On Friday 20th Feb we arrived back in Rio for Carnival. After being dropped off at Hotel Vila Rica by the fast-track minibus we were told that they had had a boiler leak so we were being moved to another hotel in a better area. We were a bit disappointed as although we knew it wasnt the best area from the last time we stayed, we were really looking forward to the breakfast as it was one of the best we had in Brazil! So we got a taxi to the new hotel which we were told was nearer the bars and nearer to Sambodromo.....it was only up the other end of the dodgy main road in Lapa! Not really a nicer or safer area at all! But the hotel was clean, albeit a bit seedy with mirrors on the back wall of the bedrooms and on the ceiling!! And the first thing to flash up on the TV was porn!

That night we got in touch with Helen and Sarah, a couple of girls who we met while in Paraty, and went to meet them at their hostel. We had a drink there before gonig back to Lapa street party which goes on every Friday night. As it was Carnival time it was even more busy than usual and there was also something going on at Cinelandia, a square of cafes and bars just down the road. After a few drinks we jumped in a taxi to Ipenema, had some chips at a bar there and then went back to our hotel.

We had a bit of a lazy day on Saturday apart from picking up our tickets for Iguazu for the Monday. Then we got in touch with Hannah and Kez who we also met in Paraty and met them and their friend Nick at another hostel where someone else from Paraty was staying. We thought we were going to a bloco party in Ipenema but someone suggested that wasnt going ahead or had already finished by the time we got out, so we suggested Lapa again, knowing that it was buzzing! We ended up bumping into a load more people who we had been friendly with in Paraty and had a drink with them. Was funny how we managed to bump into so many people we knew when there were thousands of people in the streets! We were having such a good time we didnt realise how quickly the time was going and before we knew it, it was 5 am and time to go home!

On Sunday we went and met up with Helen, Linda and Jean-Pablo in Ipenema where there was another bloco street party. We were there from about 2ish to 9pm, standing chatting on the beach front and watching all the people. We got caught up in a crowd following a big float around the streets. Again, there were thousands of people singing along to the music from the float and following them along the beach front! It was crazy to watch! The photos are on disposable camera so hopefully will get them on Facebook at some point.

Later on we went for something to eat and a sit down in an Irish pub nearby. We left Helen, Linda and Jean-Pablo at around 8pm as Hannah and Kez had managed to get us cheap tickets for Sambodromo that evening. We raced down the beach front in Copacabana after getting off the bus way too early! Met them at their apartment and went to catch the bus from the nearby hostel.

Sambodromo was absolutely buzzing with people! We were taken on a bit of a wild goose chase trying to find the right entrance for our block. When we eventually got in there, it was so jam packed we were pushing and shoving along with everyone else to try and find a place to stand as there were no seats left anywhere. We were thinking then that it wasnt worth the 30 quid tickets, even if that was a discount of nearly 150 quid!

However, after watching one parade people started to dispurse and when we came back to watch a second we managed to find a better place to stand and we really enjoyed it. We watched 3 parades before leaving at about 3 o clock in the morning. It was absolutely amazing, the floats were fab, there was thousands and thousands of people enjoying themselves, dancing and singing. It was like nothing we've seen before and we would love to do it all again. The photos again are on disposable so hopefully will follow.....

After a very short sleep we waved goodbye to Brazil and boarded the coach for our 20 hour bus journey to Iguazu Falls, Argentina......

Brazil leaves us with so many memories....mostly good but a couple of bad ones too!

Recommendations for anyone wishing to visit Brazil:

White people get a tan beforehand so you dont stick out like a sore thumb!
If you are a man, have some meat on your bones, preferably muscle, so you're not an easy target!
Girls dye your hair dark!
Dont carry anything in your pockets or you risk having it robbed!
Defo experience the Lapa street party on a Friday night!
Defo go during Carnival and pay for good seats at Sambodromo!
And...if you go to Paraty, stay in Historic Hostel. Not too clean but excellent for meeting great people.