I woke up early on Thursday morning to make my way to the Tiete Bus Terminal in Sao Paolo for my 6 hour long ride to Rio de Janeiro. It was comfortable, quiet and some of the scenery was incredible driving through the lush green hills.. but as we approached the Novo Rio Bus Terminal the scenery couldn't have been more different. Grotty favelas lined either side of the highway, homeless groups of people sought refuge under ongoing road works as the tailbacks began...

I arrived at the Sao Paolo Guarulhos airport early Monday morning after a relaxing 10 hour flight made more comfortable by the added bonus of extra leg room. Passport stamped, bag collected and off I went to find a bus to take me into one of the biggest cities in the world. The public bus was jam-packed with people returning from flights and those who were making their daily commute. I'd read about the huge congestion problems Sao Paolo has before I came out ...