The law and order of an airport was a fresh experience for us both.  The loud speaker announcing instructions in English and the orderly queues felt almost alien to us after the last 8 months of overland crossings in remote places.  As we were politely herded onto a waiting bus and then onto a shiny looking plane to take us to Brazil, we were both experiencing mixed feelings about our final foray in South America.

Our adventure on the Americas was drawing to a close but what better way to celebrate the end of the road with a few days in Rio De Janeiro. We had booked an apartment on Copacabana Beach for 4 nights of relaxing and contemplation of normal life again after nearly 8 months. Rio was hot, sunny and full of life. We had previously been warned about our safety in this huge city and yet as we explored we were surprised by the relaxed atmosphere. Perhaps our time on the road had accustomed us to accepting our surroundings and blending in or perhaps Rio really was improving things.

We hired bikes and enjoyed the miles and miles of cycle lanes that Rio now boasts. After hosting both the World Cup and Olympics in the past 5 years it is clear that a huge amount of money has been spent on the infrastructure here.

With the bikes returned safely to the hire shop it was time to relax on the World famous Copacabana beach for a few hours. Tom was bored after several minutes and headed for the sea and it’s huge waves to occupy himself. Meanwhile Lorna enjoyed doing very little whilst soaking up the rays.

We concluded our touristy mini break with an evening on Sugar Loaf mountain and a fantastic sun set behind Christ the Redeemer. As the sun set we were bound for a long day of travelling to get us back to Blighty and a catch up with family and friends.  This chapter of our travels was closing but we both knew it is just the start of the book.