So Rio is behind us and I must say I´m glad. The reports about violence in Rio are overhyped. It is a beautiful city viewed from afar. The sights from the top of Corcovado (where Christ the Redeemer sits) are awesome and the cityscape at night from the top of Sugar Loaf mountain is completely spell binding. (Althoguh why anyone built a city in the middle of a mountain range is beyond me, they must have been nuts, or at least had some foresight to give taxi drivers a brilliant excuse to always take the long way round!)

Add into that the fantastic Copacabana beach and you´d think you had a city straight from heaven. You´d be wrong though. As much as Rio is cool, it wasn·t until I left it that I noticed how oppressive it is. Firstly, Rio is filthy. Dirt and grafitti everywhere. Secondly, there is a police car on every street corner, something you appreciate when you are there as everyone is worried they might be mugged in Rio. But it only came home to me when we went to Sao Paulo (a reputedly worse city) that there were no Police and nothing like the feeling of threat.

I am glad to leave Rio behind. We stayed for just one night in Sao Paulo which I think was a mistake as I felt there was much more to see. However we´ve now arrived safely in Costa Rica.

We´ve decided to take separate tours for the next week. I fancied something a bit more adventurous that pony trekking (no offense intended Kelly).

I hope we have more story to tell you after that.

PS. The footie was rubbish, Ronaldo was fat and Emerson missed a hatful!