Rio de Janeiro, December 2007

For the french speakers: Sing Cloclo along with me..." je vaaais a Rio...de Janeiroooo"

For the english speakers who have no idea who Cloclo is..."Copaacabaaanaaa...lalalala"

So here I am in Riooo de Janeiro, Copacabana to be precise. I arrived having spent the dullest 2 days on Ihla Grande. Why dull you ask? Truth be told Ihla Grande is a paradise, a natural haven of beauty and peace. However, I was slightly unlucky in my endeavours to discover this incredible island spending most of my time staring out the window or being beaten down and battered by torrential rain for the whole day and a half I was there.

Rio on the other hand is a completely different story. I am staying in a hostel called Mellow Yellow, which is one of the best places I have stayed at. Ok, it's a little cramped and old but the bar is amazing and the atmosphere even better. It´s been extremely easy to meet fellow backpackers and let's be honest here...get hammered on Cairpirinha.

Apart from the hostel parties, I have enjoyed Rio. Although I find it somewhat unsettling and unsafe, it has a good vibe. There are few sites to actually see but I was told that I had to go the the beach and see the big JC. Both of which I have done.

Having spent a fair bit of time on Ipanema beach (which is far better than Copacabana!) checking the local talent, my cunning observations on the matter are as follows:

• The eye candy is plentiful. I mean all the men look like they live, eat and sleep in the 3rd Space. I find myself seeking out the fat bastard just for a little variety.



• The myth of the round bottom is true. All girls have round bottoms here. I have come to the conclusion that it cannot be natural.



• The waves are big and scary.

I will now go back to the Irish fest that is taking place in the local public drinking house, as you do in December!