Xx Skye's 2012 Adventure xX

Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island
Sunday 11th March- Wednesday 14th March 2012
Back to the coast and so the sunshine was back! Hervey Bay isn't the nicest, but I thought I should check it out!
Checked into my hostel 'Next' once I arrived and was told that the briefing meeting for Fraser Island was 6pm, we met the whole group (25 of us) and two of them I had shared a room with in Byron! (Andy and Alex- posh boys who went to Oxford!)
We were split into three groups, I was in Group C with Ali, Jon, Charlotte, Mikael, Ben, Canada (another Jon) and Clemence... we were told that we needed to be ready to leave at 7am, so after we went to the supermarket to buy what we thought would be enough food for three days (it wasn't), we watched Man on Fire together and then packed our backpack and went to bed!
Some of the boys in my room had different ideas, and one crazy American, Jack, once spilling his rum'n'coke on the floor, decided it could not be wasted and scraped it back into the glass with his credit card (along with all the floor filth) and drunk it!! YUCK!
Needless to say the 6am wake up wasn't fun, but the peanut butter and jam toasted sandwiches for breakfast were a taste sensation!!

We loaded up our 4x4s (ours we later named Sweet 'Caroline' for group C) , had a safety briefing, and hit the road... the weather was OK, a bit overcast but mainly sunny!
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Big group photo on the boat over to the island and then when we arrived Kirk, our guide, took us on a quick walk around the central camp and talked A LOT about trees... not that anyone was that interested! We then drove along the beach highway to a fresh water lake that sat at the base of a HUGE sand dune... the view was pretty awesome and we ran down the sand dune and into the water with BIG catfish swimming around our feet!
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I got to drive the 4x4 back to camp, along the beach and then through the inland which is VERY bumpy! but super fun! and showed off my superior parking skills once we arrived! impressed! :-P x
Our tents were already set up and we were STARVING so we threw our bags inside and hopped straight on to the BBQs to cook up some meat and crack open the goon! Canada did an amazing job on the grill, and we feasted on chicken burgers and hot dogs! MMM!
The boys played another 'skulling' game called flip cup, but I decided to socialize with the rest of the group and joined in with Fuck the Dealer with group B!
MANY cups of goon later and Jon was sick all over me in our tent... pretty grim to wake up to at 6am! The smell was bad enough, but luckily there were showers and by the time I went back he had cleaned it up and was apologizing every two mins! haha... luckily once clean I saw the funny side! We made some toast on the bbq like cave men and Charlotte and I made sandwiches for the boys, then we set off for day two!

The first lake we went to was an acidic lake that had formed because the decaying forest matter had made a watertight basin which collected rain water... the water was bright orange, like lucozade and you couldn't see much below your waist, but Andy, Tom, Liz and I were brave and swam all the way over to the other side, perfecting my Northern accent "Oh No!" and being careful to avoid water snakes!!
We then dried off and drove to the Indian Head cliff top where the views were amazing! before heading to the Champagne Pools... unfortunately the tide was out so we didnt get the full effect of the bubbly sea water, but I did find (and steal) some nice shells, which I then left with my drug mule, Andy, who still has them, so I may never see them again! Boo Hoo! x
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After the Champagne Pools, we went to Eli Creek, but it was WAY to cold to get wet by then, so I just waded down it with my poncho on!
As the sun was setting we went to see the ruins of an old ship that was washed up on the beach before heading back to camp...
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Tonight Charlotte and I cooked spaghetti bolognaise for Group C, but (as men HAVE to help) it wasn't the greatest success, and a Dingo nearly stole half of it!! oops!
Back on the red goon and a new drinking game of 'Timmy Timmy', and a fun time around the camp fire... a great last night in Fraser!

Our last morning was spent cleaning and hunting for missing knives! Luckily we were let off as we managed to find 3 extra cups and two extra spoons! The drive was long and we were SOOO tired so I slept most of the way to central station, where we went on a bush walk following the creek, and only 7 out of 25 of us managed to go the right way!! We saw some pretty scary looking spider webs, two snakes and some bright blue mushrooms and then had to wait 40 mins whilst Kirk retrieved the rest of our group!
The silver lining was that I got to drive the next leg of the journey to Lake Mackenzie, and Kirk told the group I was a 'Very Good Driver'!!! (^_^) x
As we were late and had to make our boat back to the mainland we only had a short time at the lake, but it was BEAUTIFUL, with crystal clear water and really fine white sand! LOVELY! x
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Once we were back in Hervey Bay, Kirk took us to see some wild kangaroos... these ones were the bigger red ones and they were SOO cool, we got close enough for photos and then they all got up and hopped off into the bushes! (Check out the MASSIVE balls that the male has btw)
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Then this farmer guy came over and harassed us so we had to leave! Boo! Took Caroline for an inspection and luckily we hadn't damaged her so didn't have to pay anything! PHEW!

We walked down to the marina together to get on the boat, and were picked up by Jimmy, a VERY attractive (but equally arrogant) crew member! The boat had a nice big lounge area below deck and comfy rooms (Becci and I shared), plus a large open area on the deck which was sheltered by tarpaulin, so we were kept relatively dry!
After a safety briefing we were introduced to all the crew: Dave- another gorgeous one! Tony- an amazing cook! Ben: slightly desperate dive master who tried it on with EVERYONE! and Brayden- a Jimmy-look-alike with a very cute smile! (^_^) x
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We were then left to mingle and get to know each other, before a dinner of grilled fish and mash potato, team games and goon!
We got ourselves into teams and the first game had up passing oranges from under our chins to between another persons legs and vice versa along a line... then we paired up boy/girl and I had to blow up a rubber glove through a tube between Charlie's legs while he held the back of my head... I would have won had Charlie not told me that I had won, causing me to stop and let the air out!! Still though, even starting again I came third! NOT BAD!
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The next game had a couple, Tyler licking Vegemite out of Claire's belly button! MINGING! But they won so we got more points!

Then there was a game where you had to be the first couple to get into a sex position that the crew called out the fastest! and then a nasty spanking game where several of the boys had VERY bruised bums from being whacked with a flipper!

All in all, my team came third! x
The night continued with more drinking games, including a round of Fuck the Dealer, a whole carton of goon and LOTS of photos! x

We were woken up at 6:30am!! on both days in order to 'get the most out of our day', which was pretty horrible, especially with a goon hang over! BUT we were given peanut butter and jam to make my new food obsession... peanut butter and jam toasties!! NOM NOM! x
Our first stop was WhiteHaven Beach, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in Australia, that has 98% pure white sand and crystal clear water, but it didn't look so great in the rain! Still, we splashed around, saw some sting rays and rubbed the sand on our teeth as directed, all the while in VERY attractive 'stinger suits' which are thin wet suits that protect you from jellyfish stings! :-S
After a brief walk back through the bush, we were taken in speed boats to an amazing snorkel area on the fringes of the Great Barrier Reef... I had a little mask trouble, but powered through and saw some beautiful coral and tropical fish! Was pretty magical to be snorkeling as the rain fell on the sea as well, it made a tinkling sound on the water and looked like twinkling glitter from under the surface!
Dave thought it was funny to throw fish food into the sea right next to me as well which meant literally hundreds of fish came swarming around me and nipping at my face!! Scariest thing ever! Funny the first time, but not so much the fourth!!! Grr!
After snorkeling we had some sandwiches for lunch and played around on the boats diving board/slides/jacuzzi before showering off the salt water and getting ready for 'The Big Night' that evening!
This time the games were individual, with the winner being crowned 'King/Queen of the Clipper'... The crew brought out a big bin of funny clothes that STANK and clearly hadn't ever been washed so we all had to dress up... I managed to fight and barter my way to a full Santa outfit but when the games started, the first question was to go to the Port side of the boat, which I KNEW was left, but everyone else went right... when I stayed on the left side Jimmy grabbed me and dragged me away to the right side, and as he is 6ft 2 and built like a rugby player I couldn't get away from him which meant I was out!! Now we all know that I DO NOT like to lose and I was SOOOOO pissed off that I was 'out' unfairly! This meant that I couldn't even play the rest of the games, which made the evening a bit boring for a while because I had to just wait for more people to be out until I could do anything else!! ANYWAYS! in the end I had a great night with everyone once the games were over! Even more photos as well! x
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The weather continued to be AWFUL, absolutely pouring with rain non-stop which caused massive flooding in Queensland and meant that all the Greyhound buses north and south were cancelled... so we were stranded in Airlie Beach until the weather improved!
Luckily we were all in the same position and so we just hung out together and had another night drinking at Becci's hostel playing drinking games with Nicko, Charlie, Kat and some new room mates- Gem and Matt! Had a traumatic goon experience though, which lead to a new piece of traveling advise and a 'Note to Self'... DO NOT buy rose goon. Ever.
Also for my 'Last Supper' with Becci, we went out for Mexican and they put cheese and salad on top of my chilli... A-MAY-ZING!! Mum had been told! :-S x

