Rio (not the Duran Duran version)

After the gentle playing-cards-in-the-evening pace of Tigre, returned for a final run through BA. Went to the Palermo area for a wander. Its renowned as the bohemian zone so joss sticks and El Che posters were bursting from every shop window, and I did watch a rather good student juggler practise his stuff for a bit. Buenos Aires was then closed with the grandest piece of steak I`ve tasted, a mighty meaty fine finale.

We left Jon and Leila to explore Argentina at a more sedate pace, and moved on to Rio de Janeiro. We ended up somehow at the ultimate party hostel, full of young english on the rise-at-midday-and-go-clubbing-till-5 sorta diet. Despite it being a samba town, the last thing that appeals to me on a holiday is going to a nightclub in the early hours (at 50$nz), but nevertheless we`ve fit in ok.

They put on a rather excellent Capoiera show for us - a combo of dancing and martial-arts where the practitioner spends a lot of time in a handstand position. I managed to evade being dragged on the floor by the smiling assassin capoiera master, who was eager to bring biguns like me down to size - anyone who`s seen my athletic prowess knows I would`ve taken out the crowd attempting the cartwheels the demanded. (Beth however charged on the floor to show her stuff).

We`ve explored a bit of Rio, we`re on Copacabana beach so explored that a bit, and neighbouring Ipanema ( I didn`t find her). I did watch a beach football game between a bunch of 17-19ish looking guys, and though their skills were superb - immaculate first touch - it was a brutal rather than beautiful game. If you didn`t get rid of it in 2 touches someone would be scything in with a foot waist high to knock you over. I think they were good enough that it was all or nothing to try and get noticed by someone bigger. Great intense game though, coaches running screaming onto the pitch, and jubilation as about 20 supporters ran on to swamp the guy who scored the winner.

We took a wonderful rickety tram through the cobblestoned St Tereza, with a showman driver who stopped to jaw at all the passers-by and came to a halt half-way up to wander into a restaurant and pick up his lunch.

Also hit the two big city views - the landmark Christ the Redeemer (which is not quite as big as expected up close, but does loom over the city from just about every angle); and the Sugarloaf, a massive rock on the coast that needs two trams to reach, and gives commanding views of all. Both worthwhile, though the prices were definitely touristic rather than local.