aerial views a go go

So am loving Rio and am feeling right at home already. Slight minor hiccup with first hostal as there was precisely me and a wierd brazilian girl staying there so not much chance of making some friends. But have moved to a slightly livelier one now and it is looking much more promising.....plus they are organising a trip to watch a game of footie on wednesday so am v pleased at that. Should be a bit of an experience!

Anyway, as the title of this blog suggests, have been doing a lot of looking down on rio - both from the big christ statue and sugar loaf mountain. Have been really lucky as the weather has been lovely and clear (raining now so am sulking but thats a different story!) so have had some amazing views over rio. This is going to sound v stupid, but hadnt realised just how much it was surrounded by water and surrounded hills. Also saw a lovely layer of smog today over city but we shant dwell on that! Have also been having some exciting bus rides to get to all these places and somehow have managed to naviagate the public transport system with relative ease. Also rather randomly feel like i in the film city of god whenever i go through the turnstile on the bus as the scene where i started watching the film was 2 boys on the bus!

Not really sure what i´m going to do with my 2 weeks here as dont really feel like travelling v long distances.....and most of brazil is a very long way away from anywhere else! so might just stay in rio for most of my time with a little side trip to this island thats meant to be gorgeous

And as a final aside...the guidebook is right when they say that the brazilians can understand spanish but you wont be able to understand the response! Am having some wonderfully entertaining conversations with neither party really having a clue! Am looking forward to being in Ecuador and being understood.....I feel very lost being so completely unable to talk