My final couple of days in South America gave me time to sample the delights of Rio before returning to the rain and cold of London. Yesterday I ventured into the north of the city to the Quinta da Boa Vista. It’s the former residence of the Emperors of Brazil, now turned into the Museu National. It’s a fine old building and the park was full of families enjoying the weekend sunshine. The park is next to the Maracana Stadium. They play something called Futebol there. I don’t know what it is but everyone seems obsessed with it here. All the taxi drivers want to know what my team is. Luckily there was not a game on or I wouldn’t have got near the place. Today I spent my last full day exploring the Pão de Açúcar commonly known as the Sugar Loaf. It was fantastic weather with not a cloud in the sky and the views from the top were absolutely stunning. The Cable Car takes you in two stages the 396 meters from Sea level and from the top you can see the whole of Rio laid out before you. From here Rio is surely the most beautiful city in the world with wonderful clear water surrounding vast tracts of Rain forest clinging to mountainous spikes and the city squeezed in the middle. A fantastic way to end my trip in a wonderful country.

Back in Rio de Janeiro state if not quite the city. In Petropolis, a resort town high in the mountains. It is where the citizens of Rio used to come when the city got to muggy. Apparently it is still the home of the Brazillian heir to the throne, Dom Luiz Gastao de Orleans e Braganca. Haven`t seen him yet, but I did see the tomb of his Great Great Grandfather, Dom Pedro II, in the Cathedral. It is a lovely little town set amid some wonderful scenary. Very relaxing before I hit the chaos of Rio

Caught the bus down to São João del Rey yesterday. It`s an old colonial town built in the Gold Rush in the 17th Century, full of old churches. Today I took the local bus to Tiradentes, another colonial town about 10 miles away. It`s set in magnificent countryside below the wonderful Serra de São José mountains. Spent the morning wandering around the town and then did a trek up into the hills for some wonderful views over the town. Part of the trail was on an old stone road built by slaves to link the colonial city`s with Rio, the then capital. Boy it was hot up there but worth it. Plunged straight into the hotel pool when I got back. Cold but refreshing.

Took the local bus out to Pampulha in the north of the city. The whole district is set around an artificial lake so it has a relaxed feel to the area. Visited the Zoo in the morning, which cost a massive $R2, about 60p, take note London Zoo. Mind you the infrastructure wasn`t absolutely top class. The Ecological park next to the lake had its own menagerie of creatures wandering about in the open, including some pig like things and very cute monkeys. Later want for a walk around the lake and came across a traffic jam heading towards the football stadium. Bus after bus filled with chanting enthusiasts. I don`t know who was playing but they certainly took it seriously.

Staying in Belo Horizonte, which means beautiful view, and it certainly lives up to its name. It has a lovely setting amongst the hills. Flew down from Brasilia yesterday with Gol, the easyjet of Brazil. Which was very efficient so bang goes that comparison. The woman next to me was enormous, I think we needed to take on more fuel. Got the bus up to Mangabeiras park today for some wonderful views over the city and lots of hills to walk up

Caught the bus up to the National Park in the outskirts of the city. Had a good walk around the park but didn`t see any of the rare animals that were supposed to be around. Walked back to the City Centre but got caught in a storm and got soaked, even with my brolly. Passed lots of Oscar Niemeyer buildings. and visited the tomb of Juscelino Peretti. Now back in the hotel drying out.

Brasília is a very strange city, a cross between the South Bank Centre, Milton Keynes and the University of East Anglia. It certainly has plenty of green spaces but not many facilities for the pedestrian. Things like pavements are in short supply. Spent most of today wandering around the monuments. Walked down into the centre of Brazilian Government, past the congress and the Presidents office. Visited the modern museum, but I think there was an exhibition from Primary schools around the country, judging by the bric-a-brac exhibited. There are some wonderful buildings in the city, the Cathedral is spectacular, but there are some hideous ones as well. The row of Ministries reminds you of a Southwark Council Estate.

Spent the last two days pottering about Buenos Aires and recovering from the Antarctica trip. It`s a bit of a contrast of temperatures, 32 degrees here at the moment, and I have had to shed several layers. It is nice to be back in dry land, at least the bed has stopped appearing to move now. Spent some time in the nature reserve by the River and then walked the parks around Palmero. Fly back to Brazil this afternoon so better start practising my Portuguese again. My vocabulary is now up to four words!

