Day 2 - Her name is Rio...

08:45
All told, a successful flight/journey. We time our arrival at the departure gate to perfection, and are instantly called to board. We’re on a refitted BA 777. I don’t know who does BA’s interior design, but they should be sacked. They take planes that other airlines can make appear spacious, light and comfortable, and turn them into dark and cramped environments.

We remarked as we were boarding that the amount of cabin baggage brought by some people beggars belief. There are many suitcases that don’t really fit in the overhead lockers. Most have to go in sideways, which is not really in the sprit of the game. The space quickly runs out. There are many people still to board, and they’re dragging large bags behind them. The pace of boarding slows to glacial. Eventually, everyone’s on board, but there remain 10-15 bags that require a home. The cabin crew do their damnedest, but it takes a while. The plane actually starts moving before everyone has taken their seat, which again - is not really the way it’s supposed to be.

It’s a long flight - around 11 hours. We’re fed and watered a couple of hours after take off, and Vicki and I both settle into a deep snooze. I wake up a few times feeling a little queasy, and definitely too warm. I bought myself a new travel pillow for this trip. It’s made of memory foam, which is famously hot. I remove the pillow, and fall back to sleep, waking feeling much better.

I manage about 5 hours, and Vicki nearly 6. Tam’s not one for numbers, but declares she’s well rested. The flight’s been a little turbulent. Nothing too freaky, but we’re all glad when the Captain tells us we’re beginning our descent. We land into Rio about 15 minutes ahead of schedule, which is a cracking result. The same plane is heading on to Buenos Aires after a quick refuelling stop, and as few as half the passengers are disembarking in Brazil. Passport control is completed in a flash, and our bags take next to no time to arrive. We’re packed into our cab only 30 minutes after landing, and at our hotel less than an hour after touching down. That’s some pretty good going.

There’s a minor snafu at the hotel when it transpires that www.booking.com (I always name and shame) have failed to inform the hotel that we’re turning up this early, and have paid to be able to check in on arrival. The folks at the reception desk are very understanding though, and sort us out quickly enough. The hotel’s pretty basic, but clean and comfortable. Breakfast is included, which is a bonus.We grab a coffee and snacks.

05:30 is a weird time to arrive into a new city. We’re in strange hinterland where we’re not quite tired enough to crash, but not quite jaunty enough to go out and explore. It’s also 05:30, so there’s not much currently to go and explore. We’d always planned to have a quiet (ish) day today, to give us some journey recovery time. I’m minded to have a nap…

16:30
Take THAT mofos! I have a delicious and deep two hour sleep. Much needed apparently… We head out around 12:30 for a wander around our local neighbourhood, to grab some food. We pitch up at the brilliantly named Booze Bar. Tamsin and I have our first Caipirinhas of the trip, which are sensational. Real mouth zingers. Vicki has perhaps the most memorable mocktail of her career to date - a bright pink concoction featuring rose water and lemon juice, and named ‘The Barbie.’ Were this not enough, it’s served on a pink neon contraption that just takes our breath away… We settle in for some food. It takes us a fair while to pick our dishes, largely because our Portuguese is simply not up to scratch. Google Translate is a wonderful thing though, so we end up picking moderately wisely. I have a Fejoiada, close as damn it to Brazil’s national dish. The main event is a black bean stew with pieces of fresh and cured pork. Delish.

Sated, we wander up the road towards the famous Escadaria Selarón, a vividly painted staircase in the Lapa neighbourhood. The paintings are beautiful, and there’s a very relaxed feeling in the air - whether that’s because it’s a Sunday, or just that we’re relaxing into the city, I’m not 100% sure. Tam sits for a while to people watch, and Vicki and I continue the climb to the summit. It’s further than we had perhaps intended. About 2/3 of the way up, we pause next to a Caipi stall (for that’s what they’re called), and I have my 3rd Caipirinha of the afternoon. They come in 3 sizes - large, larger and ridiculous. I go for the 500ml, middle ground option. I’m a little stunned when I see about 4 shots of Cachaca being added to it. That’s gonna leave a mark… The cost of this nectar is a little under £1.

Vicki and I complete our ascent, and wobble our way back down the stairs. It’s a somewhat vertiginous experience… We park up next to Tamsin, and join in the people watching event. There are many, many content creators, creating much, much content. We’re particularly bemused by some nuns that look like they come from the Missionaries of Charity, made famous by Mother Theresa. The bemusement is that they appear to be Nuns of Instagram, so vehemently are they posing for pictures. Oh, and there’s a chap in a rugby shirt apparently squeezing spots on his chest. Lovely.

21:00
We’re all a touch jaded. Vicks as she’s just not had much sleep, and Tamsin and I in part, I suspect, due to Caipirinhas. We agree some rest time is a good idea before we head out for some dinner. Vicki is adamant she won't nap, but by 17:30, is changing her mind. I set an alarm for 19:00, and wake up without issue. My beloved is more difficult to rouse. At 19:30, I give up, and ping Tam to let her know we’re on our own this evening. She replies that she’s exhausted and is gonna sleep it out. I pour myself a glass of wine, and settle in to read my book. I suspect I won’t be a million miles behind them…Baca lagi