After a pretty major melt down, I decided the only thing to do was fly over to Cairns, and luckily there were flights available from Hamilton Island, so I FINALLY made it to a very sunny 35 degree Cairns on Friday 23rd March! (only 4 days late!) but as the weather was so lovely I was in good spirits and spent the day sunbathing by the lagoon, before meeting my American room mates from Gilligan's for a few drinks in the evening... not too many though as I had my fingers and toes firmly crossed that the weather on 24th would be lovely so I could do my SKY DIVE!!! (^_^) xx
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It was the cherry on top of a roller coaster trip that was AUSTRALIA!!! XX

Sydney
Tuesday 21st Feb- Saturday 25th Feb 2012

Arrived after a LOOONNGG flight from BA, where I was sat next to a VERY annoyingly chatty Peruvian man, and served by the rudest air stewardess I have ever come across... Yes, OK, so I might have been asleep when you brought the dinner around, but it is nearly 3am and I haven't had dinner yet, so... did you try and wake me up?? No?? Well then please can I have the meal which I have paid for now? and NO! I didn't mean the vegetarian option!!! Not an unreasonable request, I don't think... but apparently enough to have her tutting and scowling at me for 17 hours! JOY! :-(
To top things off, when we flew into Sydney, the weather was cloudy, so although I could see the opera house and the harbour bridge out of my window on decent... it wasn't clear enough to photograph!

On the plus side though, Australia = English speaking people! So the transfer to my hostel was a doddle and I checked in pretty swiftly at 'Base' on Kent Street. Had a quick wonder around and a much needed shower and then attempted to beat the jet lag monster by staying awake until 10pm.. went to watch 'The Vow' at the cinema and finished reading 'The Help'.
Also, was really impressed by their cool, colourful money!! It's waterproof as it's made of plastic and each note is a bright colour! Haven't seen a 'greeny' though ($100- too rich for me!)

In the morning, the weather was MUCH better, so I took a stroll down to the opera house and the harbour bridge for some photos and then walked back through the Botanical Garden where I stopped to read/ sunbathe and then swiftly left once I noticed the BATS! in the trees! eek!
Back at the hostel a new Canadian guy and his crazy Irish mate had checked into my room and invited me down for a drink in the bar next door... fast forward a few hours and we were in MacDonalds eating chicken nuggets and trying to stop the Irish guy starting a fight over BBQ sauce!
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Thankfully we had ANOTHER sunny day the next morning so I went on the ferry over to Manly Beach with Emily and her uni friends... the view of the harbour en route was awesome, and we had a great day on the beach, even seeing a blue bottle jelly fish! (quite common in Aus and only little but the first jelly I have seen!)... on the way back we stopped for ice cream at Gellato's, triple scoop tub with hazelnut, caramel and chocolate AND hot nutella sauce... NOM NOM!
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I also bought my IPhone 4S on the way back to the hostel... SOOO exciting! x Then after I checked into my new hostel 790 on George Street, I met up with Emily for a drink at Russel's Wine Bar, which was lovely! I like the fact that in Aus they offer you a water with every drink you purchase, the idea is to keep people hydrated and it's great because when it's in front of you, you drink it! defo something that should be bought over to the UK!

The next morning I woke up early for breakfast with Harrison as his hostel was right next to mine! Had some DELICIOUS thick brown toast with Vegemite... not as nice as Marmite but similar in taste! MMM!
We then got the tube to Bondi Beach, which was PACKED due to the lovely weather and the fact that it was Saturday! There was even a skate competition on the top! A good opportunity to wear my Brazillian bikini and catch some serious rays! We had to leave around 3pm as H had work, but before we went we had THE BEST ice cream I have ever tasted 'Movenpick', a Swiss brand, pana cotta and creme brulee! SOOOO good, really creamy! :-D x
That evening I stayed off the drink and packed up my bag ready to head up to the Blue Mountains and visit Bree...

Blue Mountains
Sunday 26th Feb- Tuesday 28th Feb 2012

Spent the morning booking all my trips for the coast with Peter (a slightly inappropriately flirty Hungarian) at Travel Bugs... over GBP1000 later, I had booked my Greyhound bus ticket, Fraser Island, Whitsundays and a 14,000ft SkyDive + DVD! so when Bree finally arrived around 1pm, I was SOOO ready to leave... but excited for what was to come!
We got the train and a bus up to Blue Mountains, where I booked into the Flying Fox hostel in Katoomba, which was VERY hippy and full of Germans, but free breakfast and nice communal vibe!
Bree took me to her parents house en route to the hostel to pick up her mums car and I was given a lovely salad and spinach/ sundried tomato muffin! Then once I had showered and changed, Bree and I went to Station Bar (the only option) for Kangeroo Pizza!! and red wine! The Kangeroo was lovely, like a really tender steak! Would defo eat it again! x
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In the morning Bree and I went for breakfast together, I had some raisin toast which is EVERYWHERE here and the best idea ever! kinda like Gauche or a teacake in a loaf form, but more readily available as a breakfast food! My fave! x
She then drove me to Flat Rock, which is a place where local people often go that looks out over the Blue Mountains, has lots of carved names in and a make-shift cave where an Australian hippy escaped service in the war for a while!
I had to get my train back to Sydney around 4pm to catch the Greyhound up to Byron overnight, so Bree parked at the 'Kiss and Ride' area and said goodbye!

Byron Bay
Wednesday 29th Feb - Friday 2nd March 2012

The over night bus wasn't TOO bad, the only annoying thing was that everytime the driver stopped, he turned on the lights and gave us a brief history about where we were etc, even though it was 3am and NO ONE cared! :-S
Byron was a cool town, basically just one main road down the centre which had shops etc on it leading up to the beach at the end... my hostel was Nomads and it was VERY nice, really modern and big! Met a girl on check in called Emily from London who I spent the rest of the day with, we went to the beach to chill out until it was time to check in and then that evening we joined the hostel pub crawl, which included free pizza, a somewhat fixed limbo competition (the girl that won was 5ft nothing and worked at the hostel, and she was against a 6ft 3in German guy!!), and goon waterfall, where we had to down our goon punch (free) and put the cup upside down on our heads before the next person could drink theirs! Deadly! x
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Surfers Paradise
Saturday 3rd March - Monday 5th March 2012

Woke up upset and with a BAD goon hang over... needless to say, this was a low point in my trip, too early to call mum but holding back tears for most of the morning I thought it best to just try and sleep on the short bus ride up to Surfers and prayed that things would get better soon, it's not nice to be upset when you have no one you love around you for a cuddle!
Luckily, when I arrived I instantly loved the place... the weather was a bit temperamental but everyone was very much in party-mode and as soon as I checked in I was told all about the organized club nights for the weekend!! JUST what I needed!
After a shower and a skype home for some perspective and encouraging words from mum, I was brave, put on some make up and went to say hi to a table of strangers with my free glass of wine... SO proud of myself because they turned out to be the nicest group of people I've met! Lauren, Nish, Mel, Ben etc... We got on really well and ended up playing drinking games including 'Fuck the dealer', 'The Woo Woo Game' and 'Yee Haa', all before 10pm when the shuttle bus took us to a few bars in town... one was like an Irish pub in one direction and a dingy punk rock club in the other! and then there was 'Cocktails and Dreams'... dark and tiny and only marginally better than Soho, but with a great mix of people (including my new husband Ben), I felt a thousand times better!
Besides, you cant argue with $7 bottles of wine!
The next day I met up with Emily in the afternoon and went to the beach with her until the Queensland weather turned again and started raining, we went back to her hostel and watched The Hangover, then I got the shuttle back to my hostel and had another night out with Ben, where we watch a 'Best Bum' competition and did a lot of dancing!
I would have happily stayed longer but had booked my Greyhound up to Nambour to meet Marty and Ali in Monteville...

