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Backpack Party!!
Hey everybody!!! Have you all noticed that I have added about a bizillion photos for your viewing pleasure?! I hope that you like them... I apologise to anybody who is offended by the sight of me make-up-free, I know it can be hard to see at times!!lol. Bet you never thought that you`d get me posing for photos naked face did yall?? Well, Im a real hardcore backpacker now!!!lol.
Anyway, I`ll begin on Sunday, when Mum and Paul arrived. (For those who were presently unaware, we are now together in Rio- Tupiniquim Hostel to be exact, Botafogo,)
Left the volunteer house at about 10 ish Sunday morning, after some initial confusion about what time the flight from Miami arrived- Mum had told me to be at the Hostel for 9.30, but turns out that they didn`t arrive at the Hostel until later due to a delay at customs.
Anyway, was syked to see Mum and Paul again after 2 months apart- was a bit wierd moving into a hostel, though, after the "luxury" of the volunteer house!
We decided to go to the Maracana to watch a match, even though I had been on Saturday night, I didn`t mind as it was so cheap to get in, and how can anybody ever get sick of the Maracana Stadium????
The match itself was pretty poor (even with my limited knowledge of footie!) by Brazilian Football Standards. Fluminese and Vasco were playing, which is the equivilent of United and City- so the atmosphere was pretty spectacular! The fans hardly stopped chanting all through the match, and there were drums and fireworks, and the fans get hardcore passionate about it- especially on the abuse front when their tem are losing!!
I think that Paul really enjoyed it the most though, being a footie fan. I suspecct that it may be another big tick off the list of things to see!!lol.
It was bloody knackering though, all that cheering and clapping, so had a bit of an early night!
Monday:
We decided that we would like to travel a bit more of South America together, so had to go to Carioca Station( In the lashing down rain!) to find the LAN Office so I could rearrange some of my flights to coinside more with Mum and Paul.
As I am acting as guide/translator, it was obviously on me to somehow find the place, and we did find the first address we were given with relative ease...until they informed me that the address had changed and a random security guard wrote down the address with what looked like the number 13, so we sets about Downtown Rio- in the pouring down rain did I mention??lol, asking randomers where it may be.
I swear if I have to say "Com Licensa, Voce pode me ajudar por favor. Voce sabe onde fica isso..." ever again in my life I`ll combust or something!!! (I said it THAT MANY times!!!)lol. Anyway, we were sent on about 5 laps of the city to no avail, getting soaked to the bone, with my knowledge of Portuguese slowly diminishing with every weary stop that I took, when we decided to pop into a tourist office to check if we actually did have the right address (would have ben better to do that sooner, but hey, hindsight is a great thing!!lol) when the lady unwillingly wrote it down for us, we discoverred that the number was actually 92, floor 13!!! And to take the p*** even more, we had passed the building about 30 times on the marathon tour of the city!!!!tttssssssskkkk!!!
Well, at least it wasn`t just us who couldn`t read it, every person I showed it to thought it said 13, too- that dudes writing was truly illegable!!
When we got to the office, though, it was all relatively quick and easy, thank god!( I don`t think that I could have taken any more!!!) And luckily, the guy spoke quite good English, so I could give my Portuguese brain a bit of a rest!!hehe.
Afterwards, I decided that Mum and Paul could not be deprived of the Largo do Machado Pizza and Grill Kilo experience, so we hopped 2 stops on the Metro.
I can`t explain how many times I have eaten in that place when I was living in Santa Teresa!
Basically, you pay R$14 (three pounds fifty) for as much Pizza as you can eat. Brought to you on a tray by the waiters to your table whist you carry on stuffing yourselves into oblivion!! Pizza`s of every flavour you could ever imagine- including sweet pizza!! mmmmmm....sweet pizza....ice cream, chocolate, coconut, fruits....it goes on and on!!!
Eventually you eat so much that your face expresses "Pizza face" ( a mixture of spurning yourself to eat more, regret at eating too much, surprise, at eating sooo much, and disgust, with your own gluttony!!) I gotta hand it to Paul, though, he did well!! I approximate about 20 slices consumed!! Go team!!
