A pre-planned highlight of the trip - NYE in Rio! After an 8 hr flight, we land and head straight to the hotel to charge our batteries before hitting the city.

Our hotel is based in the Central district which is a bit of a trek from Copacabana and all the festivities, so after a few hours kip we get in amongst the action.When we arrive things are only just getting started so we enjoy a few beers on the street before setting ourselves up on the beach once things get going. The music was a bit of a disapointment to be honest, we had expected a multitude of acts all along the beach but everything was centred on the one stage.However, the fireworks were spectacular, lighting up the sky with a backdrop of 7 massive cruise ships just as it started to rain! Dancing on the beach in the rain to Samba music with over 1 million people - Happy New Year 2009!

Thankfully we have 5 nights reserved in a hostel in Copacabana, so we move from our stark (supposedly 3*) hotel to a more lively jaunt. With 4 days of continuous rain to follow, we occupy our time seeing the sights of Rio...the Sugar Loaf, the Corcovado and of course, the beaches. We quickly realise that the ´Body-beautiful Brazilian´ is a myth...they are a nation of flesh lovers and take every opportunity to flaunt what they have (or in most cases, haven´t)...dental floss bikinis which must cause severe injury, Speedos on men...some are utterly offensive and literally make you gag.

Rachel´s 29th birthday was spent in Rio. Unfortunately we drank copious amounts on the eve and spent most of the next day in bed nursing our heads. When we did move it was to an all you can eat carvery...after starving all day and still with mammoth hangovers we were in heaven, and spent a good 3 hours gorging on sushi, fish and steak...delicious, but it was a painful walk home, each of us sporting food babies.

After a week in Rio, it was time to move on down the Costa Verde towards São Paulo. We fell in love with the city of Rio and all it has to offer - shops, restaurants, bars, beaches and of course, the people. Brazil has so far amazed us and we can´t wait to return at the latter stages of our South América leg, to see the northern regions and sample life on the Amazon. To be continued...