Right, almost two weeks late but I`ve finally had time to briefly run through what I`ve done since I hit South America. Against all expectations travelling solo has been the best decision I`ve possibly ever made. It`s such a good laugh meeting different people every day and you never get a moment to yourself...but it`s been so so incredible so far.

Day 1 - Tue 02 March

12 hour flight, a few good movies then arrived in a hot and humid Rio 11 at night. Quick taxi through the sights and then up to my first dorm to crash for the night.

Day 2 - Wed 03 March

Clung on to an English couple from my dorm room for the first day to get my bearings. We headed up to Christ the Redeemer for the morning, I bought some Havaianas in the afternoon and strolled Copacobana before shaming myself with a Dominos for dinner. In the evening heading to the world´s largest stadium The Maracana to watch Flamengo play against a dreadful team in the cup. Consequently while the atmosphere was good the stadium was only 5% full and nothing compared to the full experience. Met Aoife´s best mate and her boyfriend Steve from Middlesborough (with the apt e'mail address [email protected] - sums him up) - very random and still with them for another week!

Day 3 - Thur 04 March

Did the Favela tour, which was awesome. 200,000 people crammed onto a hillside. Got to ride on the back of a motorbike up to the top, which was class. Also met a girl Rosa from Maths at Durham - again extremely random. Met Sam (Aussie) and Zach (US) who had just been almost mugged and hung out with them for the afternoon around Copacobana and Ipanema. In the evening chilled in the hostel with Helen and Saffron (UK) and a few beers. This random British colonial guy from Botswana (Bohills would`ve loved him) strolled back to our room battered at 6am before taking his shorts off and sleeping naked...bizarre.

Day 4 - Fri 05 March

Fed the monkeys from the rooftop of the hotel!! Rabies?! I´m sure it was fine. Hit the beach again with Sam and Zach. Then met Joel Spotswood and Tash/Kate (Aussies) who became my new best friends for the last 24 hours of Rio. We went to a street party in the dodgiest part of Rio, where everyone gets mugged. A couple of Caiprinhias and Capivodkas, and a big black brazilian man breaking into StevefromBoro`s portaloo and holding a knife to his throat later a few of us headed to The Steps from several rap videos. You`re not really supposed to go there in the day so we went at 2am instead - great laugh! A guy behind us was doing cocaine off the back of his phone and started saying in Portuguese how he`d been to see Coldplay and was obsessed with Yellow. He started singing and after joining in briefly his heart literally melted. Other muggings and partying later we got back at 6am - Best. Night. Ever.

Day 5 - Sat 06 March

Headed to the Sugarloaf with Joel, Tash, Troops (UK) and Sukhi (UK) and then raced around for my last half hour in Rio to do everything I hadn´t done. Had a perfect coconut water on Cococabana before running about desparate to find a Brazil football shirt. After some terrible haggling ran back to the hostel for the taxi to the airport. Had hoped to do the whole trip overland but the flight was considerably cheaper and was 2 hours instead of 23! Made it to a beautiful Hostel in the country where I met Lloyd/Ronnie O`Sullivan and Rich/Iain Dowie (UK) and chilled out with good food by the hostel`s lakes.