Buying a Bikini in Rio de Janeiro

Well, well, well... When we arrived it really did feel like I was seeing the Brazil I'd imagined, gorgeous beaches, palm trees and tanned scantily clad bodies! I'd managed to leave my bikini behind in Rio Claro so the race was on to get myself a replacement (I had already been looking for a bikini but had decided to stay with the old one even though Djalma insisted that it looked like I'd pooed myself because of the saggy bottom) now there was a challenge.

I'm quite sure you've seen some Brazilian bikini clad ladies and I'm also sure you'll agree, the bikinis out there are NOT the biggest you've ever seen in your life. After a week of turning my nose up at everything I looked at (prior to Rio), I had to admit defeat, the choice of keeping my dignity (and my bum modestly covered up) or having some fun and going for swim (or as it turned out a bit of a paddle and all out war against the waves for my new pants) it wasn't really a choice at all - all out war it was then. Having bought a bikini from a lovely gentlemen hawking them on the front at Ipanema beach, I re-waxed (ESSENTIAL and not because I hadn't done a pretty good job before leaving Moscow) and we headed out again the following day.
After taking a trip up to Corcovado (where Christ the Redeemer lives) and deciding it was a bit too cloudy to bother with the trip after all, we went for a walk on Leblon where we stripped off and got wet. I thought that I had done my bikini up tight enough... but it wasn't really the best job I've ever done at trying to keep my modesty in public! Once I reached hip level in the water I was constantly on a mission to retrieve and cling to my bikini bottoms which were being persistently tugged off by the waves. I lasted a full minute and a half in the water (most of this time was spent crouching down in the water keeping my lower half submerged while I adjusted and readjusted trying not to flaunt either crack) not the classiest 90 seconds of my life. Anyway I made it out and relaxed under an umbrella on a deckchair while I waited for Djalma to catch an alligator and come join me. We had our second coconut water (of the trip) and dried off.

It was such a gorgeous day and facing out to sea we completely forgot the city behind us, the sound of the waves and the blue blue sky was sooo good especially after an Autumn in Moscow!
We did alot of walking along the beaches (Leblon, Ipanema and Copacabana) which took up most of our time but we bought some flipflops from a Havaiana shop which I got customised - COOL!! and a few souvenirs for friends back home. We did go back to Mt. Corcavado on our last day in Rio after we visited Ilha Grande (Big Island) but more about that later...