Last stop on our trip is a much anticipated stay in Rio de Janeiro. The journey from Foz do Iguacú is a bus journey of just over 24 hours duration. The bus (a normal bus, sadly not a sleeper) is full as we depart Foz during the late afternoon and sleep is impossible. The journey is via Sao Paulo, where virtually all of our fellow passengers get off, making the onward journey to Rio so much more comfortable as we both stretch out to try and catch up with some sleep.

We are in Rio for just over a week, which should give us ample opportunity to see some sights and to hit the fantastic beaches. On this trip Rio and Sydney vie for the top spot of cities located on a beach. We stay at the Cabana Copa Hostel which is just behind the Copacabana Palace Hotel and gives us easy access (5 minute walk) to the Copacabana Beach. We couldn't have hoped for better, although the downside is that we have to stay in an 8-person dorm. This was fine, Rio is a party town and some of the Canadians sharing the dorm did like to party, but if you can't beat them, join them!

With time on our hands and a return to the UK imminent we spent many days on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches and some time at Leblon. The days were warm, sunny and long and we thoroughly enjoyed our time. The days would usually start at the bakers ordering breakfast pastries, then sunbathing, swimming in the sea and walking along the beaches watching life go by.

The nightlife in Rio was great and we spent a few nights partying through the night, although we were still very tight on our budget so we had to be careful. The Brazilian real being particularly strong against the pound. The hostel ran an evening booze cruise around the harbour, which was a fun, if heavy night. The entrance fee covered all of the alcohol for the evening and there was plenty of it! We befriended Miguel and Kanute on the cruise and coincidentally met a couple that we had shared a dorm with whilst we were in Cusco. The best evening was the street party in Lapa under the shadow of the 18th century viaduct. We went with our Canadian room-mates, Miguel and some other people from the hostel. We also, out of the blue, bumped into Matt and Amy from the Salkantay trek, who were in Rio at the same time. Street after street of Lapa was just filled with revellers until the early hours of the morning. It was possible to buy drinks and food from street vendors, but unfortunately there were no toilets and Gemma got caught short. The streets are also filled with bars and restaurants, but they run a strange system, (unbeknownst to Gemma) that they let you in for free, but you must pay to exit if you haven't bought a drink. Gemma ducked inside a bar when nature called and tried to nip out without buying a drink or paying. She was spotted and as we tried to walk away, we were accosted by the doormen and a huge row erupted. The situation eventually defused, but it was touch and go for a while.

Feijoada has been described as a national dish of Brazil, especially of Rio de Janeiro, it is a stew of pork and black beans served with rice and fresh orange. Gemma had been desperate to try some. On our penultimate night we managed to find a small local cafe/bar that served it so she ordered one up (having to break through a language barrier and pronunciation issues) and her perseverance was rewarded.

We did do some sight-seeing whilst we were in Rio, taking the Corcovado cog train to Christ the Redeemer (for the obligatory pictures) the Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre, the National History Museum and the unusually designed and very modern cathedral. On our final evening we took the cable car and went up Sugar Loaf mountain to see Rio in all its splendour and to watch the transition from sunny afternoon to artificial lights of the evening. Very spectacular.

We both loved Rio and wanted to stay for longer, but our flight home to London was booked and our bank accounts were virtually empty. We will definitely come back!