We are currently in Parati which is 250km south of Rio- a 4hour coach journey. We got a very nice room right in the heart of the town which is so pretty and full of people and cafes and bars and shops. We timed our arrival well as there has been a 3 day festival in town, so every night they have music and food stalls. Our first night, our very friendly landlord Nelson (from Equador) took us out to the square and kept buying us shots of the local drink and a very ...

Arrived at 8am in Rio to a very basic hostel. Met some of the girls sharing our room and then headed straight out to Copacabana beach for a drink and wander about the town. Felt at home quickly and the city is a really strong mix of Portugal and America, and you can walk down a street and have a huge mountain towering over you right net to the tower blocks. Went to Maracana football stadium for a quarter final which had an amazing atmosphere and home team won 4-0...