Rio...

Rio de Janeiro! We made it...another great milestone in our journey around South America. Here we where about to meet up with a bunch of our friends to celebrate Carnival. The biggest party for all Brazilians on their calendar year. Everyone was staying in Copacobana, spread over 3 apartments...so our first challenge was to find them!

We rode in to Rio from the south. Here there was another main route which could take us to Copacobana without taking us through the city center. To our delight, not only was the route well sign posted, guiding us easily to our aprtments, it also wove us along the southern beaches of Rio directing us left and right, up and down and through a number of hill headlands which seemed to dive into the depths of the Atlantic. Yes the racing trafficand the ruff stone cut tunnels made us feel as though we we part of a F1 racing in Monaco.

Meeting up with everyone and unpacking at the apartment was a nice feeling knowing that once again we could unwind for a good couple of days. Having arrived on we had a few days to hangout on the beach before the real Carnival parties started on Friday. Both Copacobana and Ipanema beaches are great for to relax at for a couple of hours. For R$6 you coupld grab an umbrella and a deck chair and the with an endless amount of peopel walking by offering cold beers, what more coupld you want!

Amoungst the many parties that were held all aound town, one of the highlights for everyone was heading out top the sambodrome to see an evening of the big parade. The amount of effort the was obviously put into the show was unbelievable. The night was enjoyed be all. Other nights out at various bars, clubs, resturants, both at the beach and in the city center also offered great entertainment.

Along with all of the night time entertainment Rio is a city which provides its visitors with the opportunity to do some great sight seeing, and with 7 of us working in the architecture related field we where spoiled with the vast array of modernist architecture on display.

With the Carnival period coming to a close we had to switch our attention to matters more serious. Our personal visas and the visas for the bikes were due to expire on the 6th of March. As we were still planning to spend to spend another month traveling up the coast and then over to Bolivia, we had to orgainise getting an extension..and as we soon found out was not the most simple of tasks. After many, many trips too and from the airport, to the city center, to one office, to another, from one chap, to the next. All in all the whole process was quite annoying and not one that we would like to go through again. In the end we got everything sorted and were able to kick on for another month.

All up our Rio experience was a fantastic one. It was truely a great city to travel in. The setting, the beaches and the people have definately spoiled us. In fact on our last night there, we were invited around to Latish's (thanks Blair) house where we were treated to some fantastic food and lovely hospitality.

Next stop Buzios 200km east from Rio. Clam beaches and clear water awaits!