly meat / beans and rice), the cost determined by its weight... (Mine came in at 0.494). Its almost kick off. I find an avenue off the beach which is heavily decorated in the Brazilian colours, which appears to be populated by a local neighbourhood. Cool (I think)....I´ll get down with the locals (the genuine travellers experience). I do this by bowling up to the bar and ordering a gigantic Beer.
I watch (I drink some more gigantic beers)
From what I could tell the Brazillians are pretty passionate about 22 men kicking a football and they are fairly happy that they had won (there are ´bombas´ and horns going off all over the shop).
This leads me to the beginning of this post and my slightly boozy induced confident state.
I watch (I drink some more gigantic beers)
From what I could tell the Brazillians are pretty passionate about 22 men kicking a football and they are fairly happy that they had won (there are ´bombas´ and horns going off all over the shop).
This leads me to the beginning of this post and my slightly boozy induced confident state.
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