Settling into the Backpacking Life

Day 2
There is something about travelling that makes you ridiculously spontaneous. Take yesterday for example - my first full day in Rio. I woke up early in the morning and I was desperate to start exploring. I headed back to the backpacker hostel early in the afternoon after browsing through the streets of Ipanema - my local area. When I came back, none of my fellow travellers were around the hostel. They were all out doing some exploring. So I decided to have a quick walk down the beach. I sat down at a little cafe by the beach road. Now this was only my first day, and I was loving it of course, but I soon found I was craving the ability to speak to someone in English, the ability to speak to someone without resorting to wild hand gestures and evoking looks of pure mystery and confusion. So when I saw the couple at the table next to me reading a Lonely Planet Brazil travel guide I KNEW they were tourists - and most importantly, could speak English - and so I literally pounced on them. One thing led to another, we met another fellow tourist and we hung out together for the rest of the day and later that evening.
So far I am really settling in. One thing about backpacker hostels is that it is very transient - people are constantly on the move as part of their travels so one day you might see someone, and the next day you are saying goodbye as they make their way to their next port of call.

I have only really just been to the beach and combed through the local area. Today I will venture out to Copacobana (another touristy area that is part of this Zona Sul region) and explore there. I am completely living day by day and my plans are very open ended. I will probably stay in Rio for a week and then see where I like the look of next.