We only have one real day in Rio de Janeiro, so we decide to make it count. We rise fairly early, eat a vast breakfast of good coffee, cake, and fresh rolls with cheese, and watermelon (very different from the Argentine brakfast of Nothing...they do not eat breakfast, or drink coffee, so Brazil is very luxurious in comparison). Meet a very cool Parisien girl who asks to be called "Z" since her name is apparently too difficult to pronounce (suspect....) and a guy from Michigan. We decide to go on the iconic Rio expedition. We ride a bus across the city and then a train up to the top of Mount Corcovado, where stands the iconic (literally) statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), who looks out benevolently over the truly staggering view, his arms spread and his gaze loving. Though packed with tourists and prone to Stupid posing photographs, the spot is truly one of a kind. The views, of the city, the beaches, lakes, mountains, sugarloaf, soccer stadiums, jungle, it is all too incredible. I think Rio is the most beautifully situated and impressively laid out city in the world. From the top of the mountain, looming over the vast metropolis, it is awe inspiring.
We descend, and go with Z to Copacabana again, where we drink cold coconut water (out of the coconut, which they simply hack open with a machete to drink out of, brilliantly tropical), swim in the warm, salty water, lie on the perfect,fine, white sand, and watch incredibly athletic boogieboarding and surfing, from the safety of the beach. We have a great conversation with Z, who is one of the most like minded people we have met on all of our travels, and is a lot of fun. The evening winds down and we head back to the hostel. After some mate and music, we throw on our bags, salty and sweaty and just about tired of travelling, and set out yet again, saying goodbye to our new friend and leaving Rio having enjoyed it superbly despite such a short time spent there.
Another bus across the city, then a bus to Sao Paulo, we arrive at 4am and take another bus to the airport where we wait a few hours for our flight and then, before we know it, we are back in Buenos Aires,  (which, amazingly, is starting to feel a lot like hoooome to us). We walk back to the hostel through the beautiful parks of palermo, stopping for a Choripan (sausage sandwich) for lunch. We spend the day getting organized, refreshing our supply of books, doing laundry and getting hair cut (or hacked off by a crazy argentine rather) and preparing to continue our epic exploration of Argentina tomorrow. we are off to Salta, in the Andean Northwest. But for now, a little rest, in between the endless, but endlessly rewarding, travelling.