After two fantastic weeks in Italy and France seeing friends and family, we return to Brazil thoroughly relieved of any homesickness that may have been starting to creep in. This feels a lot more like real life now, and that everyday life back in Europe, the pretend lifestyle that we will move onto in a couple of months. A couple of months, thats all we have left, so better get on with it.
Even though we land late at 930pm, we feel quite at ease getting back to Botafogo our usual hunting ground in Rio. We cant get back into the previous hostel as it is booked, but find somewhere around the corner, which isnt quite as nice, but will do the job. After a 5am start in Cannes, getting here has taken about 22 hours, and even with a nice layover in the BA lounge in Heathrow, we still are asleep instantly.
Next day we spend down at Copacabana - it hasnt changed much in a fortnight, neither has the great Prince Churrascaria where we eat that evening. We feel like expert travellers now imparting advice to others over breakfast about where to go, how to get there etc.
We hadnt planned to stay long in Rio, so we head off next day to Arurama and Christophe & Orlando's place, a great pousada that they are in the middle of developing so that they can rent out. Its in the middle of nowhere with great views, and a great garden full of exotic fruit (including amazing passion fruits to make the caipirinhas) They've also got a fine selection of dogs to keep them company and a cheeky white cat to whom I develop a somewhat annoying allergy, sneezing and sniffing whenever he comes close to, which he seems to enjoy doing...
We have three great days with Christophe and Orlando hanging out at the nearby beaches, one of which Arraial do Cabo could well be the best beach that we have seen all year with beautiful fine white sand, azure seas and pretty isolated so hardly anyone there, and no coca cola anywhere nearby. They drive around in a beach buggy and it seems like a good idea to head back along the sands after our trip to the beach, until we get stuck, and the tide starts to come in! Despite all our pushing and digging out, things are looking bleak, even with the help of another buggy trying to drag us out. But eventually, when it is dark all around us, we start to move a little, and then its out, leaving behind a huge hole, which could have been its grave. Lesson learnt - always deflate your tyres before driving on sand. We're late home for Orlando's birthday party, but soon dig in to the passion fruit caipirinhas once again, and its the sort of thing that we can look back and laugh at. All good Brazilian adventures, and we're pretty exhausted when we get up at 530am the next morning to head to the Pantanal with the cat prowling around as we leave, sneezing and sniffing.
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