Hostel Harmonia Rio de Janeiro

6 o’clock in the morning I’m heading to Santos Dumont airport in Rio de Janeiro under a heavy storm. It’s been raining since my arrival in Rio one week ago. Shivering I look up to the gloomy sky hoping in Mato Grosso’s proverbial heat. Trip flight takes me to Cuiabą, the capital of Mato Grosso, with stop-over in Belo Horizonte and Goiania.
Dozing
over the ...

... to adjust to being on my own again, and really for the most part being out of touch. And really, one of the stranger things I realize I miss now is table manners! Paraguayans (especially men, especially when they have had too much to drink) are just disgusting to watch eat, and I never realized how much til I got back here.

So since I have been back I've been rather slow, but I will snap out of it. (Remember, family, the family prep stuff I gave you before ...

... on Ipanema Beach (which contrary to Mitch“s assertions, it encredibly nutritious and high in potassium and electrolytes, for after the morning Ipanema walk, of course!) Brazilians might be obsessed with guarana even if im not, but still life is sweet! (Actually i am told its not the same as Red Bull and that here kids arent allowed to drink red bull, but still...)

Next post mightnt be til Chile!...photos will prob go up then too

Hasta luego y chau!

... played in the rip currents, diving into the waves in front of me and disappearing half way down the beach, running back and repeating, like some kind of water park ride.

We went to Leblon for lunch, the next suburb along from Ipanema, and were amazed this area isn’t more recommended. For the first time since arriving in South America, i wasn’t disappearing down a hole in the pavement every 5 minutes, the buildings seemed smarter ...

... to a girl from Australia called Marissa. We decided to head out to meet her friend in a bar and then maybe to a club in the next resort over so asked one of the stoners who was staying at out hostel, if they knew where to go. We got ready for about 8:30pm and headed out in a taxi to the street where the bar was meant to be (she'd just picked one out of her lonely planet guide). When we got there we went up and down the street but it was nowhere to ...

... subtly different from Copacobana Beach. The beach was completely packed today.    You can see red, yellow and blue umbrellas stretching as far east as the beach allows, many families are out with their children, and many locals are enjoying the sun after a hard night of partying. Brazillians don't seem to be self conscious about their bodies at all compard to the attitudes of bearing skin in North America. Here anything goes. Complete nudity is a 'No ...

OK, these people really know how to party! check out the photos: I'll also try to upload the video so forgive tell me if it doesn't work. here goes nothing: One thing that I found particularly touching about the Bloco I went with was that apparently one year while the crowds were walking on ...