Monteville
Monday 5th March - Saturday 10th March 2012
I cannot describe in enough word how INCREDIBLE my time in Monteville was, Martin and Ali were SOOO incredibly welcoming and hospitable, their house was to-die-for and they treated me like a member of the family the entire time!
It was amazing to feel like I was at home again, I had a big comfy double bed, chocolates, magazines, a private bathroom and some of the best meals I have eaten in a LONG time!

They own a gastro pub in the area and so I ate their with them every night (apart from one where Martin cooked a bbq at home), and to top it off their son Ryan is BLOODY GORGEOUS! haha... We spent the week exploring the surrounding neighbourhoods, eating great food and relaxing...

One day we even went to a cafe that was amidst a fancy tree-house themed hotel! Everything was made of wood and each cabin had a different name and a different creature carved into the wood! Very cute!

We also went to Moloolabah and had fresh seafood, with Martin teaching me how to pull apart whole king prawns! But my favourite meals of the week were the lamb shank with mash potato (something I miss dearly) and the eye fillet steak with a watercress salad and beetroot puree... I didnt think I liked beetroot but that was AMAZING!
I met uncle Bob's brother, and we chatted about Jersey which was cool and there are even photos of the town church and Corbiere lighthouse in the pub! (^_^) x

Australia Zoo
Thursday 8th March 2012
This is where I ticked two more things off of my 'to-do' list for Australia... 'Hold a Koala' and 'Feed a Kangeroo'!!
Martin and Ali had to work today, so they dropped me off at the Steve Irwin zoo around 9:30am and I wondered around the animals all day, they mostly have crocodiles similar reptile species, as well as a lot of birds, but I also saw Rhinos, Zebras, GIRAFFES!, fed an Elephant named 'Bimbo', Red Pandas (SOOO cute), a GOREGOUS tiger, Tazmanian Devils, Camels?? and of course the Koalas and Kangeroos!

They have a Koala stroking area, where you can pat them on the back, and they have smaller grey kangeroos that you can feed and pat! When you hold out the food in your hand they come up and cup your hands with theirs as they munch away! bless!
To hold the Koala I had to pay $25 for a big photo, but it was worth it... they DO NOT smell nice, as Stephen Fry told me, but they are SOOO cute... you really do just want to take them home!

After one more night with Ali and Martin, I thought I'd probably over-stayed my welcome, and I had to be up in Hervey Bay for Fraser Island so I reluctantly packed my bag and made my way up the coast and back to the reality that it pesto pasta and squeaky bunk beds...

Having slightly refreshed from my hang over with a brief and not-so-comfortable sleep on the ferry, we arrived to Buenos Aires! (meaning 'good air' as apparently when the first settlers came here, they originally tried to live in a swamp basin, but were defeated by the local tribes and so re-located to higher ground, with cleaner air! Little factoid from George!) x

The hotel we stayed at was LOVELY... Juan took us for a walk around the main street (Florida Street) and for some lunch in the shopping mall. The lunch was served in a cantine style, with different types of food in little sections... we went for the stir fry option as I think everyone was starting to feel the lack of vitamins in their diet! I had a Salmon stir fry which was DELICIOUS and a fanta which was illuminous!
Juan then took us back for the briefing and outlined on a map all the main sights of the city, which neighbourhoods were safe to walk around and where the best places to eat/ shop etc were.
Hannah, Jess and I then went to get a traditional Argentinian snack called an Alfajoures, which is eaten with tea/coffee and is basically a sandich of two cake-like cookies with dolce de leche in the centre and coated in chocolate! NOM NOM!
After a quick shower, we met up in the hotel lobby for some dinner... Juan was seeing his parents that evening, but recommended a local steak house where you paid 105 pesos for all-you-can-eat steak and salad buffet, with a bottle of wine and a dessert included! The retaurant was in the posh marina area of the city, and was called 'Chase the Cow' (in spanish)... we walked through the city as the sun set, past the gorgeously affluent yachts and the bridge which is designed to represent two tango dancers (but in fact looks nothing like one!) x Dinner was delicious, and was a good laugh to be with everyone without Juan around.
Taxi back for bed... the air con in our room wasn't working, so was a rather sweaty night, but still comfortable... plus we had a TV with English channels, so Allison and I watched some 'Teen Mom' x
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In the morning, I stayed at the hotel to check my bank on George's Ipad... my card was playing up at the HSBC and I was worried due to the people that had money stolen... but everything was fine and the machine let me withdraw money that morning, guess it was just having a little tiff!
Grabbed an activia and an Alphajoure for breakfast (healthy!) and then headed towards the north, to the neighbourhood of Recolletta with George, Hannah, Jess, Rachel, Rosie, Christina and Allison. Bought a ticket for a bus tour to get a feel for the area/ distances between sights then went to the square at the top of Florida street which has a monument to General San Martin, who got Argentina their independence.
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The bus tour took us through the neighbourhood with a funny incredibly-English speaking man in our headphones, telling us what was around as we drove.
We stopped first at a little white chapel and saw a red phonebox. The chapel was cute but the most interesting and impressive sight was the grave yard next to it!
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The guide explained that traditional Argentinian graves do not bury the dead underground, but instead, erect a small ornate house, with a single glass door at the front, with the coffin placed on display inside!!
Some of the grave-houses were BEAUTIFUL, with marble statues or carved stone/ iron mouldings decorating the outside... some were clearly VERY old and the most expensive one had solid gold tilling and crystals!
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We saw Evita's grave, where she is lying with her husband, but I was a little disappointed with it... due to her status within the country I expected it to be amazing but it was just black marble with some metal plaques which had been donated in her memory... guess maybe the family didn't have enough money for a fancy one!
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Back on the bus we passed the silver flower, which is a sculpture made of silver-coloured metal that is solar powered and opens/closes with the sunlight! Pretty cool idea I thought! We also drove past the botanical gardens and the planetarium.
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That evening was the fairwell meal for everyone to say goodbye... we dressed up nicely and went to a Tango show! It also happened to be Valentine's Day so Juan bought us all a red rose (except George) x
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Tango lesson was first, where we learnt the basic box step and then the figure of 8... there were several men so we actually got to practise the dance in a pair once we'd learnt the steps... we even had to learn the tango pose for the end of the routine which involved wrapping your leg around the man and making your 'tango face' (no smiles... smouldering!) was GREAT fun and only marginally embarrassing! After our lesson, we had a three course dinner, lots of red wine and watched a tango show with the professionals which was a highlight of the trip so far!
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Rachel, Jess, Hannah and I were too excited once it had finished that we decided to continue the party in an Argentinian club called KIKA, which was fun, but expensive and they didn't play the best music selection! Finally getting to bed around 4am!
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Had a lie in the next day and met the same group as yesterday at 12pm to visit the La Boca neighbourhood, which is known for it's tango, particularly 'Caminito Street' which again, has lots of brightly coloured houses and cafes where they have live bands and tango shows! Bought myself a photo as a souvenier! :-D x
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Back to town for lunch, where we bought 'empanadas' which are traditional argentinian snacks... very much like a pasty!

Then George and I had to check out the hotel and make our way over to Millhouse Hostel, which is very party-orientated but has no air con!
We checked in, then went to say goodbye to the others who were leaving the next day! Sad that we won´t be together anymore, but have made some great friends! x
George and I were in the same room at Millhouse so we went for a little walk and got some Chinese for dinner, before a few drinks at the hostel and an early night... no covers though as it was BOILING! x

The next morning I woke up early to meet Bree for breakfast so I could say goodbye properly! Then George and I walked down to see the congress building and then the big shopping mall called 'Abasto' for a McDonalds chocolate sundae (a BIG feature in my time in BA!)
]we then got the D-line subway to the furthest stop at the end of town and walked through the lagoons/nature reserve in the north of the city and back past the planetarium and silver flower... my feet were starting to ache, so we got a bus back to the hostel just as the weather turned nasty... HUGE thunder storm and then absolutely terrential rain by the time we went for dinner!!

