Greetings from Rio - again - though i´ve actually done something since i last wrote. Firstly, though - Copacabana - i´m staying on the sea front and it´s nice to see the Atlantic Ocean blue rather than grey. The beach front is 4km long - quite handy to know after you´ve walked up & down it a few times - i racked up over 20km on my first day. Considering that i´d like to lose 15kg & the two bags under my eyes during this trip i might just get there if...

Not much to report - i arrived at 2.15 am this morning some 5 hours late but at least i got here. The tour operator being most understanding had rescheduled my tour for tomorrow - so today has been quite civilised - just wandering around. I was actually here during Christmas 2001 so there are bits i remember from that trip. i didn`t do any tours then as the weather was bad would you believe - so hopefully i`ll get to see Sugar Loaf Mountain - well, go up it as i...

This is what we in the trade call a pre-amble - it's like a pre-ambulator but doesn't carry babies - and yes, that is the calibre of joke you can expect to encounter during my - er - encounters. A special hello and thank you to Carla for giving me the details of this website and to Carla & Sarah who made it clear in no uncertain terms exactly what would happen to me if i didn't set up a blog. Hey - i'm compliant already! As always in life you need inspir...