Mum and Paul commented that there was a little kid staring at us like "ooooo...gringo!" but to be honest I`m that used to it now, that I don`t even notice it!!
Also, we went to Lojas Americanas, a quite cheap shop, to but me an mp3 player, as Mum (the master packer amongst us!) said that I am carrying too much weight in my backpack, and that I should send my CD player and speakers home ( along with a load of other random stuff, like the painting that Wagner did for me....hmmm...)
We`ve wrapped up a big parcel to send back, but I`m going to try and open it and cram a few more pairs of Havianas in!! Mum thinks that 3 pairs will suffice- is she outta her mind?? They cost upwards of 30 quid for a plain pair at home, and I can get desiged pairs for less than a fiver each here!!! THATS an opportunity too good to miss!!! (Now, I just gotta think of a way to get them without her noticing!!!)hehehe!!!
Tuesday:
Was Pauls birthday (happy birthday!!!) and he had said from the start that he wanted to spend it on Copacabana, no matter what! So, when we woke up to the sound of rain battering on the roof, he wasn`t gonna let that stop him!!!lol.
So we took the Metro to Siquero Campos, ( I know the route off by heart now!!)lol, and walked along the sea front to Copacabana, to the Plaza (where the Rolling Stones played their gig to 3million people or something!!)and took some photos-its rather grand!!
Then we crossed over to get a coffee at the Nescafe stand, but Mum wanted tea- she even brought tea bag in her handbag!! So I had to ask the guy for hot water and milk...which they didn`t have, as the coffees were all made by the machine, but after me begging and whining in Portuguese to him, he agreed, and we were slightly confused when he picked up the phone and asked someone on the other end to send it... Where are they? we thought. We couldn`t see any milk or water stands around!!! But then, a few moments later, he openned a hatch under the counter and miraculously, there was the milk and water!! As if it had come from Narnia or something!!! We were well impressed!!
Turns out that it had been transportd under the road( 4 whole lanes and a bike lane of it!!) from the hotel opposite!! How cool is that?? I thought it was, but maybe Im just sad.
Anyway, I wrote Paul a message in the sand for his birthday, and we walked towards the Ipanema side, watching the crazy ass surfers taking their lives in their own hands riding the 30 ft waves or however high they were!! Hence the numerous pics taken by Mum...
Then we walked around Ipanema for a while and I showed Mum the parlour where I had my tatoo done...Oh My God!!! I forgot to tell you guys didn`t I!? Sorry!! I wanted to tell Mum first so she wouldn`t go mad at me for telling you first!!! I had it done on the bottom of my back! The parlour is apparently really famous as it is right next to Ipanema Beach, and it was really swanky- much nicer than any tattoo parlour that I`ve seen in England!! And I like the fact that now my tattoo has a story attatched to it now- I`ll feel cool when I tell people that I had it done in Ipanema, Brazil!lol. Im a geek aint I!?lol.
Then we went for a really nice meal at Belmonte, but they always give you too much, and "Pizza Face" nearly made another appearance!!lol.
Then I took Mum and Paul to THE BEST SUCO SHOP IN THE WORLD!!!! (juice bar) " Beach Suco" for a banana and oat vitamina (shake).
I love the fact that now I know all the good places to hang out in Rio, how to get around, and I`ve got favourite places- I feel very ok-yah-dahling!!!lol.
Today:
I went back to Santa Teresa today to meet my mate Paul, as I was helping him to finish a mural in the favela due to artistic flare that I have, but our chaperone ( the particular Favela is too dangerous to enter alone) had an allergic reaction to something and has enormous swolen lips, and couldn`t take us! (ooh that sounds nasty!) And it turns out that the Mural had washed off the wall in the rain because the paint we had to use was actually interior paint!! So, I had to go and have words with `somebody` and tell him to stop being cheap and buy decent paint that will last!! It was a bit of a waste of time and effort doing it when it wouldn`t last anyway, and that`s really annoying, you know what I mean!!!???
Anyway, Im gonna go now and sort out my stuff- its al a mess!
Check out the pics, guys!! There are loads though so you may need to do it in sections if youre pressed for time!
I hope that you are all ok-missing you all!
Please keep in touch!!
Loadsa love!! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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