Hi Nicky
 

First of all, thank you for your very nice e-mail. I would like to take you up on your offer for the DVD’s and yes it is for our own collection and memories.

I spent some time yesterday and today going through your site and I am genuinely impressed by the quality of content and the relaxed and easy style as you browse it. You must have spent hours and hours gathering material and working on it.  The photos show you with a very pleasant personality and it’s plain to see you make friends easily.  It was interesting to see your Koh Tao photos of where you stayed on the Island because we passed there by boat when we were there, (Koh Lanta was not quite our scene).

We have been to Canada twice but never over ‘your way’ Montreal.  Our first trip was 2002 to Vancouver to Alaska.  The second was in August 2004 when we went from Juneau up to Dawson City on the Klondike gold trail. It was a fantastic trip. We got caught up in the smoke fires burning at the time and twice had to be air lifted out!  We continued on to Fairbanks and then back down via Glacier Bay to Vancouver again.

Canada is Like New Zealand for natural beauty but about 50 times bigger.

NZ is about the same size as Britain but only has a population of just over 4 million.  Very much from British stock the population is becoming very mixed now (as is Australia) with migrants from Asia and Middle East.  The big worry from our indigenous people, (Maori) is that they may be outnumbered by about 2020.  Although the races get along we have had similar problems dealing with historical land claims as Canada and the US have had.

Auckland is our biggest city with a pop of just over 1 million.  But don’t laugh; we still have traffic congestion, road rage and all the other things that go with cities these days.

We live in a place called Tauranga, Pop 105,000. It is in the North Island and on the coast in what was named by Captain Cook, The Bay of Plenty.  In fact about 80% of all people in both Islands live within 20 Kilometers from a beach.  Our climate is what you might call temperate. Tourism is a big thing here as we are fast becoming know as the adventure ‘place to go to’. Rugby is our ‘National’ game if you have seen it on TV then no doubt you would have also seen the Maori Haka.  Great to watch if you are a spectator and to be feared if you are the opposition.

Australia is our closer neighbor and sporting rival.  And we often have to answer (mainly US citizens) that “no there is no bridge joining us”, (2000 Kilometers)!

Any info about our part of the world, don’t hesitate to ask.  Thinking of traveling to China, Borneo, Burma, Pakistan, Bali, not a problem.

I really thought the short still shots of Rio taken as a movie clip with ‘Brazil’ playing in the background was particularly clear and well done.  Makes us want to go back!

Last January (2005) we flew to Santiago and joined a cruise ship that took us down through the Chilean fjords around Cape Horn, over to Falkland Islands then up the SA coast to Montevideo and then to Buenos Aries.  We then flew to Iguaçu Falls for 3 days, (absolutely stunning, as you would have found out and undoubtedly the best in the world) then up to Rio in time for the Carnival.  Staying at the famous Copacabana beach was a real buzz!

We went to Rio nor really sure of what to expect.  Dianne and I are quit work several years back and travel a lot and I saw somewhere that the Rio Carnival at the Sambadrome was one of the 100 things you must do in your life (as you also pointed out in your web page).  So we knew it must be good!  Of course when all our friends learnt of this, out came the 'horror stories'.  Maybe they thought they were giving good advice but the same things can happen anywhere in the world now!  So, what were to expect?

Well we arrived and had one of the most exciting times in our life in one of the most idyllic settings in a fabulous place with tremendous scenery.  We can't stop raving about it!

The Sambadrome was absolutely spectacular.  You know as you have been there.  But try to tell our friends and in 20 minutes time their eyes start to glaze over.  About a week ago I thought maybe someone out there sells videos of the carnival!  We lacked any photos that had dynamic content.  This is what prompted me to make inquiries.  But sadly as I found when most copies were sold out they did not order new ones.

Your offer to send one out is amazing!  You have pointed out in your web pages that people are your passion and I believe that to be true!

However as kind as your offer is I would really like to send over something for your trouble, the cost of materials and defray postage costs so please indicate what would be an appropriate amount.  It would be in US dollars.

Best regards and thanks again Nicky

Cheers

Glenn Gray
Welcome Bay
NEW ZEALAND

Glenn & Dianne Gray

Hi Nicky


Yeah!!!!!!!! It’s here.


The packet arrived this morning, safe & sound, thank you and again thank you very much.

What a buzz.  We have been through the disks and the house has been pumping to the sounds of Sambadrome music.  Yep, all the procession with the performers and their magnificent costumes were there just as we saw it.  For two hours we were saying to one another “remember that’, remember this” etc.

There is no doubt that the carnival is the best nights entertainment IN THE WORLD.  Nowhere do you see anything as exciting vibrant and color and….. with the hyper-beat sound.

We stated making plans about going back in 2008!.  But, when the DVD stopped, and we had lunch, we looked at one another and said ‘we didn’t think we could handle another night’.

After all!  It is full on.  No gaps, no let ups for 10 solid hours.

So thank you for the two Rio DVD’s.  They complemented each other.

And the photo album was great.  You have done a great job with the Flipalbum.  It is a great program for displaying collections.  We were suitably impressed!

We enjoyed looking at the photos of Iguaçu from the Brazilian side.  We had 3 days there and often wish that we had at least another day to spend ‘on the other side’.  The sad thing is when you mention the falls people back home look at you with a blank look.  No problem with Niagara or Victoria in Zambia but Iguaçu!!  “Where’s that”???

And walking back along Avenue Atlantica in Copacabana was special.  What a difference the sun makes in photos.  Rio is a special place when the sun shines.  And the shots taken from the bays, city and Ipanema always look good from Corvacado.

You stayed at the Luxor Regente?  We were down about 1 1/2 k at the Le Meridian.  That was a nice view of the beach from your room.

If you will allow me, I might get my still photo collection onto a CD and send them over to you. (Luckily your return address was on the front envelope).  The photos will be an addition to yours and I only saw a couple of what you took, in my album so there should not be any doubling up. I am quite pleased with the ones I took.  Considering they were all night time shots they are just about all clear, sharp and in focus.

But also, we enjoyed looking at the others shots you took around Buzios and were great to look at.  You certainly stayed in some nice places and we did notice that you had a lot of friends that you met along the way or were meeting there, in the photos as well.

Dianne also says thanks for the kind thoughts and actions in sending over the DVD’s and the collection of your memoirs.

Cheers and have a great weekend.

Regards,

Glenn

NZ
 

  Publish with permission from Glenn & Dianne Gray

Index  •  Rio Carnival  •  Rio Helicopter Sightseeing  •  Botanical Garden

Sugar Loaf  •  Corcovado  •  Niteroi  •  Ipanema  •  Safety in Rio  •  Danger in Rio

Fly to Rio  •  Intl. Tel. Card, Internet  •  Foods & Restaurants  •  Busses transportation

Make friends  •  Apartment/Flat  •  Miscellaneous  •  Join the parade  •  Distance Chart

Fond memories  •  Guestbook