Rio de Janeiro

In truth, this whole trip happened because a few friends were heading to Rio de Janeiro for a few weeks and I didn't want to miss out. Having lived in Rio previously though, I couldn't justify the air fare just to go back to Rio. I justified paying it by exploring Argentina for 3 weeks beforehand and as that adventure finished I was greeted with a delightful epilogue of a 2 weeks with a load of friends in Rio.

I won't recount everything we did, but after a wholesome but tiring journey through Argentina of early mornings and beautiful nature, Rio was mostly lie ins and staying in bars until 5am. I was never going to see the tourist sight here - I’ve already seen them multiple times - but instead I saw old friends, ate food I'd craved for years, hung out with London friends more than we find time for in busy London and saw a lot of excellent music.

Highlights included going to the Salgueiro quadra (samba school rehearsal space) on the night Mangueira were also invited to play and singing along to their songs, seeing Fundo de Quintal play so many of their tunes that I've loved for years, eating açai from Tacacá do Norte and feijoada from Bar do Mineiro, playing some choro at Bip Bip (a tiny but legendary bar in Copacabana), watching a brilliant piano and percussion duo, and using my recently gained forró skills at a very sweaty forró night in Gloria, which went on in to the early hours.

Almost all of these nights ended in hot bread (we only had a panini press, not a toaster) and fried eggs at home, thanks to Owen and Adam, the cooks of our flat gang. Mentions also to Gabby and Brian for providing fun and filth at all times, and Rachel for encouraging some classier moments to break up the more frequent messy ones.

And now, back in the UK, I start to plan my next big adventure to distract me from the cold and the dark. See you in Colombia.