Awoke at 5am to find us already well down the Beagle Channel. The pilot had come on board at 4am and we had an incredibly smooth return to Ushuaia, 18 days since the departure. We all had to leave the ship by 9 as it was due to leave for another three week cruise that evening. It was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend the trip to anyone.

Had a rather bumpy ride over the Drake Passage, one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world. With plates sliding across dinner tables and chairs playing dodgem around the observation deck. Still all in all we didn’t have it to bad. It’s a long journey, taking two and a half days to cover the 10 degrees of latitude, from our last position off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsular to the relative safety of the Beagle Channel. Previsions are beginning to run out, the fresh fruit ended a few days ago and, disaster, there is no more Hot Chocolate. As we neared Cape Horn the wind eased and we had a fantastic last few hours on the ship with a glorious sunset illuminating the small island on which Cape Horn is situated. As we sailed about 20 Albatross’s were following the ship including four wandering ones, the masters of the skys.

We set sail from Paradise Bay during the night and were woken at 5am for the dramatic trip through the Lemaire channel. The Captain was a bit worried the passage may be blocked by Icebergs but in the end the way was quite clear. Our final trip on land was at Peterman Island, home of more Penguins, this time Adeli and Gentoo ones. We did a couple of short walks up to some glorious vantage points. The Penguins didn’t seem to be admiring the view, they were to worried about stealing rocks from their neighbours nests, provoking some noisy squawking. After breakfast we moved down to the Yalour Islands, our lowest point on the journey at 65 degrees 13 minutes south, as far south as I am every likely to go in my life. Our luck ran out at the very end as a Force 9 gale blew up and we were unable to get of the boat for our final Zodiac cruise. It was blowing a blizzard outside so I think most passengers were relieved. As we had lunch we turned North and headed out to the open sea towards the infamous Drake passage. It’s already getting bumpy and there were several rapid exits at lunch.

Finally arrived on the Antarctic peninsular today with some wonderful views and experiences. Started by cruising down the Neumayer Channel. The scenery was staggering with fantastic mountains, covered in snow and bathed in sunlight on every side. During breakfast we arrived at Port Lockroy, home of a British Antarctic base from 1943-1962 and now restored as a museum, gift shop and the world’s most southerly Post Office. It’s not exactly big. The island the base sits on is about 300 meters in diameter, and the base consists of a few huts lovingly restored. The staff stay for the four months the base is open each year and live in one of the restored huts. They arrived 10 days ago and had to dig the base out of the snow. They get plenty of expedition boats through, but the rest of the time they are totally isolated, with nothing for company but the colony of Gentoo Penguins. This afternoon we moved onto Paradise Bay, dodging massive icebergs as we did. Paradise Bay is so named because of its protection from winds of every direction. We finally set foot on the continent of Antarctica at a disused Argentinean base. The snow was about four feet high but we climbed up to the top of the hill for one of the most stunning views of my life. The vast expanse of the bay was spread before us, the huge mountains towering over massive glaciers inching their way down to the crystal clear waters of the ice cold bay. We were so lucky with the weather. The expedition staff all have tales of gale force winds and blizzards, but we had beautiful sunshine. To celebrate the ship had a bar-b-que in the evening. It’s now 11pm and I’m writing this looking at the bay in the twilight of the Antarctic evening and it is all quite magical.

Overnight we moved to the south part of the South Shetlands archipelago. Another glorious day with bright sunshine illuminating the cloud sheathed mountains towering over the crystal clear waters. First stop today was at Half moon Island. The island stands in the shadow of the magnificent Livingston Island, It’s the home to a wonderful colony of Chinstrap Penguins. Getting to them was quite a challenge as the snow was quite deep. You could walk on it for a while but would find you leg suddenly disappearing as the snow gave way. The Penguins were worth it though as were the fantastic views down the channel. In the afternoon we steamed into the large Caldera of Deception Island. The entrance is a narrow channel named Neptune’s Bellows, which leads to a massive bay inside a collapsed Volcano. The area is still active as indicated by the steam drifting up from the water. It’s all a bit spooky. There was a British Antarctic base on the Island until it was wiped out by a mudslide a few years ago. The buildings are still there, albeit a bit worse for wear. Some of the group did a swim in the hot springs emanating from the ground around the base. I declined as a biting wind was blowing down over the bay.

