The Girl from Ipenema

Rio is pulsing to the sound of samba.

With the big carnival days, Sunday and Monday, just around the corner and with everyone in the city now on holidays, the streets are filled with people drinking and celebrating.

Meeting up with some of my mates from my last tour on Friday night we decided to check out the biggest and most famous street party of them all - Friday nights in Lapa. Arriving at about midnight we found the party already well underway with thousands of people swarming the streets, dressed in outrageous costumes and swinging to the samba beat. Drinks were plentiful and cheap and the people watching more than a little interesting. Brazillian men have proven to be a slight handful while we're out and about at night. While during the day they dont approach us, at night it seems they have free rein and they are attracted like bees to my Danish friend's beautiful blonde hair, touching her and trying to kiss her she does her best to push them away but, of course, it is tiring....to save her slightly and to get off the crowded streets for a while we went to a club and spent the rest of the night grooving to a mix of brazillian and english house before heading home at 4am....

Rio is made for night time fun. Having recovered from the day before and after spending a disappointing morning at the top of Sugarloaf mountain with views of fog and rain (for a city famous for its sunshine it sure rains a lot...), I gathered the troops and off we went to a street party a little closer to home. In the lead up to carnivale, each 'barrio' holds street parties. Literally a samba band starts playing and the people start coming until a crowd is swaying and bobbing to the beat. With a swing of the hips the crowd then starts following the band as they slowly make their way round the block...a mini parade through the streets, with people watching from high apartment windows and kids dancing with their parents...it's a nice atmosphere and a part of the real rio carnival that is worlds away from the fancy costumes of the sambadrome. A drink or two later we found ourself in ipenema and finished the night with caperinhas and a laugh with friends.

It's a good life...

Till next time...