London, UK
So, believe it or not the cheapest option from Manila to fly to Rio was for me to go back to London. The stopover was one evening, so I had originally planned to stay with some mates near London. Nice and easy.
Nope.
They had all been called last minute on conferences and needed to stay away (well that is the story they came up with anyway)
Pants.
I was snookered as Heathrow hotels are an arm and a leg, and to go further away would mean train or bus far...