This morning spent at Elephant Island, a wild and desolate rock in the northern part of the South Shetlands. It was snowing a blizzard when we got here and you could just about make out the glacier through the fog and the snow. The landing spot is a tiny piece of bare rock just below the cliffs. It’s hard to believe that 22 men spent 4 months here when they lost their ship, but that is what happened to Ernest Shackleton’s crew in 1916. How they didn’t go out of their minds is a miracle. We went for a Zodiac cruise and saw some chinstrap penguins clustered on the rocks. This afternoon we moved onto Gibbs Island, further down the chain of islands. The rocks and cliffs around the bay were covered with thousands of chinstraps. Saw a couple of leopard seals, although our boat didn’t see one catch and eat a penguin unlike some of the other zodiacs

It’s a two day journey down across the Scotia Sea towards the Antarctic peninsular. The weather is so changeable. One minute we are in fierce snow storms the next bright sunshine. To accompany our journey a pod of fin whales cruised along about half a mile from the boat the spouts from their blow holes clearly visible. The days were filled with lectures and a visit to the engine rooms. And food of course. The food on this boat is fantastic and all the passengers will probably leave much heavier than they arrived.

Work early and looked out of my cabin window at the wonderful view of Gold Bay. It was simply to gorgeous to stay in bed so I donned my multi layers and ventured onto deck. We left the bay around 6am and the ship chugged along the coast to another splendid location, Cooper bay. As we travelled Icebergs were becoming more and more frequent, and not just little ones, but big Tabular ones. The bay was the location of another Penguin colony, this time Macaroni ones. They nest on cliffs, so up we climbed for a wonderful view over the whole colony. The location was stunning and the weather sublime. It was so good the captain agreed we could take a cruise up Drygalski Fjord. And thank goodness we did. It was simply stunning. A tremendous stretch of water leading up to a vast wall of ice, at the end of a massive glacier. All around mountains soared to tremendous heights with snow capped peaks visible far far above. As we made our way up the channel Albatross’s soared over the ship showing how graceful and elegant flight can be. It must be one of the most beautiful places on the planet and one of the most inaccessible. And there was more to come. As we left the fjord a vast table of ice lay ahead. Apparently is was one of the fragments from the vast B15 ice sheet which broke away from the Ross ice shelf, the other side of Antarctica in 2000. As we went around it the captain measured this ice berg as 36m high and 10km long. It’s presence revealed the reason for all the smaller bergs we had been seeing on the way down. As we got nearer it became more beautiful with the ice turning a brilliant sapphire blue as it meet the water. We left Cape Disappointment anything but. It may have been disappointing to James Cook, who thought he had found a new continent but South Gerogia has been a thrilling experience to all of us on the ship. We set course for South West, next stop Antarctica.

A fantastic day spent literally knee deep in King Penguins. This morning we visited Saint Andrews Bay, home of a massive King Penguin colony. A staggering sight. Everywhere you looked nothing but Penguins. Thousands of chicks, big brown bundles of feathers flapping around. Some walking, some squarking and some running around in blind panic. And then the older birds, strolling about the beach wondering what on earth were all these red jackeded invaders doing. It wasn’t just Penguins. There were the Elephant Seals as well. Massive things grunting and belching and generally defending their neighbourhood.. The Beachmaster with his great hocked nose, covered in scars and wounds gained while protecting his territory, warning all pretenders to keep clear and keep their slimy paws off of his women. And the Fur Seals, snarling and baring their teeth and they tried to prove how strong they were. In the afternoon we moved to Gold Bay, which more than lived up to its name. As we entered the bay a Southern Right Whale left with a flash of its fluke. Not only did the bay have another enormous Penguin Colony, but the whole setting was dominated by a massive glacier on top of a mountain overlooking the bay. As we landed an avalanche sent tons of snow cascading down the cliff. It is a truly beautiful and serene place. After the sun set the whole thing was lit up by the full moon, and from the boat all you could hear was the cornucopia of grunts and squarks from the beach.

