The sunshine greeted us in Paraty! We boarded a boat to sail around the islands off the coast. We relaxed, swam and drank caipirinhas on the sun loungers! We also had time to wander round the colourful colonial town with its cobbled streets and old churches.

We then travelled by bus to Rio de Janeiro. We were disappointed to find that the sun hadn't followed us - it was cloudy and rainy! We stayed in Rio for a few days. We went on a favela tour visiting Rocinha and Vila Canoas. Ironically, we actually felt safer in the favelas than anywhere else in the city! The favela communities, especially the drug dealers, do not respect the police and seek to give them no cause to visit their favelas - they go elsewhere to commit their crimes!

We also visited Santa Teresa, a hilltop neighbourhood with great views down on the bay and city, and across to Sugarloaf Mountain. We saw a few sights in Downtown Rio - the modern cathedral and the sambodromo where the Carnaval takes place.

Our last day in Rio was sunny and clear, a great way to end our trip. We finally got a clear view of Christ the Redeemer which overlooks the city! We spent the day at the beach and walked from Copacabana beach to Ipanema and back, stopping for cold beers along the way!