Argh, so much to write!

Owww, I hate it when I have to write loads. Always seem to forget the actual interesting bits while I sit here, then as soon as I've finished I remember loads.. never mind, here goes!!

So Sunday we didn't actually make it to Santa Theresa owing to being on the beach for far too long, never mind! Instead, Danni and I got an early night so that we would be bright eyed and bushy tailed for our walk up to Cristo on Monday. Yes, walk. No-one seemed to believe that we wanted to walk! Literally, loads of cars stopped on the way past us and offered us lifts, and everyone seemed to think we were crazy! But we thought it was great. It only took 2 hours (and 5 minutes!) rather than the 3 or 4 people said it would take. The road up was lovely. It started off as a long steep residential street, with the houses getting nicer and nicer the higher up and more into the forest we went. We think some of them maaaaay be owned by drug barons due to the watch towers outside and numerous guard dogs dotted around... hmmm!!

It was a bit of a disappointment however, because after our big climb and $R13 entrance fee (pah, even for walkers!) Jesus was covered in clouds :( We could barely see his feet!! However, every so often the clouds blew away and we got fleeting glimpses of his face. In some ways, that was more special than just seeing him straight up because everyone cheered and it was a really good moment. Also, we bumped into some guys we knew up at the top. Crazy!! Seriously, we are all the way out in Rio, barely speaking Portuguese, atop a huge monument, and these 2 guys walk up to us that Danni and the others had met in a night club (we'd also happened to see one on Ipanema beach... it's such a small world!)

On Tuesday we were back at project. This week with the kiddiwinks we have started getting them and the buildings ready for carnival. To start with we made bunting. Each of the kids painted their own flag (we've just strung them up, and they look ace!). We also helped them make tops and skirts for their costume which they decorated with gallons of paint - mostly pink - and tons of glitter! So that's all well and good. Also, we have spent a LOT of time playing with some play-dough which Olivia bought. They get so involved in it! All the girls like making little sitting rooms with sofas and TVs and people, and will literally amuse themselves for hours over it! We're not complaining though, it's very quiet and surprisingly relaxing to play with smelly green goo!!

We've been out twice this week (so far!). The first time was on Tuesday night when Felipe and Lucas (the 2 hot guys from the beach..ahhh) invited us to go to the ferris wheel on Copacabana beach. It's only up for a couple of months - something to do with Rio's bid for the 2016 Paraolympics, but it's lovely and in a great place. It was quite expensive to get in (unless you used Danni's student card, as the 4 of us brown haired and pasty girls did!), but you gt a free ride on the wheel and then there are a couple of nice swanky bars and food places round the bottom. We chilled out there for a while before heading to a little Indie Bar in Ipanema called Emporium. I had half a Caparinha there and actually quite enjoyed it (although not sure if it really agreed with me...!) But, alas, disaster struck as the 2 beautiful boys paired off with 2 of my friends. Darn it!! Plenty more fish in the sea....

We also went out last night to a club in Botafogo called Casa de Matris. It was awesome despite the fact that I was literally the first through the doors - they made us queue outside and everything just to make the place look good, tchuh! Anyway, it got really busy later on and it was a really unusual place. It felt just like a sort of house party and there was some really good music playing. Lots of sort of bluesy jazzy stuff, very fun to dance to! Met up with loads of people we knew there. There were a few from our house who'd had to move out because they finished their projects so they'd come along with the friends who they were living with (one of whom was very nice, but that's an entirely different story!). We even bumped into some guys from Capoeira (oh man, totally forgot to write about that earlier, will have to come later. Screw cronology!) which was very weird. Definitely a small world! It's so odd, but also nice, to have friends in Rio to bump in to on nights out!

We ended up staying there very very late (5am!). Unfortunately I didn't meet him, but Danni and Kat met the son of the President of Brazil (so he said..) but the important thing was that this guy had a credit card, with NO LIMIT!!! He bought them loads of drinks, including a bottle of champagne :0!! They came upstairs to see me and were like ''try this'', I thought it would be disgusting so was pleasantly surprised to find it was champagne!!

So we left the club and got a taxi back to avoid walking up the hill from the subway station, BUT, disaster struck when we realised none of us had a key. (Becky who had had the group key had gone home earlier and we'd all totally forgotten!) So, annoyingly, we had to ring the doorbell for ages but still no-one came. Which meant we had to treck down the hill to go to a 24 hour fast food cafe called Big Nectar where we ate breakfast and then all 3 of us fell asleep! We must have looked ridiculous as we were all still dressed up and everything, but never mind!! At 7 oçlock we trudged back up to the house (damn that hill!) and were eventually let in after another good 10 minutes of doorbell ringing. Urgh! (4 hours later, I was getting up for work...joy!)

Back to the Capoeira: it is a type of dance/martial arts which one of the project leaders does and so he invited a few of us to come along. At first we thought we'd just be watching, but next thing we knew we were back and doing a class :0!! It was really fun though. Especially being stodd next to Brian (our token Irish guy) who was totally unco-ordinated and didn't get it at all!! We ended up having to join in at the end where everyone stands in a circle and sings/claps while a few pairs spa off. Very embarassing as I only knew 1 kick and 2 blocks but kept doing the wrong block... ah well! Becky and I are going back on Monday. (Another good thing about the class was that there was free cake at the end, excellentttt!)

That's just about all I can think of and my fingers can stand typing for now. Friday night... what to do..? I've been invited to go out with Bruno (the friend of a friend from Casa de Matris) but not entirely sure as he wants to meet in an hour and I've literally just got in from work and the important task of buying butter (queued for 30 minutes for that bloody butter, so I bought myself a chocolate as a reward, yeahhh!) and I am a sweaty betty to say the least. There's someone new in our room now and I think they're sleeping so don't really want to disturb them fresh from the shower and trying to get dressed. Not the best introduction...!!

Beijos: xxxxxxxxx