We got up really early to go down to our new favorite bakery/restaurant to pick up breakfast for our wonderful hosts Bernardo and Marilia for hosting us an extra 2 days. Everything would´ve been fine, except we had forgotten to take our anti-malarials the night before (too much Carnival fun!) and had to take them this morning asap. Taking them on empty stomachs is a really bad idea, as we discovered! Read the rest of this entry »

Day 58: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Thanks to those who expressed their sympathy and support regarding our recent robbery experience. We´re fine but just really, really angry. Anyway, today was another day of street parades and wandering through the drunken dancing masses so nothing really new to write about. So instead of boring you with all that we thought we would pass along some tips for Carnival in Rio and the city in general as there are many misconceptions about both. Read the rest of this entry »

Day 57: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We had the most awesome day ever today! This morning, Bernardo and Marilia invited us to accompany them to another street parade to which we happily agreed. We met up with some of their relatives and, to let them share their carnival tradition with family, we split off and started exploring the parade by ourselves.

Us at Carnival Day 2

Read the rest of this entry »

Day 56: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Our flight finally arrived around 5 or 6am to Rio and we were dying to get out and regain feeling to our lower extremities. But first we had to find an ATM to get new currency (we don´t like currency exchange offices or touts because you get a much better rate if you just do ATM withdrawals) and then find a payphone to call our couchsurfing host to let him know what time we would arrive. We tried at least 160 different phones and realized, thanks to the tourist info desk, that my phone card wasn´t the right kind for these phones. Read the rest of this entry »