Three weeks to write a blog post? I am so sorry. While Wi-fi is all the rage here, they haven´t quite updated the computers to a level that meets the demands of the internet greedy backpackers, meaning ive struggled to find a decent connection, or at least one that will sustain me and my ramblings. You,ll be shocked to find that quite a lot of people i have met along the way brought laptops or ipads with them. Carrying a laptop? I had to cut down on knickers so my bag was lighter! On a similar note( to the internet, not to knickers) this computer cannot, no, will not allow me to even try and put one little photo up. Sorry, its just going to be a big old verbose block of text, i understand if you tune out along the way. I´ll stop being tight and pay for some ´cyber cafe´time and get my photos up as soon as possible.
Anyway, i made it to South America! After a 20+ hour flight, we landed in Rio. Immediately i felt more cultured and the very moment i hit that 28 degree heat (at 11pm no less), my mind broadened and i was ready for my gap year yah. Our first stop was Copacabana, the one from that song? Youve probably not heard of it. Being completely shattered, the kind of tired were you think youre speaking complete sense then people repeat what youve just said and you realise youre a moron, that kind of tired, we arrived at our first hostel. The people at the desk spoke no English, all they managed to convey was that id been put in a different room to my travelling companions. Now, for seasoned nomads this would be a laughable event, but i was terrified! I had no idea about hostel etiquette, am i allowed to turn the light on? SHall i touch his bed to get to the top bunk? Am i breathing too loudly? In the end, i managed to climb onto my bunk with the agility of an elephant and slept fully clothed with my bag on my bed. Wild start.
Fear not though, after that slightly nervous beginning, ive totally got the hang of it. Copacabana is a very European place, it kind of feels like a world city. Not that that.s a bad thing, it just wasnt quite as different as id initally expected. We hung by the beach with an acai smoothy, because that,s what the cool kids here do, then we walked to Ipanema beach and realised you,re not a cool kid unless you,ve got an 8 pack or bikini bottoms that look like a dairylea triangle. THe beach is split into Posto´s, and they all have their crowd. The surfers have one, the transvetites and gay people have one, the ´beautiful people´ and the gym buffs have one etc. Needless to say, we went to the emptiest or the ´pasty english´one. We explored Copa and Ipanema which are enjoyable places, but pretty touristy. Not like Thailand touristy, just a little generic. During our first few days we did the big sites. CHrist the Redeemer is just like in the films. A really big statue with very impressive views of the city. IT was a boiling day and there were hundreds of people there, so i took some pics, refrained from mimicing the pose and went back down on the tram. Across the city from Christ is a mountain called SUgar loaf. Its the other must do touristy thing so we took a disappointly stable journey up in the cable car, waited for sunset and saw the city light up. It was truly impressive, you have Christ the Redeemer to the right and to the left is Rochina, the biggest Favela in Latin America. Not to try and beautify poverty at all, but as the lights came on the favelas literally glittered in the hills, making them a far more aesthetically pleasing spectale than their reputation allows. I wont go on about the big sites, those are the things that you all know too well. It was once we got past the tourist attractions that it started to feel like ´THIS IS RIO (2012)´.´Our first major taste of the night life was in a place called Lapa, where every friday they have a huge street party based around the steps ( see Snoop Dogg and Pharell ´Beautiful´video). THousands of people turn out for street music, food and best of all Caprinihas! THe atmosphere was incredible and while our Brazilian host made sure we ´watched out for any bad guys,´it felt a lot safer than we´d been led to believe. We tried a teeny tiny bit of Samba and realised that British girls cant move their hips. We´d have to work on that.
Ive already mentioned Rochina, which is a huge Favela in Brazil. Once we moved to Santa Teresa ( a very cool, cobbly Bohemian area), we had the chance to do a Favela tour. I had massive reservations about this, in fact, i still do really. I didnt want to go as if it was a tourist attraction and be the rich (comparatively) traveller kids taking snaps of the poor people. At the time however, it didnt seem possible for us to see a Favela because we were warned they arent all together safe. Tentatively i went on the tour, and am pleased i did. We got a moto taxi to the top where the tour guide explained that Rochina has recently been pacified by the police, meaning (only 2 months before) the drug lords who ran the Favela had been arrested and the police were now in control. THis is happening all over RIo and has been spurred on by upcoming world events like the world cup and the olympics happening in the city. The worlds eyes will soon be on Rio and the government are trying to clean up the less favourable parts to impress the hoards of imminent visitors. DEspite their superficial motivations, it does mean the government are forced to improve the quality of life for those in the favelas, slowly but surely. We weren´t conspicous and noone was taking loads of photos. We were encouraged to spend little amounts of money along the way, which we did gladly (local businesses, the samba band, the day care etc.)BEcause the favela has been under the control of drug lords for so long, those living there havent seen any tourists, people were too scared to go in, so now its a source of pride and along the way people were exhibiting art work, food etc. ITs a new means of income, so however tentative i felt about it, i was glad to have seen another side of the city without it being too much of a show.
