Moving on from Rio

Hi again everyone

Here´s a bit more news from Baz and I who are looking gorgeous and tanned (had to rub it in a bit since it´s been snowing so much in the UK). We are so loving our tour. We are all getting to know each other and we really have been blessed with a good bunch of people. We originally got told we only had 4 single guys but I think we´ve ended up with 6 guys, 2 couples and about 10 girls. Almost everyone is really up for most things so we all have a good laugh. We also have a deaf girl whose friend was meant to be on the trip too, but she found out she was pregnant so could not come. We had been so fortunate to have another girl on the trip (totally by chance) who works with the deaf so she can comunicate with her using sign. Luckily Natalie (the deaf girl) can lip read really well. Anyway, we have all had to learn sign and after 1 week of being together we are getting pretty good!!!! It is such fun and watching our group now is a laugh because even if we are not speaking to Natalie, we all use our hands a lot. She is in my cooking group (Baz is a different group) so I should be pretty good by the end of the trip.

Rio was great but we were all ready to leave by the end of the week. The crime there is incredible, I recon most people I spoke to had some incident happen to them - Baz and I were pretty lucky as we only had the one incident with the 2 granny´s trying to pick pocket me and Baz soon sorted them out - my hero!!! We left Rio and drove on to a place called Parati where we camped for 3 nights (I think). Most the other tour companies do the same route but for some reason they stayed in town in the other campsite so our site was very quite which was lovely. The campsite was right on the beach so we´d go swiming then grap a çhopp (beer) on the beach and watch the sun go down. What a life!!!!! We had a boat trip planned and 2 other tours joined us on the boat. By total coincidence, one of the Dragaman groups was one of them and Sally Gamble (my best friend from when i was 4/5 years old in Zim) was in that group. Sal and I spent the whole day together which was wonderful. Our Oasis group was so much more lively than the other groups and by the end of the day we were having back summersaults off the back of the boat and compertitions climbing up the side of the boat (big boat). Rach (our tour leader) and I both lost our bikini tops temporarerly on the way up the side of the boat. Only 3 of us girls attempted and managed it, most the boys had a go and Baz seems to have made great friends with a real nice guy from Leeds. They are always competing with each other and edging each other on. In fact they managed to convince a group of guys to go out cycling in the rain just now (really red mud) so will be coming back totally covered I should think. I took part in the back summie comp which was a piece of cake thanks to all the practice I got from our houseboat trips. Everyone was so impressed, and most the boys wouldn´t even try. When we got back to camp we had the truck olympics where 3 different tour companies challenged each other at different races. Unfortunaltely I think our group must have had a bit to much punch on the boat as we only came 3rd. The races were the Gerry can carrying relay (which I renamed the Chigub race), some crawley race where the girl has to wrap herself around the bloke while he crawls across the beach (very difficult to hang on!!), truck pushing race, quizz and eating competition. Then they had all the drivers challenge each other to a tire pushing race. Our driver didn´t do to well, and they asked if there were any challenges. Well, Baz and Martin are never ones to turn down an challenge and they both had a go. Martin hit a rock and fell over and Baz (who has obviously practised in the workshops) went like the crackers and wipped everyone. Everyone was very impressed, including me! and he had to down a special drink as a result at prize giving. I think that was the only race we won!!

We´ve had a few days on the road where we´ve entertained ourselves by having surfing competions on the cooler box in the moving lorry. I was the only girl again, although Sue would have tried but was scared of breaking the cooller box (she´s a bit heavier). Martin and I won, which was pure luck. The rest all fell off when the truck hit a bump. We are staying at a gorgeous ecological hostel at the mo. It has a swimming pool and hammocks everywhere. Baz and I even have our own room. We went on the most stunning excursion yesterday, snorkling down a river where Caimens (croc like things) and anaconders (snakes) - excuse my spelling, swim. We got split into to groups, girls and guys which was great fun. Natalie was with us so we had to try use our limited sigh language to translate what the guide said. The other girl who signs was sick. We had such fun and had to change into wet suits then hike thru the forest down to the crystal clear river. Our girl group met a herd of wild pig going down which was scary but fun. We all had to get behind the guide etc, just like being at home. (infact this place is so similar to home its unreal). We also saw 2 camen (boys saw none) but it wasn´t scary swiming with them because the guide remained so calm. No ananconders tho, 2 girls saw and otter and we all saw plenty fish. A stunning river!!!!! Then we went to look for Macaws and Tucans at an old meteorite. Saw quite a few macaws and one tucan, and few ibis. Boys also saw monkeys and we saw a fox. lovely day but we´re quite tired now.

Mum and Dad hope everything is alright. David I´m doing my best to find you an anaconder (going to pantanal tomorrow so maybe then). Alan and Anita, hope you well too. Glad the farm shop meeting went well. Hi to everyone else!!!!!

Lots of love from Brazil
Jen and Baz
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