The next few nights, to save some money, we made ourselves pasta at the hostel instead, which was great! x

At the weekend, George and I chilled out, the weather wasn't getting much sunnier, so we spent our days looking around the markets in Recolleta and San Telmo for anything worth buying... saw these awesome coins from all over the world which had bits of the metal cut out of them to make them into interesting pendants, but they were VERY expensive, and would probably just end up in a draw so I didn't bother to buy them.

I've had an AMAZING time in South America so far... with highlights defo being the boat trip in Paratay, the markets in Uruguay and the Tango show/lessons I´ve had in Buenos Aires! (hopefully I will remember the steps!)

Things I am going to miss:
- Eating cake as part of every meal in Brazil.
- The sunshine and the beaches, and 30+ degree heat!
- Having a consistent group of friends to chat to and explore with.
- The tango!

Things I am not going to miss:
- RUDE Brazillian people.
- The inability to communicate past basic phrases.
- Being dribbled on consistantly in the street by Air Con vents!! YUCK!!

Really looking forward to Australia... lets hope it's even better than South America has been!! xx

Brazillian side of Iguassu Falls
Up at 9am to pack our bags as we were getting the night bus to Salto in Uruguay that evening!
Set off at 11am to the falls again, and this time the view was more panoramic... you could see the different falls better and the scale of them more impressively!
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The bridges also went over the rapids this time so we could get closer to the water! We saw a tarantula spider just chilling on the side of the path... big and hairy! and also a black and white lizard which was cool.
After seeing the falls we went by bus to the Bird Park, which was AWESOME, as the enclosures were really big and you could walk into them and actually be next to the birds! Had to watch out for the poo, but was great not to have to look through cages!
My favourite bird was the Toucans! They are really cool, their beaks are HUGE and sooooo colourful! and they do this funny hop when they move around, rather than walking one foot to the other, they just jump forward with both feet! SUPER CUTE!
We then went into the enclosures with the Macaw parrots... they were ace too! VERY NOISY though! x
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We had to leave around 4pm to get to the bus station in Argentina, where we were catching the second night bus to Salto... this one was only 14 hours, and the bus company made a mistake which meant we got an upgrade to a bigger bus, with AMAZING seats! They were like leather armchairs and I didnt have to sit next to anyone, so I could spread out more! Was annoyed that they kept the lights on on this bus though, so didn't sleep as easily as with the other bus! Bree also gave me a pair of uber-sexy flesh coloured compression socks which was lovely of her and stopped the return of pork foot! PHEW! x
We were dropped off at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere at 5am, where taxis waited to take us across the boarder into Uruguay...

Salto- Friday 9th Feb 2012
Arrived at our hotel, VERY tired after not very much sleep at around 11am, checked into our rooms (I was sharing with Sharni again) and had a MUCH NEEDED shower... Had a quick briefing and then Juan informed us that there was nothing planned for the day apart from 'relaxing after our long journey'... the itinerary had stated the option of a visit to the 'hot springs', and so us girls were naturally excited about the prospect of a glorious natural pool in the mountainside somewhere, maybe with mud baths and massages... what we actually discovered was that in Uruguay, 'hot springs spa' actually translates into 'filthy gas chamber- looking scene from horror film'!!! There were various contraptions mascaraing as 'showers' which were all filled with BOILING hot water and there was ONE fat old woman who was the 'masseuse' and 9 of us!!! Needless to say, we didn't stay long... although Rachel, Rosie, Bree and Hannah, armed with all their patience, did wait the 40 mins each that it took for this woman to get to each of them!
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Meanwhile, Sharni, Allison, George and I went for a wonder around the town and to grab some lunch... The only way I can think to describe the town was what I would imagine hick-American south to be... just random buildings off of a massive highway, strange people who walk around outside dressed only in towelled gowns and slippers, lots of convenience stores which sold 2 litre water bottles of red wine for 5 pesos and LOADS of hotels... that was the weirdest thing, every other building was a hotel, but I cant imagine who would choose this place as a holiday destination!!?? VERY odd!
Lunch wasn't much better!
Back at the hotel I read some more of my book and had a nap in the afternoon... dinner MORE THAN made up for the weird day when Juan took us to an all-you-can-eat buffet (including dessert!!), where I also had a glass of wine and tried 'sweat breads' which were actually VERY yummy! Here, Hannah and I also co-founded the pudding club, whose first rule was 'fruit is NOT dessert' and stuffed our faces with cake, meringue, pastry and LOTS of dolce de leche caramel! MMMMM!!! xx
Sunset was also pretty fly!
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and then once we were ready to check in, we had to get ready fairly quickly as it was Jess' 19th Birthday and we were organising a surprise party for her! Nice opportunity for us to dress up and put some make up on!! We also used Sophie's hair straighteners so my hair wasn't fluffy for the first time in weeks! x SOOO nice to look 'normal' again!
Juan decorated his hotel room with colourful balloons and streamers and we all met there to surprise Jess with a card and a toast before dinner... the drink tasted kinda like cider, but came in a champagne shaped bottle!? hmmm!?
Dinner was DELICIOUS... the restaurant was a bit fancier than normal, and I had a chicken kebab with sweet potato and a peach/pineapple sauce... mmmm! After dinner the hotel brought out a cake with candles- chocolate sponge with a chocolate moose! NOM NOM!
Once dinner was over, we walked to a bar and some of the girls stayed out drinking until 2am! But I was SOOO tired and so went home at midnight.. SQUARE! x

Picked up quite a lot of colour though... although I do have a Havaiana mark on my feet now! BOO!
That evening, Bree and I stayed in and dyed our hair... mine was looking very straw like and starting to fade to a pretty manky orange colour with the sunlight, so went brave and chose a chocolatey brown which has turned out REALLY nicely! SO shiny! The conditioner smelt like jelly babies as well! x
HILARIOUS moment when I tried to explain when a bidet was to Bree, not realising the water shot up in the air and not forward out the back... arse water ALL over my face!! She couldn't stop laughing!
Another lie in before our 2 hour bus journey to Colonia....

Colonia- Monday 12th Feb 2012
Nice bus journey, where I listened to my ipod and watched the sunshine out the window!
Arrived around 3pm and got a taxi to the hotel... Pasada de la fleur... really gorgeous little villa where the rooms were named after different flowers and all the doors had shutters like a little Italian cottage! I shared a 5-bed room which had a balcony with Allison, Rachel, Bree and Jen.
After we'd dropped our bags off Juan took Bree, Hannah, Jess, Jen and I on a city tour with GOLF BUGGIES!!! I even got to drive the yellow racing buggy, which was sooo fun! Saw the ruins of the old Bull Fighting arena, the race course, beach (with brown lake as the sea), lighthouse, port and then stopped for some AMAZING ice cream, Chocolate Suizo with Dolce de Leche!! MMM! x
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That evening we all went out for dinner together, chicken stir fry and LOTS of wine, with these local shots that tasted like honey!
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Rachel was VERY drunk and a nightmare to get into bed, I cracked out the chicken dance and Bree taught us the 'stab and slash' dance! There were also funny signs on the toilet doors to indicate 'mens' and 'womens'...
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Early start with a HEADACHE of doom! But only a 1 hour ferry ride to Buenos Aires... which I slept through!

Having had an awesome week in Rio, I started my tour day with a big load of laundry! The rain had finally stopped and the sunshine was out, but instead of being on the beach, I spent the best part of the morning stuck in a laundrette, attempting to communicate with the woman that I wanted to use the self service machines and managing to shrink my fave red cardigan in the process! BUT, it was nice to have everything clean, and fresh!

