Last day in Rio

Off to the airport. Flight only tomorrow at 2.34am but Michael had caught the same thing as I had leaving Lima. Best medicine is to sit as much as possible and to drink flat Sprite.

Last post - till our next camino 😀🍷🎊

Day 3 Rugby 7s

Started later 12:30 which allowed us to go and look around Santa Theresa prior to setting off to Deodoro. We are now able hands. Metro, tick, SuperVia Treins, tick - helping other first time Olympic goers - Yes this train goes to Magalhens Bastos, no it does not stop in Vila militar. Yes we know Vila Militar is closer but the Olympic committee in their wisdom makes you walk 3 Kms back to get to the stadium - natural traffic management? Not sure - It does make everyone late on their first day. It is 1.5hrs to the start of the stadium and another 0.5hr not counted for to get in. So most missed at least 2 matches. To get my complaints over: 1st day allowed water - 2nd day not allowed water only empty bottle to be fillled up inside. Food allowed to be brought in on the 2nd day but not on the 3rd by the honest people! Later on the 3rd plenty of other food on the stands being eaten by people that ignored the guards - how they did not see them in the search cameras???

To top it all SA play - very badly against GB and lose in the semi-final yes we got a bronze however, we would have given Fiji, who were amazing throughout the tournament a run. Unlike GB who in the final forgot how to play 7s rugby!!

Natural traffic management 3km walk

SA bronze medal match against Japan

Fiji thrashing of GB

Alma da Santa hostel

Our hostel in Rio was perfect for what we wanted - located in a very steep area in Santa Theresa. Every day we had the best breakfasts- Fresh bread rolls, multiple fruits, yoghurt, cornflakes weirdly no cold milk - something to do with lack of pasteurization. Ham, cheese and different cakes. Double room with shared bathroom. Different setup to what we are used to but more than adequate. Marcelo and his able assistants all helped to make our stay an unforgettable one. Last night someone's husband across the stairs (different building) didn't  make it home till 4 am - so she unceremoniously told him to stop knocking and go away unless he wanted to spend the night in jail. My Brazilian is bad but even I could not mistake the tone and the words policia and cadeia (jail) - colourfull Rio.

Steep stairs separating the 2 sides of the buildings.

Graffiti everywhere

Dinner in Rio

Food is so good in Rio - from the gorgeous markets to the many off the road restaurants- Michael and I were spoiled for choice. Coffee taste and quantity in our opinion is still won by Starbucks. No matter how hard I tried to explain cuppacino to the Brazilians we still ended up with cafezinhos the size of a thimble!! Day 1 dinner was at a northern cuisine style restaurant. I had feijoada and Michael had pecadinho accompanied by beer.

Day 2 was at the Adega do Pimenta that had been in Santa Theresa since 1985 and we shared a player of German sausages (all different types), kassler chop and bacon with sauerkraut, boiled potatoes and of course beer!

Day 3 we ate o Prato do dia of chicken, salad, rice, black beans and beer. Tasty and filling. Did I mention that carbs seem to make up the majority of all the plates. No Banting diet in Brazil!!

Day 4 we went to Catete the next station in the Metro - Catete grill has a huge selection of dishes - I tasted pasteis de bacalhou, de camaroes, empanadas, mussels, prawn dishes and steak done with garlic, accompanied by Caiparinha- a sweet very strong traditional alcoholic drink. Michael had rice, noodles and of course steak - accompanied by beer.

Food is weighed and paid for by the kilo

Site seeing Rio

Lovely hot day, we left the hostel early to see the ruins of Santa Theresa, an old Carioca house that must have been splendid in that period.

We walked all the way to the roof to stunning vistas of Rio.

The Christ

Sugar loaf mountain

Santa Theresa bay

Strange buildings 

A tile on the side of the road

Olympics second day

Bokke lost to the Australians and then just beat them in the quarter finals. Yay Bokke are through to the Semi - Finals.

Great rainy, windy and cold day. All good after the win!!

Finding our way to Deodoro Olympic Stadium

Officially on our way to making history. The first day ever of Olympic rugby 7s.

Who would have imagined that it takes 2.5 hrs to get there. South Africa Bokke living up to their reputation are coming first at the end of the first day!

The Metro

Rio by bike

Arrived in Rio at 4am and radio taxied into Santa Theresa - Rio buildings seem very tired as if they were built around the 1960s and never re- painted, a retro chique look. Caught the metro to the centre of town and the offices of Rio by bike. Lovely guide took us around Rio  for 4hrs, was great while cycling but the minute we stopped- both Michael and I started to nod off. Coconut water and coconut flesh straight from a vendor on the side of the beach, yummy. Stomach improved substantially after that!! Orientation lessons have helped to find our way so we stopped at Starbucks for cuppacino and chocolate milkshake - so good, that is the beauty of Starbucks - expensive but the same excellence worldwide!

Went back to Santa Theresa to our hostel Alma da Santo. Dinner was at a traditional Brazilian restaurant where I had Feijoada and Mike Caiparinha. Very tasty.

We slept 10 hours!

Final day in Lima

I Did not sleep at all with terrible symptoms similar to altitude sickness. Dizziness, hot and cold, generally deli belly- not for the faint hearted. Less said the better!! Linsay to the rescue with flat Sprite and dry biscuits. Candice with rehydrate. What fantastic people. 

The left over chicos Candice, Helen, Lindsay, Michael and I went to the market - I couldn't shop (too ill) however Michael was on a shopping mission. Beware!

Combination of remedies sorted me out after an awful flight to Rio. The lady passenger next to me that refused to move and made climb over her on the times that I needed to get past does not realize just how close she came to 😷 - mmmm never mind.

Lima at night

Last night that all the chicos are together so we had a dinner together and a night out in Lima. We went to see the fountains in lights - a Guinness book of record achievement for the park of the fountains.