LIBBY GREENHALGH

Last day in Rio today and then I head back at some ungodly hour on a really roundabout journey that will eventually get me home for 0630 on the Friday 8 th March…….6 o’clock club anyone? It is fairly smokin’ hot here between 35-40 Celsus  over the last few days but a bit cooler today. I still would have found my bikini the best attire for the day but I  don’t want  everyone to feel embarrassed about themselves when they see me strutting my gorgeous brown body (because all my freckles have joined together )  down the beach. So thoughtfully for them I remained clothed. Today I headed up Sugar Loaf – but more importantly I caught the right bus (may have got off a little early) both to and from the cable car. Super proud of myself. That will however also be the last  public bus in Rio I have to catch….I hope work are paying attention. My bus flagging down skills have greatly improved after two buses went straight past me and the lady stood next to me laug...

I am afraid Rio is struggling to rise up my list of cool places to go, but then I have never been a city person or a massive party goer. Yes it is fairly stunning but I think I have spoilt myself before this with my travels and therefore  it doesn’t rise to the top there either! I am not sure I really get Rio- even the guide Patricia I was with today said everything is breaking down and happens very slowly in Rio The people are clearly very passionate and the samba and music is all pretty cool When the sun came out yesterday people appeared on the famous Copacabana  beach. The different Poste as they call them are all quite amusing and a stroll along the beach can be quite enlightening. Having got over my initial disappointment in Rio I set about seeing a fair bit of it yesterday and today. First up I may have had another 12 hours sleep through the joys of ear plugs and a blind fold. Seems to be fairly dangerous for me as I sometimes think I could just stay a...

Probably had the most uncomfortable flight to Rio with a seat unable to be reclined which resulted in even I having my sleeping skills put to the test! The most comfortable sleeping position resulted in my face forward on my tray table – fortunately I do not have anyone with me to take the classic Libby asleep picture! where is everybody? It is my second day in Rio and I am staying in a hostel in  Leme in a ‘favela’ I will let you google that! I am supposedly going to a favela party on Sunday night….doesn’t start until 11pm and last 5 hours. I wonder how I will survive or if I will make it seeing as I was in bed last night at 2130 To be fair my first day I spent working…..boring….and my second day I managed to sleep until 11am with my blindfold thing and ear plugs oooopsy. So far my impression of Rio is not overwhelming but then it has been raining and I have been ill. So I am willing to give it more of a chance! But in many ways I am just tired and ready to come h...

Today was all about getting the boats to get back to the right island to catch a flight that I still have no information on! But fortunately I got to go to Santa Cruz on my way which is where the Charles Darwin research centre is and the last home of lonesome George It is, I believe, the largest town in Galapagos, at least it felt like it. Also the most touristy and sadly the double entendre that men try to achieve by wearing an ‘I love boobies t-shirt’ is lost when the t-shirt is stretch over their own moobs!  So a 5am start and some kind of random mish-mash of people and order at the dock but somehow my name was on a list and they found me and I was deposited on the fly bridge of the boat for a 2 hour blast to Santa Cruz! Once there I set about trying to find a bank as I only had $25 the majority of which I was going to have to use to sleep somewhere on the next island!!! Laden with all my bags after about 20 minutes of walking in the heat I decided I would happily ...