Return to Rio

There is something extremely different and powerful about this place. Something in the air, something in the vibrations. In a country with such powerful life-force bursting from every rock or grain of soil, not to mention the Amazon, it seems understandable that the human population would possess such a passionate thirst for excitement. Rio de Janeiro is a city demanding respect from every angle. There are real gangsters and drug barons; amazing and crazy parties; hugely corrupt police and military; Acai; exciting attacking football matches; beautiful beaches; beautiful people and this is all in the set of breath-taking scenery with music pouring out of every door.

I could quite easily stay here and forget about the outside world completely. And this is not a feeling that is unique to me, no, certainly not. Pretty much everyone I speak to who hasn't just passed through Rio has caught the same infectious bug. Like a morphia, this city is highly addictive.

So now I am back, for a while it would seem. I have a cool double room to myself in a hostel which is closed to the public, it has a swimming pool and a great night time view of the city. The place is also leased out to three others all Spanish speakers from Latin America. I try to ignore their speaking Spanish in the most polite of ways as it confuses my Portuguese.

For the few couple of weeks I have been socially frequenting a local hostel named Samba Villa. It is under the Archos da Lapa in Zona Sul. I have made friends with the owner, Elvis - the son of a Serbian General. Elvis is a huge, blond, bear-like man, born and raised in Australia. Elvis has had a fruitful past you might say, a trained military lawyer who spent some time in the import-export arms business. In other words he was a gun-runner. He is certainly someone you want on your side. He and his more quieter business partner, Austin, a South African fellow who spent the past 7 years in Brighton, seems nice although certainly the more submissive of the partnership. They acquired the building in September 2006 and have basically come into the area offering rooms cheaper than anyone else in Rio at 19$R per night (about 5 quid). I have befriended two guys who are living there: Joe from Boston, North America and Zac from Sydney, Australia. During week nights we chat over a couple of beers and play poker with other residents for small amounts of cash. I am so far undefeated and could actually survive on the wages I've earned from it! Although, obviously I know it would not be wise to ever rely on this type of 'work'.