New Year fireworks must be good if the barges catch fire!
Happy New Year from Rio
Happy New Year to everyone from the capital of party and the official end of our current overland journey—Rio de Janeiro.
Sponge Bob delivered the group here on 30 December, giving us enough time to organize ourselves for the big event of New Year’s Eve.
Lots of people opted to go to the infamous Copacabana Beach, but our personal hostess in Rio (Fernanda, who was an exchange student with us in 2010) recommended Flamengo Beach as having great samba music, top-notch fireworks, a more laid-back atmosphere and being just six blocks from her place—easy to walk home after you’ve celebrated too much.
Seven of us went there and had a fantastic evening. Poor John stayed up way past his bedtime. Those of you who ‘really’ know him will be impressed to know he made it to 1:30am.
The midnight fireworks went non-stop for 20 minutes (five minutes longer than the ones over the ridge at Copacabana) and two of the launch barges caught fire towards the end.
What a spectacle when the last of the explosives on one of the two went off together. Ka-boom!
Most of us agreed that New Year’s Eve is often a letdown—high on expectations and low on delivery. Last night was perfect in every way.
I’ll write more about it in a couple of days and post more pictures and a video of the fireworks (sorry but I ran out of battery before the big ka-boom). By the way, I took all the photos with my phone because I didn’t want to risk taking my big camera to the beach.
P.S. I’m in the process of trying to purchase the blog package that will allow me to post videos. It should also eliminate ads.
Where to next? 
London had 11 minutes of fireworks, I was impressed, I thought they did better than Sydney (which was a surprise to me)
I think 2012 was the year for the UK, and I missed it, still I had a good time
I watched fire works from all over the world, everyone bought the New Year in with a real bang this time (even North Korea had a few, but all very polite, lots of bowing)
All I can do now is wish everyone on this blog and around the world and where ever you are, A Very Happy New Year,
Welcome to 2013
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Hi Derrick,
Thanks for your goods wishes and Happy New Year to you too!
I’m a sucker for fireworks, so felt especially blessed to see in 2013 in Rio. The night may never be matched!
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All you got to do is sort out where you will be seeing next year in, I think everyone will be trying to out do each other
So not long until this trip is over, what next ?
Its been great following your blog, and even the blog before this, I might even do this trip myself, so be prepared for lots of questions if I do
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Always happy to answer questions. If you do this Oasis trip soon, I happen to know both the driver and guide. I think you’d like and appreciate them both.
So glad you have enjoyed the blog. I enjoy doing it, and it will keep going. Still lots of South America to report, and lots of previous travel too.
And our trip is finished now. 😦 Already seems weird. Have to figure out what we’ll do next. Any suggestions?
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Well, I’m doing that safari in India, but its not for long, just 20 days, but I am going to Kovalam for a month, then the wife wants me back to go on holiday with her
You have done most of Europe on the last trip, you did a lot of Asia on the same trip, maybe go back to some of these places and see the bits you never did visit, even try and get into Tibet, if that’s something you havent seen or been to
Burma ???? Russia ? Iceland ? Greenland ? Norway ? Sweden ? Denmark ?
But I would still like to do North America, AND I know that is home to you, but its something I’d like to do (with a tent, a sleeping bag and all the time in the world)
When I was in Oz, a bloke told me he drove over a 1000k, I said if I drove that distance in the UK, I would be in Europe, people just dont get that we live in a tiny country
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Thanks for the memory joggers. We lived in Burma in the 1980s and would love to see it again—India too. Scandinavia and Russia are on our to-do list, and I’d love to do a camping tour of the USA. I have enough family scattered around the nation that we’d have plenty of floors to flop on.
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Flopping is good, maybe I could meet some of your friends (I met lots of people in Australia that let me sleep on a stee, a floor, even a bed, they werent my friends, but relations of my friends, but still nice people)
But I have met lots of people from all over, I dont know that they would put me up though, its different from talking on the internet to talking face to face, but Aussies seem to do it all the time, they give you a bed,feed you, then they leave to go to work and you have the run of the house
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Aussies are pretty laid back. We have people coming to stay later this month and I’ve only ever met them online. Do you think they could be axe murderers? 🙂 Nah!
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LOVE fireworks of all kinds and yes have to agree that New Year’s is usually a bit of a let down.
Glad you and Poor John enjoyed! Hope 2013 is the best year ever! WHOO HOO!
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We had a wonderful night and hope you did too! Wishing you an amazing 2013.
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A rather belated Happy New Year to you and John. All sorts of things happening here and I haven’t been paying attention. Those photos look wonderful and I can’t wait to see the rest of the. I love fireworks but never manage to see any live. So pleased that you’ve had such a wonderful adventure and really looking forward to seeing you. And that was pretty amazing for John to be up that late. Did he know that there is such a thing as 1.30 in the morning? And you could go to France for six months and try out some cheese, wine and other culinary experiences. I’m sure you could quite easily fill in six months in France like that.
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Happy New Year to you too, Louise.
France is very tempting. I’ll suggest it to Poor John. 🙂
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Happy New Year to you and Poor John. Chris and I have really enjoyed your updates – filled in the gaps Julia and Tom left out! It’s been an amazing trip. We’re now looking forward to following your next adventure, wherever that may be! Wishing you both a happy and venturesome (?) 2013. Wendy and Chris Steibelt
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Thanks Wendy and Chris! Not sure what our next adventure will be, but I still have lots to fill in from this one, so please stay tuned. Wishing you all the best for 2013.
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LeggyPeggy and Pour John,
Great trip you have both had touring/trekking around South America…. what a wide range of climates and experiences and opportunity to tell people on this blog all about it. Especially when most will never get to see South America the way you both have done.
Fireworks are always fun to watch…. we in Metro NYC always have the very big Macy’s Fireworks each on July 4th and Fireworks in parts of the city New Years Eve. I recall seeing Fireworks in Japan, they would shoot off fireworks and then 100’s of paper parachutes floating down on the crowds… with good luck messages.
A Happy and Healthy New Year 2013 to everyone reading this blog and to you LeggyPeggy and Pour John. And hope you get home to Australia safe and sound… and don’t forget to write more blog stories on areas you did not cover yet… like Machu Picchu.
Sy S.
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Hi Sy and a very Happy New Year to you too!
We head home later this afternoon. Not looking forward to 36 hours of travel, but it does include one big bonus—a much-anticipated lunch with a daughter who lives in Sydney.
I promise to get Machu Picchu done. The delay has been that I have so many photos, I need time to choose the best ones. Poor excuse, but the best one I have. 🙂
And there are plenty more stories from these travels, but I’ll be writing them with a dog on my lap.
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Hi Peggy,
Yes, The fireworks were awesome, we finally made it back to Sydney (customs tooks a while due to the blow guns and piranha teeth) but glad to be back. Thanks for your stories and advice and sharing the flight from Rio to Santiago.
Tony and Hazel
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Hi Tony and Hazel — Had the best time sitting next to you for some of the long flight home. Wonderful bonus! Hope your ears have recovered from my onslaught of chattiness. Let us know if you ever come to Canberra. Our house is just outside the Parliamentary Triangle, so the sightseeing is pretty darn convenient and the mattresses are top class.
Cheers from Leggy Peggy and Poor John
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