Day 4 Mal Today we took a sunset cruise on a small private boat with just 6 people. it was a delightful afternoon and the three crew members looked after us very well. Snacks included and drinks for the duration including the famous Caiparinhas, Brazil's national cocktail, which is very nice. We saw forts as you will see from the photos in the sea. Similar to our solent forts in Portsmouth, although these are disused. We also saw the military area from the beach...

Day 3 Chris We had read a lot about street crime in Rio before we came. From what we had read it almost felt like there was a 90% chance of being pickpocketed within 5 minutes of leaving our hotel. However, whilst we take the usual precautions and keep aware of who is around us, we haven't felt at any time any cause for concern. The streets aren't crowded enough that you are being jostled and has so far been relatively easy to ensure you have personal space aoun...

Day 2 Mal Today we visited the Rocinha favela. This is the largest of approx 600 favelas in Rio with a population of around 70,000 people. A favela is a slum or shanty town area. I was very much out of my comfort zone before the trip. However, very glad we visited, it was extremely educational. In years gone it by was run by criminal gangs and police would not enter. in the last few years, Milatary police have entered and removed drug barons and the general poli...

Day 1 Chris After a pleasant stay at the Sheraton Skyline at Heathrow, we boarded our plane for the 11.5 hour flight to Rio de Janeiro. Journey was very relaxing, having turned left whilst boarding due to our BA air miles 😊. Met at the airport as arranged and after a 30 minute drive we arrived at the JW marriott on Copacabana beach. Lovely view of the beach from our room, although it was late and we were tired so we just unpacked and slept.