Never Listen To ´Them´

Hola Amigos! We post this lil blog-a-roony from Flamengo, Rio De Janeiro. After sweet talking the nice Chilean guy at the help counter in San Tiago, Jem and I managed to advance to go and collect $200 (we got on a flight 10 hours earlier than the one we actually booked), meaning we only had to wait 20hrs at the airport as opposed to 30 (hey, we´ll take what we can get!). We are then told that for a small fee of US$30, we are welcome to use the LAN Airways business VIP lounge, complete with food, drinks (incl. alcohol - oh yeah!), comfy lounges and a shower! After a 25 hour flight we thought this was well worth it, so agreed! We ate copious amounts of ham, cheese and lil sweet muffin thingys, sank a few beers, slept a few hours on the comfy couches and used the free internet until the lounge closed at 10pm. How did they charge us for this? Oh that´s right, they forgot!!! All you can eat, drink, sleep for nunca!! So feeling pretty happy with ourselves, we wait the rest of the time in the pleb lounge before flying to Rio.

So at the boarding gate, Jem is served by a guy called Emilio and she was like EMILIOOO, and I was like EMILIOOO and we were all like EMILIOOO!!! (Night at the Roxbury? Anyone?) Except she got a bit confused due to the fact that he was speaking speedy Espanol to her, come on Baxter...you know I don´t speak Spanish! Ok, I´m gonna stop! Moving on!


RIO: This is where the party starts. Well, actually, it started after a 14 hour sleep...jet lag´s a bitch! So yesterday we felt refreshed enough to take a taxi tour (cheaper than doing it ourselves) of the Corcovado (awesome by the way!), then to Sugarloaf mountain, or Bread of Sugar as the Brasilians so affectionately call it. We like to affectionately call it Nipple Mountain as its shape has so determined! Photos to follow - some may include Jem and I squeezing Jesus´ nipples and kissing his face.

We then come home for a few hours and head to the soccer! (sorry, football!). Vasco vs Botafago 2 -3, we went for the underdogs and they came through for us! There were flags, there were flares, there were masses, there were Portuguese chants and the atmosphere was amazing! I love Sydney FC but its put to shame by these guys! Jem and I were on the big screen at one stage, probably because we stuck out like sore thumbs, well, Jem the swede stuck out anyway! Don´t worry, there are videos to come of us videoing us on the big screen, videoing us!

After this, we headed to a Carnival costume competition (I think this is really a name for a bunch of ´real Carnival´ rejects who didn´t quite make it into the actual parade! There was a guy dressed as a giant banana, lots of old ladies parading around in feather bowers and glitter, but it was fun nonetheless.

Now that we´ve finally gotten over our jet lag, we´re heading into Lapa tonight for some street parties complete with drums and fireworks so we´ll keep you posted on how that all goes down!

Its only been 3 days and already we´re loving it, the people are so friendly and everything anyone told us about Brasil being dangerous and scary has no idea what they´re talking about. Another case of ´Never Listen To Them´.

Over and out, until another of Clare and Jem´s Excellent Adventures.