Thursday, 12 March 2009

The Road to Rio

Phase 2 of the South American tour saw Tim drag the new Mrs Weathers to afore mentioned Murphy's for the Carling Cup final between United and Hotspurs. It was a reasonable 0-0 cup final between two under strength teams but there was only going to be one winner when it went to penalties.

Murphy's is owned by an ex-Twickenham resident and Spurs supporter who moved to Sao Paulo in 1987. It also sells London Pride albeit at £8 a bottle. The guv'nor was curious why I had not dropped in when I was there in 1989....it might have had something to do with working Monday to Friday and then going to Rio for the weekends....some things never change as me, SWMBO, Kieran and Becky and partners headed there for some r & r, as Mr and Mrs Weathers II headed to Kenya.

SWMBO and I were staying in a five star on Copacabana, the kids were in a hovel a few blocks back, moaning a bit. I explained to them they had to earn the right to stay in a five star, but sagging in to use the facilities, as they did, is fine.

Copacabana is a fine place, a beach by day and a sports arena by night, people still playing footie at 3 am.

We did Sugar loaf, Christ the Redeemer and the Girl from Ipanema bar, where Antonio Carlos Jobin wrote it. Rio named their airport after him which struck a cord (sic) with the scousers and John Lennon international.

Highlight for me was the row in the street with the taxi driver after ordering everybody out at the traffic lights. Don't think SWMBO and Kieran were too impressed but the cabbie did finally get in the car to get me change, not get a gun and shoot me once we had settled our differences in language neither of us understood.

That was the only flashpoint of the whole tour, Sao Paulo and Rio are just like London, but with weather.

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