Don't stop moving, keep your body grooving ......

Hola Bloggers,

I bet you are all back at work now aren't you. Oh poor you!

We have been looking for another flat to rent because, although the first one was really nice, the mafiosos remembered that they had a friend from Italy coming for five nights starting from tomorrow. Hmm, wonder what he is bringing across for them. Rather not ask!

The mafia man was very sorry and felt really responsible for us so he tried to help us find somewhere else and drove us around in his car and rang people out of the paper for us. We were going to go somewhere else for the five nights and then back to the mafioso place for the rest of the time. Thats what the mafioso wanted, but now we have decided that we will take the new place for the rest of our time here - to avoid keeping on moving.

The new apartment is rented out by a man who reminds Jo and I of Del Boy from only fools and horses. I am nick naming him Don Juan boy instead of Del boy - because he looks like more like a Don Juan than a Del. He is about 60 and wears shades and has greased back hair and you could just imagine him with lots of Jimmy Saville jewellery. Now then, now then. He speaks Spanish - which is good for me. He is called Luis Alfonso. Hopefully things will go well there. We move in there tomorrow morning.

The beach is beautiful here in Ipanema. The scenery around you is just amazing. I had great fun playing in the waves yesterday. We can't go in the sea together because we can't leave out things unguarded. So, I was playing merrily alone like a little child. I loved it. I keep eating coconuts aswell. Jo likes to drink the milk and so when she buys one I go and get the man to chop it open and then I eat the inside. There's loads left on the beach all the time. I even picked someone else's old one up and got that opened yesterday. Felt a bit wrong doing that but who cares - they are aonly going to get put in the bin. Think I will carry on doing that!

We went to try on Brazil stylee bikinis last night. They don't wear a damn thing here! I had bought new bikinis in San Fran and those ones and Jo's ones are all like little tiny shorts and bikini tops. We both prefer those and those are in fashion in Europe and in the US. However, here we feel like we have got a wool suit on compared to what they wear! Every single woman has got a thong on and then they seem to just cover there nipples with their tops - no matter how large they are up top! They scrunch the top up to nothing and tie it tightly so it won't move but it juts goes in a straight line down over their nipples - not in a triangle like a normal top would. Its hysterical but actually much better for getting an all over tan. So, we thought we might try it. We were cracking up when we were trying them on (excuse the pun!). Jo chickened it but I have bought one! I am fine about the top - I'm not going to scrunch it up any less than it is already. It already looks like a top for a five year old. It will take some getting used to walking around with my white arse hanging out though! I am going to go for it though because even the grannies do it ...........and I want an all over tan. Jose has left now so who cares - no one knows me!

They are very open about everything here. We got chatting to some young people on the beach the other day (about 21 years old) and one of the girls told Jo that her brother wanted to kiss Jo. The brother didn't seem in the least bit embarrassed that his sister had said that in front of him. We started laughing and Jo said that she had a boyfriend at home. So, the sister said " yes but my brother has the largest penis that I have ever seen so surely you will want to change and have him as your boyfriend". Again, the brother was not in the slightest bit embarrassed (well I suppose he wouldn't be with that comment!). This is all very shocking for us ..........even for the straight up loud mouthed northerners that we are!

Last night we had a drink at a local street bar. We sat up at the bar. There are only about ten stools around the bar and then everyone else sits on the street on plastic chairs. We soon had a gathering of men trying to squeeze into the bar area to talk to us. I must say that they are very polite though. They would shout from across teh bar to ask us if it was ok to come over and talk to us. We would tell them to stay where they are and talk to us from across the bar! They would say very romantic things and ask if they could kiss our hands (totally corny) and offer to buy us drinks and ask for our numbers - but when we said no then they were not pushy at all and they were always very polite. We are talking about very uneducated poor people here as well - it was a very cheap run down bar. We had only stopped there because there were some guys playing drums close by and loads of people shaking their booties and we'd thought this bar had a good view of all that.

I have decided to stop drinking the caiprihini cocktails that I have been on. Mainly because I noticed last night how much sugar they put in each one. My teeth will drop out if I carry on with those! Its difficult because I don't like beer though. Maybe I will try and like beer. Its easier and cheaper. It might be an acquired taste that I can slowly become accustomed to. The only other option is vodka because there is no wine in sight in these bars.

We went to hippy market today and it was so annoying because I wanted to buy absolutely everything. There are amazing artworks and things for the house and lots of beautiful jewellery. How can I get it home though? I want everything - big wooden boxes, rugs, wall hangings ...... I am really trying hard to get things out of my possession - not add more. I might even throw some of my clothes away because its too much to carry already. Everything is such good value here as well. I bought a few pieces of hippy type jewellry and a totally hippy headscarf thing to push my hair back. No hairdryer with me and I am sick of it not being totally straight like it normally is. So, instead of it just not being quite right, I might go completely the other way and have it purposefully scraggy and hippy-fied. All the time I just keep thinking - nobody knows me so anything goes. Its great!

We have found a really good place for eating. There is loads of really healthy food and you pay by the weight. You take a plate as soon as you walk in the door (which means you don't have to wait for ages like in some places) and then you take whatever you want and then weigh the plate and pay for what you have. So, I am obviously playing a great game of trying to choose light but filling food. Last night's big plate full and a about half a litre of fresh orange juice and some icrecream afterwards all came to four pounds. Not bad hey! There's lots of stuff for veggie me which is great because I love my food. Jo has lost her appetite a bit due to the heat but I am shovelling down anything I can!

The apartment is working out at about sixteen pounds a night - so eight pounds each. Its got a lounge with a sofa bed and a tv. a bedroom with two single beds and a wardrobe a kitchen and a shower room and the most amazing antique wooden floors. Its in a secure blosk with a security guard downstairs. We are on teh sixth floor witha view of the sea.

I keep thinking I have lost things - like my camera and my credit cards. I haven't though. I just keep hiding them in far too safe a place. So safe that I can't find them! Idiot.

I bought an ipod in America (half price!) and I had to load it up in Jo's mum's house rather than at home with all my cds. Jo's mum is well into rap and has all sorts of stuff so I am currently singing "who let all these hoes in my room" quite a lot. Its a Ludicris song that is in my head. Very funny. If anyone is into that sort of thing then get the Ludacris - chicken and beer album. Its funny. Angel face - you will like it.

We are going to start going on some sightseeing trips soon ........but the first objective is the tan (and more importantly that white arse) !

besos

S