Rio

 

I today decided to try out flipflips again, I knew that I wanted to get close to the Dude as I could and of course I had to keep my shirt on today as my back was screaming at me in protest the second I got outside and that was with a shirt on!

 

Just like a siesta in Spain I have found that the heat here drains both my energy and my desire to do anything but sleep, and at 36 degrees I am not surprised. I thought that it was only the last 20's but that was at about 5pm at night I had forgot to check it during the hottest part of the day and I realised why it was that my skin was being so damaged with so breif an exposure.

 

I am sure that a few of my friends back home would be loving the heat and would be out on the beach every day sunning it up, but for me even the ten minutes that it took to kill my back yesterday was enough and without a sunshade, sunglasses and neverending supply of cheap mojito's or sprite I doubt that I could spend more than an couple of hours tops out there.

 

I looked at the stupid tourist map that I picked up in the hostel and found that Rio has its own Metro system, although it only seems to have a few stops, hardly worth the effort but I figured it might be a way of getting around better than waiting at the stupid bus stops for an eterntiy and trying to guess which bus to hop on.

 

As the map was pretty sketchy on its details I used my nose and street signs to guide me in rather than sticking to the map and as soon as I reached the metro I noticed the difference. The metro used plastic cards that are either top up like oyster ones back home or get get swallowed up by the machine for one way rides, and at the other end I found out that I dont need to touch anything to get out, just go through another turnstile.

 

The people on the metro were not like most of the people I had seen around near the shops or the beach and suddenly I found myself underdressed, looking like a cheap tourist rather than a more afluent person about town and even the looks of the other passengers increased dramatically. I am not going to fall into a trap of thinking that just cos you have more money you are better looking or vice versa, but perhaps with more money the people could keep what looks that had for longer and show them off better than those with little or no money.

 

I am also reminded that the people in the airport were much better presented and looked richer than those of the town, but I suppose if you can afford to take a flight then you can afford to buy decent makeup, eat healthy and go to the gym, whereas in the streets and gutters I saw plenty of people sleeping rough in rags and bare feet or eating cold rice out of restaurant garbage bags.

 

I chose to get out of the metro stop called Cinelandia and I thought that this must be a good place to catch a movie, something I had failed to do whilst in Itapua, however my hopes were about to be dashed. The buildings around the entrance were fabulously good looking, even for Brazil and I thought that perhaps yes this was the parts of the city that I should be around, not the hostels or the beach, but alas it was not to be.

 

Cinelandia has but one cinema within walking distance, that cinema shows just one movie at a time and that is shown just once per day. Even now I cannot understand the small attitude to movies, unless it is of course that no one can afford to visit them, but then for sure the people on the street in this part of town certainly could if the prices were set reasonably.

 

Here also I noticed a sight that I had not seen since leaving London, which was the unrespectful posting of numerous sex ads all over public phone booths. I had hoped that this particluar phenomonon was localised only in London, but apparently not, although having said that upon a closer inspection here I noticed one slightly peculiar fact which was that all the adverts featured transvestites, either pre or post op.

 

Making my way back to the hostel I am struggling with making a decision to spend another BR $160, or about £50, for a 4 hour trip to see many of the sights around the city, including right up to the dude and to a brilliant waterfall. I know that I shouldn't spend this extra money, especially not with the football as a treat already for tomorrow, but I am bored, it is only another £50 and I have yet to see a great waterfall so far on my travels, so why not go the whole hog, I already know that I will be eating beans on toast for an eternity once I get back home anyway!

 

Back in the hostel I decided to watch a DVD as I was bored and kinda feeling down a little, only for it to be made a hundred times worse as the owner of the hostel came up to me and started ranting at me for leaving a comment on the booking website that was neutral and not glowing and each time I said what was wrong with the place he just said, "Hey, its Brazil and this is only a poor hostel not a big hotel, what do you expect! What I fucking except you big fat cunt is that you treat your guests with a bit of respect and take on board criticism instead of giving them a hard time and ruining the remainder of the stay"

 

After he started and I had just about enough of his shit that I turned away and started to put away the DVD then he said to me "hey am i boring you" to which I replied no, your just ruining my night and then he replied back "good, cos that makes us even then" - and THAT I feel is a very bad attitude to take.

 

Instead of trying to correct his faults or even apologise all he wanted to do was bring me down ... how bad a manager is that.

 

If it wasnt 20:24 at night, having got dark at 18:00 and no hotel taking internet bookings this late in the day I would have moved out to another hostel or hotel and had it been any other country then I would have jumped on the bus to Sao Paulo tonight but I have nowhere to stay there either and what is worse is that I have had to cancel my football booking.

 

God this city is a dump and the sooner I am out of here the better. Brazil can be both a wonder and a nightmare, it all depends on who your with and where your staying.