31st Oct - 2nd Nov - Rio De Janeiro

We got up late and headed down the long road (or rather 200 meters) to the beach. It really is true - they wear nothing on the beach, well you can't call the dental floss bikinkis clothing. Mairi and I felt well over dressed in our attire - Mairi had a tankini on with short style bottoms and was positively over dressed.
What really surprised us was the bodies of the bikinking parcipitants. No body beautiful here, we felt young, slim and beautiful and in comparison at some of the fatties we were young, slim and beautiful. What was more shocking was these not so young, not so slim and not so beautiful people were wearing the itsy bitsy tiny weeny bikinkis - not nice - I may poke my minds eye out just thinking about it.

The men were no more attired or any more beautiful and what was worse they didn't bother dressing away from the beach either. The site of a sixty year old, with huge overhanging belly, walking down the road in speedos is not for the faint hearted.

OK there were a few with nice bods but they knew it and were at the beach to pose and certainly not to sun bathe. Sitting on the beach in Rio (as we were) is really strange, Rio is a massive city but because of the georgaphy - many large pointy hills all over it - you could only see the neighbourhood you are in - so it feels quite small and homely. However homely it is not, a couple stopped us on the beach to warn us that Rio is a dangerous city and at the moment is worse cos of some feud between the drugs ganglords and the police. So were told to be extra careful. Another wee wifee stopped us on the road and in Portugese - we think - was saying the same.
Talking of Portugese, we had only got used to Spanish and now they go and change the language on us we've no idea what we are saying anymore.

The beach was really nice, a long streatch of white beach edged by huge surf and the pretty islands off the coast. It was fairly busy with people body surfing on the giant waves but the whole place kept at a reasonable temp with the soft wind blowing in off the atlantic. It was really strange to think we were back on the atlantic side - almost home.

We venture out at night being sure to take absolutely no valuables or even a handbag and have dinner in a really really nice italian restaurant then head to the ubiquitious Irish Bar and Club. We thought Rio would party all night but everything closed at 2am hardly what we were expecting.

Our site seeing comprised of going up Corcovado - Christ the Redeemer - the huge big statue looking out over Rio. From most places in Rio this statue can be seen looming large on a cliff over the city but it's not until you get up close that you realise just how massive he is. I really like him he's a really kindly, benevolent face.

The views from the top of the mountain he stands on are amazing and for the first time you can see just how massive Rio is. It sprawls out for miles in all directions, exect the sea but then there are the pretty islands, basically pointy hills jutting out of the oceans just out in the bay.

Our afternoon was spent with Coll, Mairis sister, Iseabails, boyfriend. He was in Rio working and met up with us to recount stories of home and give us bars of real chocolate (the stuff in SA has been rubbish).

All too soon it's over. 3 days really isn't enough to see such a large and exciting place - I'll be back.