This morning we woke up around 6am, even though our alarm clock was set for 7. Jetlag! This early start works in our favor though, because we're due to get on a bus headed for Rio. Now we can leave earlier than planned. The jetlag also hit Jason, who is going with us to Rio. We receive a text from him around 6:30 saying he's up and wants to leave earlier too. So we have a quick breakfast at the hotel and head off to the bus station.
The bus takes 6 hours to get from Sao Paulo to Rio and we are pleasantly surprised when we see what a Brazilian coach looks like on the inside. The seats are massive and recline a decent way and there are even leg rests. It looks just like a 1st class airplane seat. 6 hours on this will be a breeze! The views along the way are ok until we get to a mountain pass just before entering Rio, where the view is amazing. Green mountains are everywhere we look. It looks like something out of Lord of the Rings!
Along the way, Jason draws us a map of the Copacabana/Ipanema area. He also phones his friend, Aldri, who lives in Rio, to see if he knows of any good hostels for us to stay. Luckily, Aldri could use some extra money (he's an actor) so he says we can stay at his place for the same price as staying in a hostel. He lives one block away from Copacabana beach and Jason says he's cool, so we say Why Not?, he says Why Not?, and pretty soon everyone says Why Not? Rich added that in - quote from which film?
So we arrive in Rio with a place to stay and a map of the area. Jason uses his Portuguese to negotiate a taxi for us and we say our goodbyes.
Off to Rio's famous beaches!
