Hi. Nick has arrived home - on time to the minute!! Been to the Holly Bush for a familiar sandwich.he's well and we've put him on our car insurance so he can do some ferrying at the funeral.Still dry and warm here with dragonflies++ over the new pond.Tinker tried to catch one but fell in - never seen him move so quickly before - he wasn't impressed!LADS 60th do went well last Sat and JS mentioned you in his speech - lost somewhere up the Amazon. Hearts scraped a draw at Falkirk so unfortunately Rangers gained a little ground - but are still clinging on to their 3rd place. Leek Town are trying to emulate Everton and go through a season with a single victory!

Ohh Tom, liked your joke, made me giggle, but who is this Bush person your talking about?? He doesnt sound very intelligent.

Hello!

I'm in Brunei! (in transit) I'll be home in the morning, so you can call me there Pud.

Great to hear your exciting bits and that they don't use punctuation in Brazil either. Deep breaths!! Rangers won 5-1 against Dunfermline. We are impressed you went to a museum but you did not mention whether you opened your eyes. Cheques have arrived for the deposit for the flat and a rebate on electricity. Don't lose any more knickers - concentrate on losing all your odd socks!
Love mum & dad XXX

Hello! Sounds like you are having such a good time. I finished work on Wed so am now a lady of leisure until I leave on the 12th...I actually have absolutely nothing to do so these next 10 days maybe some what boring!! Hope you continue to have lots of fun!

Bye for now, Ruth x

D{oh Emily, you were in Argentina when you wrote that message so we were going there!!! And Kat, Emily is lying, we have put together a list of names in order of importance for the sending of postcards..unfortunately you appear to be near the bottom and hence will get one around christmas/new year...love always, Gav.

p.s. hannah, we may be in bolivia when you arrive but we´re not going to chile or argentina, so i dont think youll be able to meet us there

p.s. kat, the sending of postcards is done randomly...we did send you one every day but they may have got lost in the post!

Hello Everyone, the last time we posted a proper message was about 10 days ago or maybe even longer...soooo much has happened but will try and sum up. For our last three days in Rio we moved to a new room and finally managed to get some sleep away from the warthogs in the other dorm..we went to Santa teresa on the tram, IIha Paqueta for a day, a tour of the Maracana stadium (worlds largest footy..awesome) and also managed to squeeze in another football game..this time we saw another of Rios big teams Vasco de gama play Ponte preta from sau paulo..the crowd were even more crazy than at the last match and even though this time we were on a concrete stand rather than scaffolding didn´t feel much safer as a section of it had collapsed a couple of years ago...we were right next to the band that played constantly for the whole match..we realised also that flag flying (10 feet square on huge bamboos) is an art..other things to note were..the harassement the players got from kids allowed on the pitch when they were trying to warm up (hundreds of them), SKol (Tom, it´s everywhere here but 4.9%..i don´t believe it´s brazilian)..the strong pungent weed smell travelling in clouds over the crowd as we watched out a 0:0 draw...

ILha paqueata is in the bay and a ferry for 1hr 30 mins takes you there from Rio..totally vehicle free ( and tourist free)..sandy roads with palm in middle not uprooted, diving herons on boats in bays, ant farms crossing roads...that sort of thing..beautiful. Emily got givne a frozen beer from a bar and drank the alcoholic foam before having half a can of watery skol (English quality) for the ferry home.

well we left our hostel in rio on 23rd sep to start an exciting adventure..and managed to leave two tee-shirts and a pile of boxer shorts/knickers behind..whoops..so bought some more!!! I also tried washing my clothes that day using a "UNIVERSAL" plug that doesn´t fit ANY sink. I had to resort to using toilet paper (dont want wet socks)that decided to disintegrate into a million pieces and cover my clothes..emily said that next time i should just use her bikini..

on 24th we went to ILha Grande for 3 days and did a long 6 hour hike up to the summit through the rainforest on our first day..saw a huge spider with a speckley yellow spotted back. The next day we went on another hike and went snorkelling etc. The beaches were so unspolit, surrounded by dense rainforest, no roads or traffic..but it rained..didn´t matter though as sea was really warm.. oh, also had a power cut for 12 hours so i romantically read to emily in a hammock by candle light..arrrrr.

We left IIha Grande for a 14 hour bus journey to Curibita in the most amazing bus ever made..thought travelling was hard work!! the seats were a metre wide, only three in a row..and fully reclined..pillows blankets etc, sweety bags..blah blah blah..

we got to curitiba and spent a tired day walking around the centre., went to the Oscar Niemeyer museum (Dad are you impressed??) and finished the day having all you can eat pizza including cheese and CHOCOLATE.. if you think emily´s obsessed with cheese you should come to brazil..they have it with everything..

we left curitiba and made our way to Puerta Iguacu in Argentina (9 hour bus-semi luxury this time)..and have spent yesterday and today at the iguaca falls (incredible)..we went to the brazilian side yesterday and got completely soaked..great fun! also visted paraguay black markets so ended up going to three countries yesterday before lunchtime..crazy..

speak soon,

'skiing UP the Andes' - Sounds hardcore Han!

Hola chicos! So you're having fun then?! I am flying to Lima on 1st November and then travelling down through Bolivia, Chile to Argentina...spending 3 months all in all. Any chance you will be in any of those countries at any point in the next 3 months?? Thinking of going skiing up the Andes in Argentina!! Would be a SUPER place to meet!

At the mo I am just preparing for the inca trail....So far my prep has consisted of setting the treadmill on 'incline 5' in the gym and hiking in (and getting lost in) Thetford Forest....not sure how well either of those will simulate the mountainous terrain or altitude of the incas...

Hello Emileek and Gaviano,
Your trip sounds RUBBISH and I am not at all jealous. Did emily know who the people in Tom's joke were? (Geoff Hoon? Balloon? what?). Hope I also have a postcard although I am sure you would never be so heartless as to sent Tom and not me one (sob sob). Best go these exciting headlines won't write themselves !xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ooooh, it works! Just saw my message posted up on the site!! hee hee.