Shanty Towns and Sunsets

Girl in lift episode: Steve, immersed in his own world as usual, enters a lift with an attractive young woman. She attempts to start a conversation, "Didn't we meet last night?" Steve looks at her and responds with a, "No sorry. You must be thinking of someone else," and continues to stare at the wall. Steve exits the lift, wakes up and promptly kicks himself in the head wondering why he lives in such a perpetual anti-social day dream.

Anyway, I sleep in again but rise for the Favela (shanty town / slum) tour at 13:00. Little did I know I'd be piling into an open topped jeep in the midday sun. It must be said that I've been able to notch up quite a tan for the fist time in my life. (So much so, people have even commented on it! Ooooo eou!) So I relied on it to shield me from the deadly radiation beaming out from the great fire ball in the sky. It worked!

We went to a very sanitised, safe and may I even say it, "posh", slum. Everywhere had water, drainage and electricity (although the wiring left a lot to be desired). Our Favela, Rovhina, was on a hill. We were dropped off at the top and herded at pace, like cattle, down to the bottom. Not impressed. The Favela itself was an interesting place, an intricate labyrinth of dark passageways and staircases littered with colourful miniature shops and bars. I would have loved to have spent a lot longer there with some mates, just ambling along and sampling the delights of a few of the bars. Oh well.

Back on the jeep we head to the harbour to join the other Dragoman kids for a sunset cruise. Only we get lost and it takes forever to get there as all the main roads were closed for Carnival. In the end our driver ignores the barricades and drives the wrong way down the empty deserted carriageways.

It's a big boat. It has cheap beers. I was feeling anti-social and under the weather. I remedy it by forcing myself to down a few bevies, strip to my underwear and swim round the boat a few times. It worked, I felt much better. So I ordered 5 FREE strong Caprihinias but only managed to give 2 away. Obviously I drink the rest. By the time the boat gets back to the harbour it's turned into a bit of a party boat with boozing and dancing. It's rather a shame it had to end.

Note: I've discovered that breaking up beer drinking with Caprihinia interludes is a sure way to get me hammered. Tonight was no exception. The only recollection I have of the evening dinner at Planet Beer is from a couple of fuzzy photos on my camera! Afterwards I follow the others to the entrance of the Gay Ball where they wanted to view the spectacle of exhibitionist transvestites going in. Only we're too late and it's all over. I'm up for going in for a night out but they're not keen, so instead we pile into a taxi and head... home. Doh! I look in my Rio guide books for a Blocko (street party) but they're all finished. Disappointed and gutted I resign myself to an early night. Sigh.

Posted by Steve Eynon