I spent the rest of the day reading Russel Brands 'Booky Wook 2', which is hilarious, and a definite recommendation if you like him... although I cannot comment on 'Booky Wook 1', as they didn't have that one at the hostel library!
I headed to the Hotel for check in and the welcome meeting around 5pm, and saw that the meeting was scheduled for 7pm, which was great as I was given a single room so had some privacy and, as it was a hotel, the room came with COMPLIMENTARY TOWELS and a decent shower! SOOO happy! x
We all met in the lobby, and everyone was very quiet at first, my first thought was THANK GOD everyone can speak English, after my hideous attempts at understanding Portuguese for the past week, I just wanted to be able to have a proper conversation! x Once everyone had arrived our tour guide Juan (NOT Wan) introduced himself and took us into a private room for the welcome briefing.
The group consisted of 13 girls and one boy, George, who is a Geography graduate from Newcastle who I don't think has ever been with so many girls in his life! He defo didn't seem to mind the lack of male commradory! There were two girls from Australia and the rest were from UK. Juan gave us details of the trip and then we all went out for dinner at the Kilogramma to get to know each other.
I immediately bonded with an Australian girl, Bree, who is very tall with gorgeous long dark hair. She has a boyfriend back home as well and had seen away for 6 months so we talked about that and realised we had quite a lot in common! Went for a drink after dinner and tried a Mango caiparinha, which was nice, but quite hard to drink through a straw when the big chunks of mango were at the bottom! x

Early night as we had to be packed and checked out early to start the tour...

Ilha Grande - Tuesday 31st Jan
The journey from Rio was 3 hours in a bus and then a ferry ride for an hour.
The weather was still a bit cloudy when we got to the ferry port, and we had a while to wait for the boat, so we just chilled out with our bags and chatted. Some of the girls used a cash machine to get money for the island and had their cards cloned, which we didnt realise until they tried to use them again in Sao Paulo!! One of the Aussie girls, Sharni, had her account completely drained of about 1000 dollars!! Its a scary thought and defo something I will have to watch out for! Put a bit of a dampner on things! x
The ferry was like a catameran with an open deck on the top for us to sit on. We past a very pretty little private island and wondered if it was the one where Bella and Edward had their honey moon in the Breaking Dawn movie! (sad). Everyone in the group bonded quickly which was great.
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When we got to the island it was beautiful, with beaches around the coast and big mountains in the centre that were covered in dense rainforest. The shops and houses that made up the village were all really 'beachy' and brightly coloured. I think England would be a prettier place if everyone painted their houses yellow, turquoise, red, green or pink! It really made the place look happy and tropical! We walked 5 mins inland to our hotel which was very romantic and made of lots of little wooden chalets, some of them had white hammocks on the balcony and their was a swing set in the front garden! I shared a room with Sharni and Jennifer which didnt have a ceiling fan or air conditioning which was annoying because it was sooo hot at night!

We were given cake and afternoon tea (an AWESOME Brazilian thing- cake with every meal!) and then had another briefing where Juan explained the optional activities that ALL included HIKING!!! (not a fan) x Luckily another girl in the group shared my views about hiking, Hannah, and we became really friendly as we both just wanted to enjoy the beach!! I didnt bring hiking shoes so I had to change into my black boots then Juan took us for a 'walk' (hike) to see the islands abandoned prison (originally the island was populated by prison guards and prisoners from Rio), water pool and black beach which had volcanic sand. We also saw a HUGE butterfly and an old aqueduct which was very picturesque. We then walked back through the town, taking photos en route, to shower and change for dinner, which we ate at a cafe on the beach. They had DELICIOUS beans! x
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Early start and a VERY hot day... the sun has officially got his hat on and I cross my fingers that it is here to stay now!
LOVELY hotel breakfast with mango and pineapple, bread and butter, crackers, tea and CAKE! (of course) x Needed a big breakfast because today we were hiking as a group to the best beach on the island 'Lopez Mendez', which was going to take us 2 hours over the mountains in the centre of the island! Very hot and tiring but also very beautiful as we were walking through rainforest and we got some great photo opportunities.. even saw wild tamarind monkeys!! x
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After 'one more hill' (Juan's quote of the day) we reached Lopez Mendez which was a STUNNING beach, with mango trees at the top giving some shade and then hot white sand and crystal blue sea... well worth the trek! We found a spot in the shade and then stripped off our sweaty clothes and ran straight into the sea! SO refreshing and cool!
We spent the day on the beach, chatting, reading, getting some sun (being careful to dip in and out of the heat), we even took a 'Peter Andre' inspired photo for George to make his friends at home jealous! haha, very funny!

At around 4pm we had to pack up and make our way back over that 'one more hill' to catch the boat back round to the port near our hotel. Bree and I sat at the front of the boat (bow??) and bonded some more, with me slightly burning my forearm! OOPIES!

Rachel, George, Juan, Jen, Christina and I then headed to the beach to continue the party with the locals around a huge beach bonfire, Rachel managed to slice her foot open on a rock and had an awkward incident with a local boy (she can speak fluent spanish so was able to communicate with them better), who decided that the best way to entice her was to whip out his penis and hold it out to her as if to say 'you want?'... she was NOT impressed, but managed to get out of the situation without any drama... the foot thing was stressful though, she was limping for most of the trip and had to clean and re-dress it every few hours! x George was a good nurse though! x

Woke up with a MASSIVE headache, and after a bread roll and an Ibuprofen I went back to sleep for 2 hours finally arising at midday!! Luckily some of the others had stayed out till 5am so they woke up late too!
I spent the day with Bree, we went to buy some açai sorbet (for antioxidents) and then had a wonder around the local shops. I bought some factor 30 suncream as the sun really is SOOO strong and a GORGEOUS, don't-want-to-take-it-off ITSY BITSY Brazillian bikini! The bottoms (which are practically a thong) are bright yellow and the top is strapless and white which green, pink and yellow across the front. When in Brazil! x
We then wondered over to the black beach to meet some of the other girls and sunbathe for a while. Later we went for some dinner at this local restaurant where I had a DELICIOUS Brazillian fish stew with rice and something called Paçao (which was essentially a fish sauce)... SOOOO yummy!... then to be extra piggy, we then went to the bakery and bought some lemon drizzle cake for dessert! Defo one of my favourite things about Brazil so far is the portion size when it comes to cake!!! xx^
Back at the hotel we chatted with some of the others around the swimming pool and then washed the sand off ourselves (volcanic sand is VERY sticky).
Due to the hang over and the big lunch, we didnt bother with dinner so I stayed in with Bree to do our nails, eat some chocolate, re-pack my ruck sack and get an early night... Had a bit of a mare with Sharni when she refused to leave the window closed as we had no ceiling fan, which meant I woke up COVERED in mosquito bites... which REALLY annoyed me, but at least they weren't on my face this time!
Early breakfast at 8am as we had to set off to get our boat and bus to Paratay...

Paratay- Friday 3rd Feb
Our Journey to Paratay was via ferry for 1hr and then bus for about 4 hours.
We arrived mid afternoon, and from the outskirts of the town we were all a bit concerned, it looked pretty run down, but once we got to the coast it was actually very quaint. All the streets were (badly) cobbled and so walking around was spent looking at your feet so we didnt break an ankle! The houses, as usual were all an old colonial style and the people were much more friendly than in the Brazilian cities. Our hotel was nice, with all the rooms facing an open courtyard with big wooden beams making a balcony.
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Again, I was in a room of three with Sharni and Rachel, but I got to sleep in the double bed this time, so it was nice to star fish... I really dont know how I ever had a decent nights sleep in a single!
Once we'd checked in Juan took us to a local cafe for lunch, I shared a chicken dish with Hannah which was really nice... The chicken was grilled with onions, bacon, chick peas and capers and came with rice and beans (of course), casava flour AND chips!! NOM NOM! I also had a fresh orange suco, but the passion fruit one was better! (I tried a bit of Jens) x
We went back to our hotel for our briefing before Juan took Bree, George, Jess, Sharni and I to a local waterfall where there were large algae-covered boulders that the end of the waterfall runs over, so the local people use it as a natural water slide and slide down into the pool on their feet or bums! As tourists we werent quite au fait with the technique, so we took carrier bags from the supermarket to sit on! The local men were very nice, trafficking us to the top and then giving us a push so we went faster! There was one guy who looked just like Tarzan and he was jumping and skipping over a vine as he slid down the rock, and even jumped over a girl at one point! x
George attempted to take a video but they weren't very good! SO MUCH FUN! x
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After a few goes, we took some photos of the nearby rope bridge and then headed back for a shower as we smelt like pond water and the mosquitos were bugging us! GRR! x
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Once clean a few of us went for dinner, just shared a potato salad with some lettuce and cucumber with Rachel (another girl I get on really well with) as I wasn't that hungry. Wasn't the most delicious meal, but nice enough! We then ventured to a local square where there was an area set up outside for a band and samba dancing and street vendors sold food and drinks. Bree and I had a kiwi vodka with ice! Very refreshing, and she also introduced me to 'Churros' which are AMAZING! long doughnuts which are warm and rolled in cinnamon sugar! SOOO YUMMY! x

Boat Trip
One of the optional activities here in Paratay was a boat trip which included a cooked lunch and all-you-can-drink caiparinhas! whilst you sunned yourself on a large collonial boat and visited two islands and two beaches!
Juan had told us that this would be the last opportunity to tan for a while, so, armed with our new bikinis Bree and I (along with Jess, Hannah and Sharni) decided to go on this trip!

