Day 7 - Chris Today we took the short flight from Rio to Foz do Iguazu. Although the flight was only a couple of hours, by the time you take into account airport waiting time, taxis both ends etc, it was late afternoon by the time we checked into the Bogari Hotel. We were in need of hydration so went a couple of doors from the hotel to the first cafe bar and as were about to sit down, spotted that they were showing Wes Ham on the telly! It's the only non South A...

Day 6 - Chris Our last day in Rio was a lazy one. Chilled out by the pool, out for meal and then onto a music bar for a couple of hours. Overall we've had a great time in Rio. We've not felt any sense of insecurity at any time. Found some nice places to eat and drink - listening to live music or watching the beach life. Only down side was not really being able to use the beach as it is not safe to leave belongings while you both go in the sea, which makes it a ...

Day 5. Chris Today's full day tour of Rio was amazing. We were picked up at 7.00 am by our personal guide for the day. He had recommended an early start to get to Christ the Redeemer before the crowds and queues started to build. The plan worked to perfection and Mal and I were the very first visitors to the statue today. By the time we left there were about 150 people there. Later in the day this figure is much higher. The statue was great to see, but the views...

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...