And so it begins...
Luckily we had our 3 bits of bad luck before we'd even left the UK (wrong train ticket, bus booked for wrong day and issues with our Brazil visa, as in not having one) so our trip since we landed has been pretty relaxed. Our first 3 nights in Rio were spent at a really cute hostel on the outskirts of the Vidigal favela with views of the sea from our bunk.
After the standard tourist trip to Corcovado for Christ the Redeemer (camera at the ready, camera battery less prepared...) we spent most of the time walking along Ipanema and Copacobana drinking coconuts, watching the beach volleyball (Rhys is a little saddened that the beaches are not full of gorgeous girls in thongs) and trying to get our body clocks onto South American time. The guy living next door to the hostel took us up through the favela to a view point with amazing views of Rio, mostly obscured by cloud with the odd 10 seconds of clear sky.
Ready to get out of the city and having checked the weather forecast for sun we set out for a bus and ferry to Ilha Grande, a beautiful tropical island about 150km south of Rio with cobbled streets and trails into the forest to hidden coves. We checked in to a hostel at the back of the town in the jungle and headed in to town for dinner. We spent the next 2 days doing 12km hikes each side of town, first to a waterfall and aqueduct and then the following day to beaches. Rhys had his first glimpse of wild monkeys but as they sounded like ferocious dogs and were in the trees directly above us we didn't hang around to watch them.
We left Ilha Grande yesterday taking the ferry back to the mainland and a local bus on to Paraty, a UNESCO town full of white buildings with brightly coloured doors and window frames and checked in to a hostel on the beach. Dinner was BBQ pizza (!?!) and a thousand caipirihas. Today we've explored the town and searched for a bar showing the Spurs game and failing. After ice cream by the kilo (and yes, Rhys bought nearly a kilo, with rainbow sprinkles) we've come back to the hostel to chill. Here for another 2 nights, maybe kayaking tomorrow, preparing ourselves for a dreaded 20+ hour journey to Foz via Sao Paulo...
Luckily we had our 3 bits of bad luck before we'd even left the UK (wrong train ticket, bus booked for wrong day and issues with our Brazil visa, as in not having one) so our trip since we landed has been pretty relaxed. Our first 3 nights in Rio were spent at a really cute hostel on the outskirts of the Vidigal favela with views of the sea from our bunk.
After the standard tourist trip to Corcovado for Christ the Redeemer (camera at the ready, camera battery less prepared...) we spent most of the time walking along Ipanema and Copacobana drinking coconuts, watching the beach volleyball (Rhys is a little saddened that the beaches are not full of gorgeous girls in thongs) and trying to get our body clocks onto South American time. The guy living next door to the hostel took us up through the favela to a view point with amazing views of Rio, mostly obscured by cloud with the odd 10 seconds of clear sky.
Ready to get out of the city and having checked the weather forecast for sun we set out for a bus and ferry to Ilha Grande, a beautiful tropical island about 150km south of Rio with cobbled streets and trails into the forest to hidden coves. We checked in to a hostel at the back of the town in the jungle and headed in to town for dinner. We spent the next 2 days doing 12km hikes each side of town, first to a waterfall and aqueduct and then the following day to beaches. Rhys had his first glimpse of wild monkeys but as they sounded like ferocious dogs and were in the trees directly above us we didn't hang around to watch them.
We left Ilha Grande yesterday taking the ferry back to the mainland and a local bus on to Paraty, a UNESCO town full of white buildings with brightly coloured doors and window frames and checked in to a hostel on the beach. Dinner was BBQ pizza (!?!) and a thousand caipirihas. Today we've explored the town and searched for a bar showing the Spurs game and failing. After ice cream by the kilo (and yes, Rhys bought nearly a kilo, with rainbow sprinkles) we've come back to the hostel to chill. Here for another 2 nights, maybe kayaking tomorrow, preparing ourselves for a dreaded 20+ hour journey to Foz via Sao Paulo...
Rhys in the Vidigal Favela, Rio.
Praia Palmas, Ilha Grande.
Paraty old town.
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