GETTING TO BRAZIL - JUST SO YOU KNOW WE´RE OK!!!!!

Number 55 bus 10.24 am Wootton Bassett to Swindon. Wait for National Express bus for nearly an hour because it was late. Get food from Tesco - meal deal and scotch eggs. Bus finally turns up. Comfy journey to Heathrow. Open bag to look for something, bag smells of egg - nice. Quick transfer through check in. Buy book (new Karen Slaughter book to add to the collection and the weight of my bag!). Have a pint. Board plane - 4pm. Watch 2 films - Duplicity (crap) / I love You Man (good). Have plane food (was good - I enjoy plane food). Pen leaks in bag and over new harem trousers and my manicure, great. Change trousers. Scrub hands (no luck, ink everywhere). Nap. More food. Come into New York after 7 hour flight - horrible landing. Transit in New York was a short wait. Wacthed CNN. Boarded next plane. Rich saw Statue of Liberty, I didn´t. More food on plane. Lost lock on bag. Slept. Woke Up. Slept some more. Woke up. Wriggled about and woke up Rich (I wish I could fly first class!). Breakfast on plane - croissants and juice, good. Perfect landing into Sao Paulo. Off plane again. Transit - getting bored now. Fell in love with jewellery from H.Stern (Rich take note!). On plane again. 1 hour flight to Brazil. See countryside, favelas and Sugar Loaf Mountain, awesome. Taxi ride from airport to south side of Rio. Taxi driver was informative and friendly, gave us mini tour. Arrive in Ipanema. Beach time. Coffee time (we need a Portugese hand book, ordering was a nightmare!). Hostel (Che Lagarto) - lush double room with en suite (was a surprise!). Sorted stuff out. Rich got confused by the mosqito net! Out for dinner - walked up and down the main road in Ipanema - cool shops. Finally ate. Raw beef with cheese and garlic sauce - surprisingly good. Rich had beef rice garlic crumble poached egg and a banana - yes you read that right and again surprisingly good (even the banana)! Now writing this so you´re up to date with our first (and rather non-eventful but safe) day of travels! Now it´s beer time!