Rule #5: Play Like a Champion

GOOOOOOD Morning boys and girls!  Well, I'm a little behind on this thing, but that's kinda the point, right? So we did the whole Machu Picchu deal, and it was awesome, especially climbing Huayna Picchu (the big mountain behind me).  Though, apparently staying up til 3:30 AM drinkin', dancin', everythin'... isn't the best training and preparation for that climb.  Especially at 8,500 FT.  So this pic is afterward, and I'm just doin' my best not to throw up on my shoes.  It was GREAT though, Machu Picchu was awesome.  And why I wore jeans and a flannel to hike all that is beyond me...  Lost about 5 lbs that day...

So, the next big thing.  Getting down to earth.  Not really much explanation needed, I jump off a basket hanging in between two mountains.  Bungee jumping is probably one of the most unnatural things a human can do, but it's a rush like no other.  People always talk about sky diving like its the sh!t, but I've done both and bungee is WAAAY better.  And harder.  You just dont get the sense of falling when you are sky diving, and for some reason it seamed easy to jump out of a plane.  Any way, this video is from a place we found in Cusco, and Clarke and I both made this jump.  Just under 400 FT up.  As you can tell in the video, I'm not nervous at all... Click and watch -  Leap of Faith... Why? Why not?!?!?

Moving forward.  Onward and upward.

Currently I'm in Rio de Janeiro.  Spent one night in Sao Paulo, went to the park the next day when Eric met up, then we decided that the beach was a callin'.  Sao Paulo is just a big city, not really a fun spot to vacation.  RIO ON THE OTHER HAND!!!!  Holy crap I like this place.  I have 10 more days here and, well, lets just say its been fun.  Eric and I took the midnight train to Rio, drank wine and watched Wedding Crashers on my computer while he sliced up salami and crackers.  We splurged and spent like $60 on the most luxurious bus they had.  It was like sitting in a Lazy Boy for 6 hours.  Unfortunately, and not suprisingly, Eric got sick.  This is me volunteering with Make a Wish foundation and visiting the hospital...

 Relax bleeding hearts, its an inside joke.  If you dont get it - well then you dont get it.  But look at this pic.  HE IS DYING!!!  We colored for a bit.  I did a purple elephant, it's darn near flawless.

Ooooooohhhkay, enough of that...






So now we're in Rio, and so far so good.  Two nights ago we did this Favela rave party thing that went until 4AM.  It was crazy.  Shots shots shots, shots shots shots shots!

After, I ate a hot dog that had EVERYTHING on it.  Really, everything. Even a hard boiled quail egg.  Soooo good.  Bring on the fat jokes...

Any way, this party was COCONUTS!  You know its gonna be a good night when you get warnings like "dude, be careful because a lot of the REALLY hot girls there... are tranies".  WTF!?

Yesterday it was raining, so we did the only thing we could - drink all day.  Then, party at the hostel where I defended the USA like six times in arm wrestling.  Current hostel champ.  A couple cute American chicks (I include Eric in this group) were cheering me on.  And no, it was NOT my idea, but for some reason these guys kept messin' with me...  well, those that know me, know I don't lose.  Chants of "USA! USA! USA!" and Eric doing high kicks shaking pom poms would follow every win.  Team America.  4 Eva.

Well kids, that's it for know.  As you can see from the pic on the right, Eric and I are taking our vitamins and getting lots of healthy rest.  A couple activities on deck:  Christo, Sugar Hill, Favela Tour, Isla Grande (maybe), and... I talked Eric into hang gliding over the city.  He's gonna poop his pants.

And of course we may stop by the beach a couple more times...

And maybe a beer or two along the way...

Yea, its gonna be a goooooood two weeks.

Cheers.

- Jefe