Girl from Ipanema

Apols for absence of any recent posts, but I have been away for a few days in one of the most spectacular cities I have ever visited. It's such a cliche, but it really is tough to find words to describe Rio. It surpasses expectations, defies stereotypes, oozes sensuality, and a kind of passion that I've never experienced before. I've just got back today and I could happily have stayed there for so much longer. I was staying in Leblon, which is one beach down from Ipanema and in the mornings I ran down the beach, sharing the shoreline with hundreds of people - running, walking, cycling, enjoying Rio. I know they say people in Brazil are some of the most beautiful in the world, and, I have to admit, I was a little scared to put on my bikini, but I don't think that is necessarily the case...yes, there are some incredibly aesthetically blessed individuals, but more than anything, whatever they look like they seem to have an appetite for life that I found incredibly contagious.
I have to admit, I did do the whole tourist thing -- and went up to the Sugar Loaf and the views were quite spectacular even though they were slightly obscured by an unusual amount of cloud. I also took the cog train up to the Christ, which I found slightly disappointing, perhaps because it was so touristy. But, my favourite moment, apart from just hanging out on the beach and enjoying watching the Cariocas (the Rio residents) and feeling happy, was going to watch a friend of mine (who I had in part gone to visit) play in a local low-key football game. It was at a little ground with a bar and dozens of people from the neighbourhood came to watch the two teams play and as the beer and food flowed, some of them broke into song -- accompanied by a guitar. Football and music in Brazil. Magic.