Made it to the hotel for a much needed shower! Shared a room with Bree and Christina and had the chance to skype with Patch on George's ipad! :-D x
We had the day to chill out by the pool which was great as it was VERY hot here... the town was inland and so the temperature was nearly 40 degrees and there was no sea breeze! Read a few magazines which was great, Allison had bought a stash (clever girl) so we all shared copies of Heat and Marie Claire! x
Later in the afternoon, Bree and I attempted to find the supermarket and buy some beers for everyone... it was a LONG way away from the hotel, and then on the walk back MY FLIP FLOP BROKE!! the bit between your toes came through the bottom, so it wouldn't stay on my foot, and with the temp being so hi the ground was BOILING hot, queue 'operation plastic bag' where Bre tied the flip flop to my foot using one of the bags from the supermarket!! Ingenious and a complete success! We managed to walk with our heavy shopping all the way to Subway (for a sandwich) and the back! HUZZAH! x

Few drinks around the pool with everyone and then a GREAT night's sleep in an actual bed with AIR CONDITIONING!! woohoo! x

Argentinian side of Iguassu Falls

Early start due to the boarder crossing into Argentina (second stamp in my passport!).
Hannah wasn't well so Juan stayed with her during the day while the rest of us started our tour of the National Park!
First we went on a safari style jeep through the jungle- we saw these giant spiders which make their webs between the trees above your head and their silk is golden in colour! There was an annoying Japanese woman with her camera taking videos and photos of EVERYTHING, including US! instead of just enjoying the ride!

Then we all put our stuff into waterproof bags and the boat took us into the white spray at the base of the waterfall, where the water hits the river... we got SOAKED but it was sooo fun! Their was a stupid woman in front of me that decided it'd be a good idea to bring her toddler on the boat! The poor boy was terrified and crying his eyes out! x
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We got off the boats and then walked around the lower levels of the falls to dry off... the bridges were horrible! All raised in the air and all with metal mesh for the flooring so you could see the drop below you if one of the panels fell through! So again, I was looking at my feet more that the surroundings! :-P x

Iguassu Falls is made up of several smaller waterfalls and then one HUGE one that connects Brazil and Argentina in the middle, the views were awesome and it was cool that the bridges went so close the waterfalls that the air was misty where the water was rushing, so you were cooled down by the spray!
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We did a lot of walking that day so when we got back to the hotel we just chilled out and had an early night... met another GAdventures tour with lots of Australian people which was cool! x

...

After what seemed like an eternity waiting at the airport in Rome, and having met three lovely guys from Manchester, I managed to sleep pretty much the whole way through the 11hour flight from Rome to Rio de Janeiro, waking up just before `breakfast´ was served... basically a roll and some crackers... to see a very sunny RIO out of my window...

Wednesday 25th January 2012
Even though we arrived at 8am local time, I could feel the heat as soon as I stepped off the plane... as I often get cold on planes, I decided to wear my jogging bottoms, hoodie and boots to fly in (really should have bought some trainers, but ce la vie!)... so needless to say I was SWEATY and I stank... getting through customs was a long process, but not too complicated, and luckily the people at tourist info spoke english and said the best way to get to my hostel was via the airport shuttle bus, which would only cost R$12 (Brazilian Real)... PERFECT, I thought, that way I could see the city from the comfort of an air conditioned seat as I made my way through the various neighbourhoods to Ipenema!

My first impressions were shock, at the level of heat considering the time, the amount of traffic (it took 3 hours to get to my hostel) and the amount of buildings! flying in (see above) you could see the built up, urban areas of Rio and the clear difference between that and the shanty towns that flank it (favellas).
I was also in awe of the INCREDIBLE graffiti which covered most of the city... the pictures below were taken in Lapa, one of the downtown areas (slightly rougher) on my city tour on Friday... I asked the guide about the work and he said that the local government supports it as long as it is proper art and not just black scribblings which is more common in the UK. To think that you can create such detail with a spray can is awesome, and it really does make the streets look cool... which I guess in-keeps with the Rio `vibe´;

As we drove down the coast through the neighbourhoods of Flamengo, Botafogo and Copacabana into Ipenema you noticed the difference in lifestyle and price... these are the richer areas, the buildings are mostly high-rise, there is no rubbish (and no graffiti) on the streets and each of the buildings is gated with a private security guard!
The main avenue runs paralell to the beach so that there are no buildings actually on the beach front... apart from little cafe booths where you can rent sun lougers and buy drinks etc. The beaches are all beautiful, with very white sand, but not as picturesque as you might think... the appeal for me was the cycle track which runs along them... both Copacabana and Ipenema beach are very long and they seem to have a big emphasis on fitness here, so as you walk down the beach front you will always see people running/cycling/rollerblading on the track as well as playing volleyball or football on the top of the beach. It isnt a wonder that Gisele was discovered here, most of the people are STUNNING, men and woman, with incredible bodies and deep rich tans, which are always on show in either speedos or thongs! ;-) x
One day I had the fortunate experience to walk past the life guard station... I nearly fainted... God was having a VERY good day when he made those men! :-P x

My hostel `Che Legarto´is modest but nice and very chilled out, there is a big bar/reception area on the ground floor, which is always full of people to chat to and is a great place to start your night out... The room was nice, comfy bunk beds with lockers underneath which meant you could un-pack your stuff and lie your bag down behind it which is good! but only one toilet/shower per room, which got a bit crowded in a 10-12 bed dorm!! :-S x
Owing to the heat and the travelling clothes, I immediately jumped in the shower once I arrived to freshen up, before heading out to wonder around Ipenema, getting a feel for where I was and to find some food... It was then I discovered Brazilians love for fast food... which explains why some of them are NOT attractive at all... absolutely everything cheap is either deep fried or covered in obscene amounts of cheese (or both)... so I ended up stealing some of the bread rolls from breakfast on days when I needed to take lunch!
I got a bit shell shocked after a few hours walking around... I think it was mostly due to the shock of being in a new place, the lack of sleep and the fact that I hadnt yet met any other English speakers, so it was all a bit too much! After a quick chat with mum, some reassurance from Patrick and a local Caipirinha (VERY alcoholic short made with lime juice, ice and a spirit made from sugar cane)... I felt much better though, and made myself a new rule: Whenever you are in a new place... give yourself at least a day to adjust! DONT PANIC! :-P x

I made sure I got a good nights sleep ready for a fun filled trip!

Thursday 26th January 2012
Met a LOVELY Swiss girl at breakfast called Gill, she had been in South America for 3 months and had learnt Portuguese fluently in the north, making her an absolute God-sent for helping me get used to everything!

The sun was VERY hot... 38 degrees for most of the afternoon, and as this was my first proper day in the heat, and I am still very much Engliand-white, I thought it best not to be too bold with the `tanning´... so after a few early hours on the beach, I met up with Gill back at the hostel and we walked through Ipenema and Leblon around the central Lagoa (lagoon) to Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens), which is a fenced area of land dedicated to preserving a variety of plant/flower species in Rio de Janerio... With Christ the Redeemer high up in the background, it was a beautiful day and a lovely stroll...

