13 Jan... :) from Meg

So I'm here in the hostel! I'm lying on the grass outside in the shade, I've just had a shower (phew!) And (I hope) I have got in contact with Ash to tell her how to get here.
The plane journey was o.k, a bit of a nightmare to be honest but only as much as you'd expect.

I spoke to a nice Icelandic man on the plane to Frankfurt, who said that Sao Paulo isn't safe, that Latin Americans are happy people but stubborn to speak English, which is fair enough- a lot of people are and to be honest I don't blame them. I think it's far too easy for English speakers to just assume that everyone will go out of their way for us, without having to make an effort almost anywhere we go.

The change was in Frankfurt, where I got my only pins and needles of the whole journey!
Everywhere I sat down someone would come and say I had to buy something or move on. I didn't have any Euros and didn't want to get any either, so I found a lovely corner and did crosswords for a few hours.

On the next bit I thought I was in 1st class by accident! I guess that's just overnight flights. Every seat had a little screen and you could plug headphones in. Nothing really worked though so it wasn't as good as it looked.

I was sat in between two quite unfriendly German men who didn't seem interested in making friends, so since I had no music and the films didn't work I zoned out and didn't even stand up once.
At one point I woke up sleeping on one of the unfriendly Germans shoulders! I don't think he minded though, he was asleep too. oops! I just can't control myself.
Well you should be very proud of me, I've been very grown up, because when I got to the airport there was nobody waiting to pick me up. And after half an hour there was still no-one. So I had to ask the man (in Portugese, Go me!)
Excuse me I would like to go to Internet, Please.
Pieced together from what I sort of know. Well he understood anyway so I found the hostel number, called them to "sorry sorry the car broke down there is nothing we can do!"
I was sort of relieved in a way that it wasn't me who'd made some stupid mistake, and went outside and asked the taxi driver to take me, AND how much he would charge! He understood again, I was amazed again and we drove off out of the airport.

WOWEE I'd forgotten how bright the sun is! There's a whole great big direction that you can't even squint at it's so bright.
There's all these trees which you'd never see in Europe, great big ones with huge thick luscious green leaves, and flowers all over them like a drawing. And the moon was out, very nearly full, just to add to the picture-esque-ness of it all.
You know how whenever people from 'away' come to Wales they always go on about how green everything it? Well Brazil is deep bright emerald!
The taxi driver asked me where I was from and I was pleased to be able to tell him, and whether it was my first time in Brazil and I understood. I'm really suprised at how much I've picked up! I really thought I hadn't done very well.
I'm sorry I'll stop being so big headed and get used to it soon, at the moment though I'm just suprised!
It more and more built up until I thought I was in the city, and I could see smog which I've never seen before except in pictures. Then we rounded a corner and there was nthis huge forest of enormous tower blocks, as far as the eye could see and further, fading off into the smog in all directions. Really it took my breath away- this city is HUGE!
I sit there pondering for a minute and finally come out with
"Esse e o grande cidade!" (Yessss!)
Nice taxi driver laughed and agreed.

When I got to the hostel they were really apologetic and gave me breakfast and coffee. They're really friendly and taught me how to say phone card so I can call Ash and tell her it's better to get the taxi, and where to.

I had such a fun time going to the shops! Before I came I thought I wouldn't go anywhere by byself but it's fine, it's a really nice neighbourhood. I've got to be honest though, part of it was me thinking how could anything horrible happen somewhere where the sun shines so brightly?! :)
All the posh houses wouldn't be barricaded with fences and razor wire for nothing.

I got some food at the supermarket- it's as or more expensive than U.K! Loaves of bread for 5-6reais, which is about 2pounds, Jard of pasta sauce for about 13reais.
But I've got a papaya and some grapes the size of lychees and I can't wait to eat them!
I called Stef's phone with my new phone card, and could only get the answerphone. So I've left a couple of messages telling Ash how to get here, because the hostel don't know when to go and pick her up- we don't know the flight number or anything. I've just written her an email in case she didn't get the message. Hopefully it won't come to that though- I'll try Stef again and check she got the message, and if she didn't I'll try and persuade the hostel people to just go there and wait for her! Or I1ll get the metro and meet her, or something. But like I say, fingers crossed.

But for now I'm sitting in the garden, it's blissfully sunny, there's all these exotic birds in the exotic trees and I can hear someone laying jazzy trumpet. All the Fins who were here this morning have gone so for now I think I'm the only person staying! But everyone who works here lives here so there's plenty going on, and there's meant to be people arriving by this evening. If I'm still awake then!

I feel like it's about 5pm (which it is, over there) but it's 2 or 3 here! (depends what clock you look at, so I'm not entirely sure!)
Hmmm I better stop writing or I'll bore you about the colourful little dove that just came into the garden, and the big juicy avocados hanging above me too high to reach...
Speaking of which there's some suspicious looking weed growing amang the bougainvilleas!