Botanical Gardens and Park Lage

Today we must continue with the site seeing if we are going to get it done. Theyre is so much to see here in Rio and feel we need to do a bit more today as we will be leaving before we know it. We get off the bus at Park Lage and start the walk around the Park. This Park has free entry but is so beautiful. We have had to leave buddy in bed today as he has a hangover and we think the walking will kill him off. The gardens have waterfalls castles and caves all man made , but it makes the park really interesting to walk around. As we descend from the waterfall we spot a monkey in the trees (our first viewing) and we sit and watch him as he swings through the trees. The wildlife in the park is endless, and its so good to see things in the wild.
We leave the park and walk 20 minutes to Jardin Botanical(botanical gardens) They have various ections here from Japanes Gardens to Rose Gardens , areas of medicinal plants, and endaangered species plants. Much of Brazils rainforest has been cut down, and when you see the naturelness of this place it puts things into perspective. We wander aimlessly around the huge park trying to follow the not so clear map and eventually after 3hours have managed to see mostly everything.
Pepe meets us at the hostel and we arrange to meet him later as he will be leaving Rio for a few days and when he returns we will be gone. Lapa is the place to be tonight and after a few drinks in the early evening I am a little worse for wear as we head for the metro. I am actually drunker than i think and can barely walk in a straight line. Over the past few days i have seen people literally being carried home, and must admit the Caipirinhas come up and hit you with a big sledge hammer when you least expect it. There is quite a group of us and after half an hour trying to keep up I persuade Mark to enter a bar and sit and have something to eat. On the table next to us is a Brazilian man with his daughter and with broken English and a little Portuguese we enjoy a lovely evening. We arrive back at the hostel at 4am and i am drunk as a lord, and thank the lord for the bottle of water that was left over from the night before that i drink throughout the whole night ... tomorrow is going to have to be an easy day !!!!!!!!Read more