... but Skye still managed to burn, despite her expensive suncream... lesson number 2... make sure you have your cream with you and re-apply often, even when wearing long sleeves! OOPIES!

That evening, the weather started to turn and the clouds rolled in, meaning that our original plan to watch the sunset went out the window and instead we walked into Copacabana for some dinner. I wanted to try the local food that is traditionally Brazilian, and apparently that is Feijoada (a meat (I chose chicken), rice, black beans which are boiled to form a salty sauce, and salad)... considering its local, it took us a LONG time to find it... but we did and we also had a Zucco (very watery fruit juice with optional added sugar syrup... they LOVE their sugar here!). Due to the heat and the vast amount of walking, I ate it all before I even thought to take a photo! SOZ! x

We went back to the hostel for a shower before joining a pub crawl in the evening. We drank a LOT of caipirinha and I met a really great girl called Maya who was running the crawl and was kind enough to share her wine, and a Polish man named Michal, who was in Gills dorm and found it HILARIOUS when I tried to explain that Dulce de Leche was find of like fudge (both are pictured below)! We also had shots of Caju (a spirit made from the fruit of a cashew nut) which was.... interesting :-S
The rain came at 2am, when we walked home... and pretty much hasnt stopped since! I guess the tan will have to wait... xx

Friday 27th January 2012
Today the weather was APPAULING, the rain was heavy in the morning, but stopped at around 10am, the clouds however were here with avengence, which was very annoying as I had booked a city tour today to see some of the most famous tourists sights in Rio... after speaking to the man at the front desk, who appologised for the weather but said it was due to be like this for a week, I decided to take my chances and go on it anyway!

City Tour
Our guide was Fernando, and there were three other English speakers on the tour, which was 5 hours from 1:30pm.

Our first stop was Christo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), which is the famous statue of Jesus with open arms which overlooks the whole city of Rio. As we made our way up the mountain on which he stands, I was surprised by the steepness of the roads, we literally wound up through dense forest and quaint collonial style houses to the car park area, where we then had to get a lift up to see the statue.
As you may know, I get quite bad vertigo, I dont have a problem with heights, but ask me to look up at something tall or down from somewhere high and my brain automatically tells me I am going to fall and the adrenaline starts pumping... so, please take a moment to appreciate that I managed to take a photo of him from the base, even though I had to pretty much lie on the safety of the wet floor to get them! ;-) x

I have to say, it was a real shame that the weather wasnt better, the views were AMAZING and the sheer size of the statue was impressive (although apparently it was all made in France and then shipped over, which is disappointing!), but the bad weather did mean a LOT less people crowding around, so photo opportunities were better... every cloud! I particularly liked the photo of the nuns underneath the statue, they were adorable and signing what seemed like autographs for some of the locals!? Bizarre!?

Next it was the old city of Santa Teresa, which was founded based on a convent of nuns which originally settled in this area... all the buildings are very collonial in style, but as the weather started POURING with rain, we didnt get out to take photos.
Near Santa Teresa is Lapa, which is a very run down and poor area of Rio, but through a maze of back streets, there are the steps which were decorated with thousands of colourful tiles from all around the world by a Chillean artist who moved to Rio;

We then moved on to Centro which is the capital of Rio and the main downtown area. Here there are lots of large high-rise office buildings as well as Rios only cathedral, which was only built recently and looks like a spaceship from the outside! I had seen it when I drove from the airport and wondered if it was some sort of power station or science museum, but nope... once you are inside, four floor to ceiling stained glass windows meet to form a central cross on the roof... the capacity is about 2000 people and it is surprisingly quiet and peaceful inside. The only light comes through the stained glass and the square-arch entrances so on a sunny day Id imagine it was very colourful!

After the cathedral we went to Sugar Loaf Mountain in Urca. The weather had turned very cloudy by this point so I only took a few photos, but the cable car ride to the top was fun, and there is a sort of cable car museum on the top which is kinda weird!? The highlight for me was seeing the view out into the ocean where the original travellers first discovered Rio, the various sections of land form to make the sea look like a lake, and apparently the mountain is named `Sugar Loaf´as its shape resembles a type of traditional Portuguese Christmas Cake that the original settlers used to make.
The mist and cloud at the top gave a cool eerie view of the city and in the back of the photos, you can see Christ the Redeemer surveying the city from his perch in the clouds...

I also HAD to take a photo of the pretty epic mullet that the guy who ran the cable car was rocking...

That evening when I got back to the hostel, there were four new English speakers in the hostel, Malcolm from LANDAN, Wanita from Leeds, Joshua from NYC and Asia from Sydney! We all had a drink together at the hostel and then went for dinner at the `kilograma´restaurant up the road... this is a typical restaurtant style in Rio where there is a large buffet which is charged at a set price per kilogram of food, you basically take a plate, put on whatever you want from the buffet and then they weigh your plate and work out the price based on what percentage of a Kg you have!? I tried to stick to the more traditional Brazilian foods again, and anything that looked interesting! The black beans and rice that you see at the top of the plate is the basis of Feijoada;

After a LOT of laughing, chatting and nutella covered pizza... we headed out to the street party in Lapa!
As Lapa is a more dangerous area of Rio, they advise you not to take your camera or anything, so with our bras stuffed with money, we drank lots of caipirinhas and attempted to join in the local dancing. Unfortunately it was raining heavily all night again so it wasnt as busy as it might have been, but I did see the Manchester lads that Id met in the airport at Rome! (^_^) x

Saturday 28th January 2012
Woke up with a VERY sore head... the more caipirinhas I drink, the more I think they might just be made from petrol, but I had booked a favella tour from noon, so Josh was a gent and escorted me to the supermarket where I stocked up on fresh hot rolls and LOTS of butter!

Asia decided she wanted to see the favellas with me, so she came along and this time our guide was Marco and the tour was 3 hours.
We went to the biggest favella in Rio, which apparently used to be VERY dangerous and pretty much off limits to tourists, but since the government found out that they had won the bid to host the Olympics, about R$700 million has been poured into projects designed to `clean up´the favellas and rid them of drugs/guns etc. Most of them have now been taken over by the police and so armoured vans and very beefy armed police men patrol everywhere, and a lot of the mafia bosses and drug lords have recently been found and arrested. There are also several non-government organisations which have been set up to provide day care and education for the children (of which their are SWARMS) and attempt to change the attitude of the younger generation.

When we arrived, we were at the bottom of the favella and the only way to get to the top was on the back of motorbike taxis. So with shorts on and a helmet about 5 sizes too big, I wrapped my arms around a young Brazillians body and clung on for dear life... no joke, their were several times when my knees were mear cm away from passing buses and the driver had to swerve to avoid head on collisions with traffic coming the other way! *GULP*... bbuuuutttt.... I made it to the top, un scathed and alive so its FINE!

We then walked through the favella, down very tiny thing streets which STANK of rubbish and were sooo steep and narrow I was worried I would fall!

We saw an art studio of local artists who are self taught and EXTREMELY talented... I didnt buy a painting as I thought it would just get ruined, but I was really surprised by how good they were! There were also lots of goods made from recycled material which were cool. I bought a bracelet made from recycled plastic wire, but there were also bags made from ring pulls, and photo frames made from linked foldings of magazine paper etc.

We watched some kids play us funk music using recycled drums (which were just upside down pans etc) and I swear I nearly put the little boy who danced for us in my bag to take home... SOOOO cute! We also had some cake from one of the little bakeries, which was probably one of the worst cakes Ive even tried but I politely put it in my bag and threw it away when I got back! :-S

Definitely an eye-opener to see how these people live, I didnt want to take photos of their houses but I could see inside some of them and they were just tiny square rooms with holes in the sides for windows. A few were cooking with a bbq or sitting idely watching tv but everything was in this one tiny room, full with 10+ people!

After the favella tour, Asia and I went to get some lunch and then chilled out for a bit before Samba School in the evening. Our guide had reminded us that the Samba Schools actually represented different favella communities and that the Rio Carnival was actually a competition between the favella schools for reputation etc, so everything that is so commercialised about Rio has its routes in the poorest parts!

