Braziiillll la la la la la la la la......

I Love love love love love this city!! at least all I've seen of it so far.... though... even if the rest is really really crappy what I've seen will still make  up and I love it!

Its a perfect degustation of cities.... if i can say that... it IS like they took pieces from different places and plated it OHh soo so so so very beautifully.

It is a great mix of contrasts...lovely old buildings sitting comfortably along side the new young brash modern ones....almost like doting grandparents with their brood of grand children.... it does have serious looking work places and yet it feels like a perpetual party place.. concrete jungles to the real ones, it is lush lush lushious green.. it has lovely open spaces, it has beaches.. oh my god does it have beaches...we have nana-nani parks they have beaches!!!( they also have parks though..)                                                                                       The Hills that lovingly hold the city together, like great big strong arms all protective like a cocoon... the neighbourhoods that spill out from between these hills like rivers meandering alongside these hills or rock and green....the favela's and the classy uber rich neighbourhoods.... Christ standing tall overlooking all and yet the crime ..(apparently, not the we've felt in the least bit scared or nervous at any point)

There are lovely tree lined roads, flyovers, under passes, pretty mosaic sidewalks, cycles,cycling tracks, great bus system, many yellow taxi's.. cable cars, trains, trams, boats, floats (yes, we just missed the carnival.. though  what i don't get is.. IT FEELS LIKE FIESTA EVEN NOW!!!!)  it has such a fun loving happy shiny (lycra'd) colourful people... and it has ATTITUDE! chilled, cool, fab sossegado attitude!

Every and any face is Brazilian.given all the races that are a part of this country.. the combinations permutations these races make... gorgeous gorgeous Brazilians.

I have to say though that I am relieved the women aren't ALL Gisele Bundchen, ..... I mean seriously how brave am I(or down right stupid!!) to insist on coming to RIO with Unni!!  (and given the mallu''s 'vaayanokhi'" problem..).. Oh and Yannick.. poor chap will be spoilt for life...sigh!!

the women are of ALL shapes and sizes..perfect bod's a plenty but theres more than plenty LARGER sizes walking around.. AND.. they all live in Spandex, or very very very VERY little of any other fabric (is it any wonder we got stared at the day we arrived..I did feel flattered until i realised maybe it was because of the  ''way too much in the clothes department''... but hey it was snowing in NJ when we left.. and no, i did not change on the flight like most of the Brazilian women did, into skimpy nothingness.Would've have, had i known better.... anyway...

like i was saying... there are gorgeous disgustingly perfect bods..(YES guys, everything you've imagined and more, and its pretty much all on display) and theres more than plenty of rather large women... but all wear bare minimum and carry it off... well.. they look extremely comfortable, and walk like they ARE Gisele Bundchen, so hey looks perfectly fine..though hallelujah ..I have no idea who's Secret it is.. but its doing a blahdy good job in uplifting all the enormity this country has!!!...

Rio apart I have to say something here- couchsurfing!! I dont even know te name of the GENIUS who started this concept, but is the best thing ever..... why hasnt this gotten more accolades? Facebook got a movie... CouchSurfing deserves more I say!!!!

Im guessing you'll know of this concept so wont go into it... but we're staying here in Rio with our first couch surfing hosts Renata and Ronaldo. (Ant's Bino... this part is especially for you'll for all the teasing...bed tea and spoiling has paid off already!)

This couple are the loveliest ever.... first they have been really warm and welcoming while we emailed each other, then they send me an email before we get here with address, directions (thanks to google maps), and since they are at work leave the house keys for us with the dorrman!! AND give me their telephone number and the number to dial to call collect!!!!!!!

The past few days have been the best mainly because of them.. most helpful with advice on what to do, where to go, how to go, etc etc etc..have given us a full and complete access to any and everything in their home, insist on us treating it like our own.

We've met their friends, had beers brewed by Ronalado who is beer aficionado connoisseur....great fun interesting conversations.

I dont feel like we only met a few days back. Last night they took us (yes, they took us out to dinner and party!!!!!!!) to this absolutely FAB FAB FAB place LAPA... what an awesome eveing. A regular looking neighbourhood by day, becomes this bohemian explosion of samba, beers, caipirinha's,Cachaça,laughter,fun, more lycra, popcorn(yes there was man with cart making and selling fresh popcorn) kids selling mint gum etc, hookers trying to entice, old couples, youngsters, great great food, queues to get into the best samba place in rio, live music, happy people dancing where ever and when ever the beat hit their feet, streets cordoned off to hold the explosion in....

This morning we walked up to and trekked up Pao de Asucar - Sugarloaf...  wonderful... have never stood someplace and have a cloud float around and past me........beautiful...(that trek up deserved something wonderful like that... apart from the stunning view) and then went wit Ronaldo to listen to some chorinho played by a varied bunch of music students... it really was lovely... and then we walked thru Urca and had the most delish meal ......(thank heavens for all that walking or else we''d be balls rolling home)
Much of the touristy to do has been ticked off..  but what We've truly truly enjoyed is just being.. walking around the various neighbourhoods, eating in local places that i dont even know the names off.. shopping in the supermarkets, jumping on and off buses like we live here...thats it.. living with Renata and Ronaldo we feel like locals and THAT has made Rio so much more for us.

Tomorrow a whole bunch of their friends who we've met, some of who are writers, film makers, etc will be coming over, they plan to watch Barah Aana and have an iIndian meal (cooked by yours truly) im looking forward to it :-)

Theres much more that has been done that I havent mentioned... but shall by and by.. and yes yes shall figure how to get pictures up here as well...

much love