A horrendous racket, sounding like some sort prehistoric monster was coming from the trees. I realized after a while that it must be one of the appropriately named howler monkeys, and sure enough there it was sitting in the trees to one side of the path. Five minutes later I said to Helen that it would be really nice if we also saw some of the tiny marmoset monkeys that live on the island. And right on cue, a group of about 20 of them started leaping through the trees above our heads and running up and down tree trunks to greet us. Uncanny! What an amazing sight on our last day.

Our flight leaves in the evening, so it was great to be able to enjoy the whole day on the beaches, and swimming in the sea around the tropical island of Ilha Grande right up until the boat departed for the mainland. Sitting on wooden deck chairs sipping piña coladas at sunset, dining on barbecues cooked on the beach, and taking speed boat trips to idyllic coves for snorkelling have been perfect activities in the last few days to round off the hectic travelling of the previous two months. We also spent a couple of days in the picturesque coastal town of Paraty where we found some great restaurants and some fantastic local music.

So this is it. Not only is this is the end of our time in Brazil, but for me this rounds off ten months in South America. From walking with penguins in southern Chile to dining on Colombia's Caribbean Coast; from horse riding in Argentina to climbing a snow-capped volcano in Ecuador; and from the spectacular Iguassu Falls to the must see ruins of Machu Picchu, what an amazing trip it has been. I hope you have enjoyed reading my posts, and I hope to continue posting more at some point in the future. But for now it is back to reality, probably with a big bump. I hope to see many of you soon - some good old English real ale is calling very loudly.

Posted from the UK, 17th August 2012.