The Samba school was PACKED with people of all ages, even young children and was basically like a big gym hall, not a club. The idea behind the weekly samba school parties is to give the Carnival dancers a chance to practise their routine and the various bands to practise the song that they have composed to represent their school. Their is one song per year and it is 40 mins to an hour in length... all in Portuguese of course, which meant it was a shame we didnt know what they were singing, but the drums were my favourite part and the Samba queens dress!!! STUNNING! haha
The Samba queen is a competition between the dancers in the individual school and her job is to lead the procession in the most elaborate costume. Our guide told us on the way home that it is a bit of a corrupt type of beauty pagent, where the Samba queen is often older and dating one of the Samba school bosses who pay for their plastic sugery etc. Bit of a shame but they did have some great bodies and they DEFO had some fantistic moves!

After we went for some street food, which looked a bit dodgey but Id have enough caipirinhas not to care... ;-)
This was basically a salsa of tomato, peppers and onion chopped and served with fried meat (again I had chicken) and Cassava Flour, which is another tradition of Brazilian food.

Sunday 29th January
Today the weather has been the worst yet... and to top it all off, absolutely EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. So my big plans to buy an adaptor, do my laudry, grab some Açai berry sorbet and take a cycle ride along Ipenema, Copacabana and Botafogo beach have been ruined... instead, I read a lot of my book and have spent a good few hours on this computer updating you on my time in Rio.

Fingers crossed the weather cheers up a bit tomorrow so that I can do all those things before my taxi to the meeting point of my In Search of Iguassu Tour! Tchau! x

FINALLY arrived in Rome after a VERY long day of travelling... managed to get myself on the express train the Rome's central station and then get a bus to near-ish my hostel, at Via Ottaviano (which is a very long road)... I needed to find number 6, and managed to walk myself into the 100's before I realised I had to turn back! BOO! But eventually made it and was DELIGHTED that the guy at the desk was from Hull and thus could speak English! :-P x

After a shower and a brief bit of unpacking, I ventured out for some MUCH needed dinner... only to find out that the Italians eat their pasta before (I would say) it is fully cooked, so it was a bit hard?? :-S not a fan!
Early night with my Kindle- travelling takes a LOT out of you!

Monday 23rd Jan
Woke up nice and early at 8am after a semi-comfortable nights sleep... sharing a room with 3 Spanish people, one of whom had a creaky bed and tossed around a lot!... got myself dressed and made my way across the road to the entrance of Vatican City (Giardini del Vaticano), was SHOCKED by the volume of Chinese tourists... literally swarms of them!

Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums)

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My absolute favourite part though was The Sistine Chapel! You weren't allowed to take any photos once inside, but it was breath-takingly impressive... even though the most famous frescos run along the centre of the ceiling, you can see them so clearly, and it made it even better that we had been given a bit of background on Michaelangelo before! The centre paintings follow the genesis of the world. They start at the back of the chapel and are titled: 'The Ceation of Light', 'The creation of the Sun and Moon', 'The separation of land and water', 'The Creation of Adam', 'The Creation of Eve', 'The Temptation and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden', 'The Sacrifice of Noah, 'The Story of the Flood' and 'The drunkness of Noah'.... Mum, you're gonna have to fill me in on where Noah fits into it... I know he was told to build the Arc before the flood but I didn't really get why God was supposed to have chosen him specifically (thus inspiring the 'sacrifice' and 'drunkness' paintings)?? x
At the far wall, behind the alter there is the largest fresco which stretches from floor to ceiling entitled "The Last Judgement", which also contains a self portrait of Michaelangelo.
There are smaller paintings which surround the central 8 on the ceiling which depict stories from the bible such as 'David and Goliath' and then there are 15 large frescos on the walls which tell the story of Christianity from Moses through to the baptism of Christ. With the final paiting being 'The Last Judgement'.
Due to the restoration of the chapel in the 80's the frescos are all really bright and colourful which just makes it even more amazing, when you consider the detail in each one and the scaffolding that they had to construct in order for Michaelangelo to paint on the ceiling it's crazy!

I liked the spiritual feeling as well, you were not allowed to talk and so the chapel was just filled with awe-struck tourists, craning their necks to look at the different painting... 100% amazing! (^_^) x

Similar to the chapel were the 'Raphael Rooms' which were decorated by the painter Raphael instead of Michaelangelo... I liked that Raphael incorperated influences such as philosophy, poetry and science into his frescos- they weren't ALL ABOUT the religion;

St Peter's Basillica

Again, this was a very quiet and spiritual place, it's hard to explain the size of it... like in the Vatican Museums, the floor, walls and ceilings were all intricately decorated, but this time it was the sculptures that stood out... their were HUGE marble sculptures which occupied every alcove, and even high up, they were placed so that it looked like angels were pearching on the walls. The size meant that the photos didn't come out very well when I used my flash, so I hope they do it justice.

The centre alter was MASSIVE with a gorgeous stained glass window in the centre, which showed a single white dove flying in front of a sun, and in front of that was the tomb of St Peter... you couldn't get close enough to actually see down into it, but everything was gold and their were detailed mosaics all over the walls.

There was even two cherib sculptures which held the basin of holy water at each side of the entrance which I thought were awesome... I'm not very religious any more, but being there did take me back to all the customs and ceremonies which coinside with Christianity/ Catholisism and made me smile... if there was anywhere in the world where you felt like God could actually be present, then this is it! x

I then made my way down to Castle Sant'Angelo but it was closed, so couldn't go inside...

Roma by night!
As I was on a bit of a role with the whole tourism thing, and I had been told that everything looked so much more impressive at night time, I decided to venture into the main part of Rome to see some of the fountains.
It is impressive that you can turn a corner here and see a gigantic marble embelished building appear in front of you!

I managed to use my free map to get to Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and Fontana de Trevi (which is the famous huge fountain, that had LOADS of loved up people kissing in front of it... which just made me jealous, so I left quite quickly) before my feet gave up and I turned around to head home (stopping for some Spaghetti Bolognase en route).

Tuesday 24th Jan 2012

The Colloseum
Soooo... after my totes amaze tourist efforts yesterday, my camera died and I had to charge it over night... however, I then forgot to put the battery back into my camera this morning before heading out (feet covered in plasters) in search of the Colloseum, which I found, but then realised I couldn't take photos! DOH!

So sorry about that, but you can google it, and Arco Di Costantino which I also saw!

Ancient ruins weren't quite as interesting after everything I saw yesterday, there are no plaques to explain what things are or pictures to show you what they looked like in their prime, plus everything is covered in scaffolding which kind of ruins the effect, but the Colloseum was pretty fly!

Tonight I fly to Rio de Janeiro, so the rest of the day will probably be spent packing up my stuff and making my way to the airport... My flight is over night this time, so fingers crossed I get some rest, but the next time I write something I'll be in South America!!

Ciao! xx

I officially fly away from Jrock on Thursday 19th Jan. I then have a few days to catch up with uni friends in Brighton before the adventure begins...

Sunday 22nd Jan - Tuesday 24th Jan
Vatican City, Rome, Italy
2 days

Wednesday 25th Jan - Sunday 29th Jan
Rio de Janerio, Brazil
5 days
Monday 30th Jan - Wednesday 15th Feb
In Search of Iguassu Tour
14 days
Thursday 16th Feb - Monday 20th Feb
Buenos Aires, Argentina
5 days

Tuesday 21st Feb - Sunday 25th March
Sydney to Cairns, East Cost Australia
33 days

Monday 26th March - Sunday 15th April
Bali and Islands of Indonesia
20 days

Monday 16th April - Sunday 22nd April
Singapore
6 days

Monday 23rd April - Saturday 5th May
Kuala Lumpur (and surroundings), Malaysia
12 days

Sunday 6th May - Sunday 27th May
Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi, Vietnam
15 days

Monday 28th May - Tuesday 5th June
Hong Kong
9 days

Wednesday 6th June - Friday 22nd June
Tokyo (and surroundings), Japan
17 days

Saturday 23rd June... HOME TIME! x