Rio de Janeiro, Arrival

The alarm went off at 0630 this morning, last early morning tea arrived promptly, not surprisingly as no doubt they wanted us all “up-and-at-‘em” out of Cabin by 0800hrs and off ship by 0900hrs.

As most of our luggage had been taken the night before, our plan was to oblige and armed with the residue of luggage, an over weight and bursting ruck-sack and a shopping bag that was overflowing, we were out of the cabin a little after 0730hrs.   We dragged it to the Grand Dining Room for our last breakfast, Steak and eggs washed down with Champaign for me, and Lamb Chops washed down with Perrier Water for Christine: a fitting last breakfast to complete a first class cruise, on a first class cruise ship.

David and Christina also joined us for breakfast and we agreed to meet up in Rio as they were also staying opposite Copacabana Beach.

We wandered down the gangplank, only to find there was another “monster” cruise ship disgorging her passengers. The shed was very busy with all “those” passengers searching for their luggage; ours on the other hand was the other side of the shed and we found ours very easily; small cruise ship!!!!!     Now to find our driver in all this mêlée, I waited with bags and Christine eventually found him.

Being Saturday the traffic was lighter than normal, good news but several junctions had been closed and we had to make a number of detours, bad news. We arrived at the hotel too early for the room but as we were now both a bit under the weather stopped in the reception to wait and yes you’ve got it, played crib. We were told 1400hrs was official booking in and we must have met the “jobs worth” man; every tine we asked, he quoted the rules and when we saw people arriving after us and getting a room before us we were incensed. Anyway we have a room, 9^th floor overlooking a block of flats, we are one street back from Copacabana but on the top floor, 19^th, there is a pool, a bar and a view over the tops of the buildings and we can see the beach; they fulfilled their “blurb” but not the spirit of it!!!

We had a stroll over to the beach, paddled whilst watching all the Brazilians enjoying themselves in the sun, being Saturday we think all the folks from Rio were all on the beach. Anyway on the way back we had a late lunch or early evening meal and back to the hotel for an early night.