The same day in Paradise

I'm back. Got more credits at the internet shop now.

Well we have setled into our new apartment nicely. We bought our own towels today because the ones in the apartment look a bit suspect. Having studied my pillow case more closely this evening ......I might invest in one of those too. The one on the bed is very clean (smells of washing powder) but I just can'`t help wondering about the various stains on there and the possibilities of how they got there and who from. The water in the shower isn`t exactly hot either. If you were to liken it to a coke with a dash of lemon then the cold water would be the coke and the hot would be the dash of lemon in terms of part for part mix. I like it though. Its refreshing and it makes me think that I am suffering in some small way (which is what I think you are supposed to do on these trips!). I don`t think that I will be suffering though because I`m not exactly 18 and penniless so sod that malarky.

I cooked in the flat tonight, instead of eating out, just to try and pretend I was being good and "travelling". I can`t see the point though really when you can eat out for about 4 pounds! Having said that, we did treat ourselves to a fancy restaurant in Ipanema the other night and it came to 217 Reis, which is about 40 pounds. I`d had a glass of champagne, appetisers and a fancy cod risotto and Jo had had a beer, appetisers and the biggest prime rib that I have ever seen in my life. It was a really nice place and it was full of very swanky looking people. Probably not the best place to realise half way through your risotto that you have not brought your credit card and only have the cash in your pocket! Although 40 pounds is nothing for such a meal, we were not actually in possession of enough cash and neither of us had cards on us that would work. This is beacuse we had not planned the fancy restaurant - we had just seen it whilst walking along and thought what the hell lets go in. Jo started to panic but i don`t do panicking. I quickly turned on my photographic memory and recalled all the prices of what we had ordered as best I could. I calculated that it would be just over 200 Reis.............but how much over?

We counted out money and we had exactly 200 Reis. The bill came and it was 217. Jo was worried that we would have to own up and offer to do the washing up. There was no way I was admitting to not having enough money to pay the bill. I checked the bill and noticed that the actual items came to 198 Reis and the rest was a 10% tip that had been already included on the bill. Under English law you don`t have to pay such tips so I counted out 200 Reis, juggled up all the notes so that it would take them a while to count them and left the money on the table and told Jo to get up and leave very quickly! We exited swiftly, turned the corner and ran off in hysterics.

When I got home, I happened to read in a book about Brazil that it is obligatory to pay a 10% in high class restaurants and that this will be added to your bill. So, I actually did break the law - whoops! I thought I had just been a bit of a cheapskate and I could live with that, but I had not intended to break the law. Guess we won`t be walking down that little street again! You live and learn hey!

I saw the bar where the Girl from Ipanema was written. I didn`t go in though as there were queues outside - as there always in these places. For those of you who are trying to remember who wrote that song (Graham Hann, Daniel Pavin and Chris Benson - did any of you know?) ...........well its Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes (a poet). Tom Jobim (a genius, composer and music master according to the press here) said of Ipanema - "you will only be able to speak of social justice in Brazil when everyone has the right to live in Ipanema!".

The weather is very changeable now. 40 degress yesterday, thunder storm last night, 25 degrees but cloudy today, raining now but probably going to be red hot tomorrow. Its never ever cold though. Even in the rain now (at 11pm) I am walking about in a short t-shirt dress and I am hot and sticky (ooh eer!).

I am confident that I am going to be able to understand the Spanish in the other countries that I go to because I went for a spin in Don Juan boy's car the other day (to get the money from the bank to pay for the flat) and we were talking about this. He is from Bolivia - which is why he speaks Spanish! He has perfectly clear Spanish. I think he has a clearer accent that my own little torro from Barcelona. Barcelona is known for a bit of an acccent though (I think). Don Juan says I'll have no problem in Buenos Aires either as in his opinion they all speak quite slowly.

I find the tramps here so much more well behaved than the London ones. In London they are forever walking into you in their drunken states or shouting abuse at you as you walk by. If they are not doing this then they are pissing against a wall and allowing a river to form on the footpath. However, I have not witnessed any such misdemeanours here. They just quietly get their heads down and go to sleep at night ..........and they seem so much more tidier in their sidewalk set ups. Quite cute really. They don`t beg or anything. During the day they just wander round collecting cans for recycling. God knows how much they get per can .............probably about 0.0000000000002 of a pence. I think its the least you can do to go and give your empty can to them instead of lobbing it in the bin and then letting them fish it out.

The museum of Indigenous Indians was really interesting today. Although it would have been more so if there had been information in English or Spanish. It was a bit too much to try and understand all the Portugese. I could get the jist of things but was guessing really. The objects and pictures spoke a thousand words though - as always. It was amazing to watch a video of the tribesmen and how they go about their daliy business of survival and community life. It was an exhibition of the Wajapi tribe which is a tribe living on the border of Brazil and French Guiana in a forest and mountain reagion of teh Amazon. There are currently 550 inhabitants living in 40 villages. Some of these people have helped to set up the museum and so the video I watched was very recent. You could tell that someone had just been allowed in with a video camera and was just following people about in the village and showing you how they lived. It wasn`t a documentary or anything - it was very raw. Amazing though. The things they can make out of their surroundings puts us to shame. And how do they all manage to have such pert boobs? Maybe the camera man was choosy about who he followed around!

Does anyone know who Rui Barbosa is? I went to his old house today. A mansion preserved from the twenties when he died. I think he was a politician here who was exiled to England in the late 19th century. I don't know what for though or whether I should be knowing about this chap. I wonder if he was a lawyer because he had a colection of 37,000 books in his mansion and many of them were legal books - both English and portugese. Any clues anyone?

There were some Webb and Mappin pieces in the mansion (from Sheffield). You can't beat a bit of Yorkshire craftsmanship!

The music most listened to on my ipod over the last few days has been Tupac's greatest hits. Just thought some of you might be intersted in these things. I know for certain that a few of you will be. Just ignore me the rest of you.

Do you know there are loads of poodles and yorkshire terriers here. Its weird. God knows why. Every second person seems to be walking either a small white poodle or a tiny Yorkie with a pathetic bow in its head. I think its just a thing here in Ipanema. There are not many cats though. You always seem to see a plethora of cats when you sare abroad - but not here.

I had wanted to go to the maracanau stadium . I'`d always heard it was the biggest footbal stadium in the world and they still say that it is here. its a con though - it was the biggest capacity before the rules about sitting down cme in. Previsouly you could get 200,000 in there but now that you have to be seated only 30,000 can fit in. Anyone could claim any number if you are standing up - you could stand on poeple`s shoulders and stuff. Daft if you ask me. We might still go though - just to see ho crazy they go. They are very good at football here. You can saee on the beach how talented the kids are. Girls play aswell.......and really well. Jose will back me up on this fact so don`t just think I am saying this because I am a girl. They kick ass!

There is a game called footvolley. Its on the beach and its like volley ball but you can only use your head and shoulders and feet. they mainly use their head and shoulders. Its very impressive. Jose says that they play it in Spain so I think its probably world wide - for those lucky buggers who actually have beaches and warm weather!

Right over and out campers

S xx