Rio is a vibrant city that pulsates to it's own rhythm. The people have an enormous passion for football, music and life in general. With it's lush surroundings and beautiful beaches you can see why Rio has one of the most spectacular settings of any city in the world. We caught the bondinho, which is a rattle trap tram to the bohemian neighbourhood of Santa Teresa. The fare is minimal but free for those courageous enough who want to hang off it's sides. Safety is obviously not an issue here. Also in the area is Ruin Park which offers fantastic views of Pao De Acucar (Sugar Loaf) and the Botafogo area. For the best view of Rio, we went up to Corcovado mountain to see the Christ the Redeemer statue (the largest Art Deco statue in the world). Sadly it was a bit hazy, so the picture perfect shot was unobtainable. From up there, you can understand why Rio harbour is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The scenery is beautiful and the glimpses of beaches and islands are very enticing. When in Rio, a trip to the world famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches is a must. This is where you'll find all the cariocas (residents of Rio) when the sun is shining. Long stretches of powdery sand, brilliant sunshine and swimwear clad buff bodies....what more can you ask for. One evening we watched a football match at Maracana stadium. Flamengo were playing Fulminese. Luckily we were sitting in the winning section. The atmosphere was phenomenal and the crowds' energy was unwavering. It swept you up and participation became automatic. It was an amazing feeling to experience the intensity of such an obvious passion. Unbeknown to us, Ziggy Marley was in town. Being the spontaneous girls that we are, we went along to see him for a bit of a reggae session. They didn't lie about things kicking off late in Latin America. Ziggy only graced us with his presence at 2am and we were only snuggled under our duvets by 5am. We had a fantastic time in Rio but like every city in the world, you need to keep your wits about you because crime is an issue. As we found out first hand on one of our outings downtown. We must have looked like prime beef to the two locals from the favela that scoped us out and started following us. With racing hearts we ducked into the nearest shop to collect our thoughts and calm our nerves. It was a rude awakening to the reality of never letting your guard down.