Funnily enough, since that visit ive been to two other favelas with people ive met here and they have been amazing. One night, we went to Maracana to see the Manguiera samba school rehearse for their carnival performance. Its like a football team, the whole community has shirts and wears the colours and they have a mini stadium on the edge of the favela. Manguiera are one of the top 12 samba schools who perform for the prize at carnival. We only saw the queen dance but the band was amazing. THroughout the night Samba circles broke out and people, young, old and very old! were having ´samba-offs.´ Once again, another go at Samba put to shame by the speedy brazilian bootys. An amazing experience though and i cant wait to see the full show at carnival. We also went to Vidigal, another recently pacified favela we were staying on the edge of. This was our first bloco, which happens in the run up to carnival. A huge soundsystem starts in one place and people congregate, then more people join on and follow the music to an end spot where everyone has a party! THe Vidigal samba school were using this as a carnival build up too and finally, my hours of fake samba paid off and i got it! By george i really got it! Move your feet and hips reallyreallyreallyreally fast and youre pretty much there. Very sweaty but very fun. Considering all you hear about the favelas, it felt totally safe and as goes with common sense, as long as you don´t wander in with a load of bling on wearing fancy clothes and flashing your cash then you´re likely to be fine. We heard a few stories along the way but so far we´ve made it through just fine.
After much samba-ing in Rio, we headed for an Island called Ilha Grande, about 3 hours away. A little island with a lot of dogs, some restaurants and seriously beautiful beaches. We got a boat taxi ( much the same as a normal one but on water) to a one called Lopes Mendes. Look it up. It was paradise. I think that´s where Coldplay got their inspiration from. We literally did nothing but read and sunbathe. I would add sleep to that list but in my dorm there was a ´tooth grinder.´At first i woke thinking the aliens were coming or there was a mysterious animal trapped in my curtains. Both of those would have been preferable. CHeago, the smug Brazilian chap was a serious toothgrinder. I woke up each morning feeling like me and the hulk were on the same wavelength! THankfully the beauty of the island meant i didnt punch cheago in the face and had a lovely time. Following the island, we´ve come to a place called Paraty, a little village not far from the coast that has an amazing ´historic center´filled with painfully cobbly streets, white wash buildings and multi coloured doors. The run up to the carnival is beginning now and we´re on our second or third bloco!TOday we went to Bloco De Lama, which is a traditional bloco where everyone goes to this part of the beach where the tide is low and its really muddy. Everyone dives straight in gets covered head to toe in mud then marches through the town. We got straight in, got covered, took a picture, then got washed. Mud. Smells. There is a picture to prove it though.
Carnival is upon us, We know all the current songs ( there are only about three) and while i know in Rio it is going to be ten times the scale we´ve seen so far, im ready for it! We head back to tomorrow and the plan is to dump our bags, go hanggliding, go home, adorn our faces with glitter and go find carnival! On Monday we go to the Sambadrome which is the final event complete with feathery costumes, sequins and loud music. Its a 7 hour event!phew!
Sorry this has been a bit rushed. Ill be sure to do a more regular, less waffly blog. Im writing every day, its just hard to translate it all onto the internet. THese three weeks have gone so quickly yet it feels like we´ve been away an age! Its an amazingly complex, passionate and fun place and while Rio drawers to a close, we still have five more countries to cover.FIVE COUNTRIES. IN 3 MONTHS. Didint they make a film along those lines?
I hope youre all safe and sound in England and not to cold. ITs really really hot here by the way...
Id like to leave you with this closing thought:
Everyone in Brazil wears flip flops. EVERYONE. Havainas, obviously. So im left to wonder, have i found myself in a nation of flat footed people? Is the foot arch a thing of mystery here? Interesting, dont you think.
Until Argentina,
Ciao ( goodbye in Brazilian Portugese, yes i learnt one word!)
xx
