Feb 9

So we woke up a little too early but were happy all the same to find our favourite hostels brekky awaiting us. Amongst good crusty bread, cake and a huge variety of fresh fruits. Whilst passing time I designated a Team Challenge yesssss thats right there were a variety of teas available to us and I decided that we had to drink them all!!! After wasting away a good hour and a half we headed upstairs and did some more mindmap before heading off to book our samba classes. Upon arrival we were an hour late for one of the classes and what turned out to be the only class on Friday. The guy kindly let us do the last half hour for free and we vowed to return for the class Monday. After the first 5 minutes we both exhausted and beading it with a vengeance but pleased to be in familiar and comfortable territory with the dance steps. After classes we were exhausted and 'surprise, surprise' hungry. On our way back to the hostel we both stumbled across something we had never seen...'an orange peeler' ok so no laughing there is a actual man with a machine who peels the orange by winding a handle which at the same time peels the fruit and then for a mere 40c you get your vitamin C for the day. Trust me when I say every bit as cool as it sounds. IMAGINE!!! SO following our trusty LP (Lonely Planet) we went to a nearby por kilo restaurant where the quality and selection impressed us both. After a broad range of flavors- coconut rice, fish, meat, chicken stews, a variety of ways to present beans and a huge selection of salads. And best of all a dessert table. Full to the brim......we left with the intention of finally getting our braid done. So returning to our newfound transvestite friend 'Mona Lisa' and bargaining him/her from R20 per person to 2 for R10 we sat down and got the deed done whilst being gaped at by locals and tourists alike. Not sure if it was our 'gringo' appearances drawing a crowd or the woMAN doing the braiding. After that we were rather satisfied even paid R12 for 2 - he/she had spunk!!!! A little lie down and a babble later we kitted up once again for caipoera classes. Today feeling slightly more tenderised and a great deal more unco-ordinated we perservered and perspired our way through our fifty minutes. Beanie in socks and me without- both of us walked away feetly impaired and 'exertified'. Our roommates- two aussie blokes were back in the room. In and among one of our rambles we discovered that one of them was a 'açai virgin'. Imagine our horror and the urgency involced in remedying this crime. Off we trotted to our favorite café but not before bumping into our favorite Norwegians in our hostel. Rather bizarre and revealing as they were heading to the airport for Fortaleza and Jeri rather than following their tentative plan of hanging with us here this weekend. So after introducing açai and being smiled onto the street by two barely dressed Brazilians we are in the internet café out of harms way for now. We went and did our internetting for the day and then hunted down Ben to accompany us for some Italian and just to mix it up some red wine from Chile. Ben the Aussie bloke as it turns out know the Rays from Peru!!! Small world after all.....we only dicovered this upon him laughing at our teamtactics and challenges and saying its such a kiwi thing and then he mentioned some other kiwis with whistles....and best of all he was already familiar with the slice. Dinner was tasty and a caipirinha and caipiroska later we yawned our way back to the hostel and another relatively early night´s sleep!