Had our first actual landing on South Georgia today. Landed at Fontura Bay, home of a large King Penguin colony. An amazing sight as we walked right up to the colony, picking our way between the fur seals and hoping they would behave. Apparently when they charge you need to stand your ground and clap if you don’t want to be bitten. There was an endless parade of penguins making their way to and from the sea, and in the centre of the colony vast huddles of chicks, shivering in the cold and wet waiting for the return of their parents. From the colony we traced the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton on the last part of his walk across the island. We just climbed over the last ridge into Stromness bay. Shackleton had already walked for 36 hours across the island after several weeks in a rowing boat at sea and 18 months frozen in the ice pack when he did the trek. Some fantastic views over the glaciers and bays as we came down. Stromness has an old Whaling station stations at the bay. It’s rusting and falling apart now, but it gives you a sense of what the place must have been like in the height of the whaling years. After lunch we travelled round to Grytviken - South Georgia town with a population of 25 it is the capital of the islands and the seat of government. The old whaling station has been preserved here and the part of it turned into a museum. It’s very interesting, well worth a visit if you are passing by. Shackleton is buried in the Whalers churchyead and many sailors pay their respects at the graveyard. In the evening we had a barbeque on the ship with some of the locals. The sun came out and it was a glorious setting.

Arrived in islands this morning. A more wild and bleak place can scarcely be imagined, and yet it is teaming with life. We attempted to anchor at Elsehul but conditions were to rough so we moved onto Right Whale bay. It was fantastic. We went for a zodiac cruise past King Penguin, Fur Seals and Elephant Seals, massive great blobs of blubber lying on the beach. This afternoon we moved onto Salisbury Plain, home of a massive King penguin colony. The original plan was to land but it was just to rough so we cruised just off shore, watching the Penguins strolling up and down the beach, watching the fur seals racing up and down, protecting their territory and watching the massive male Elephant seals protecting their harem and making sure their rivals, the so called sneaky breeders, didn’t live up to their name.

It is two days at sea from the Falklands to South Georgia, a distance of over 1000 nautical miles. The ship is an amazing vessel. It was built as an Ice Breaker, which could be useful later, and in 2002 was converted into a polar cruise ship. The maximum number of passengers is 98, although there are 85 on this voyage and 48 staff. About 15 were booked onto a Russian boat, whose voyage was cancelled due to problems with the engine. There is an incredible range of people on board. Mostly British and Swiss but also people from the US, Australia, Finland, Germany, Brazil and India. All ages as well from 20 to 80. The crew are mostly Filipino or Polish. There are also a number of experts on history, ornithology, geology and marine life, so plenty of knowledge around. Getting used to the movement of the ship now. It’s a weird feeling being constantly wobbled from side to side. Like being on the end of a long pole being bounced around. Most disconcerting especially in bed. As we approach South Georgia new protocols kick in. All our outer clothes and bags need to be vacuumed to prevent and non indigenous seeds being introduced. We have crossed the Antarctic convergence and so am now firmly in Antarctic waters. During dinner the bridge announced an iceberg had been spotted and everyone reced outside for a first view. Simply stunning. A massive cathedral of ice standing proud over a moonlit sea.

Woke up to find the ship chugging up the narrow channel to Port Stanley. After breakfast we were ferried over to spend most of the day in the town. It’s a strange place with just over 2000 residents, 85% of the Islands population. The houses are very varied, some of brick looking like a seaside boarding house from Eastbourne, some of wood and some of metal. There are some very new buildings including a new hospital and school, and of course there is Government House, central to so many proceedings in the 1982 war. The place is certainly bleak. Today was sunny but the wind still whistled over the mountains into the bay, whipping up the water and blasting the skin. What it must be like in the winter you can only guess. Prices are all in Pounds, so no complicated calculations to do, which was a relief for this poor Englishman. Visited the Museum and the Cemetery, including the memorial guardian which contains a shrub for every British service man killed in the 1982 war. Very moving to see them all laid out. Had a walk up Thatcher drive, a rather nondescript back alley, and then back to the boa

Arrived overnight in the Falkland Islands and awoke to a fantastically good day. We were anchored in the bay off New Island, part of the Western Islands, in glorious sunshine, which apparently is unusual in these parts. After breakfast we were ferried into the community, which consists of two houses just about as remote as you can be. To get to Stanley there is a 10 hour boat ride, although a helicopter is sometimes available. There was a track which led past an old wreck up onto some cliffs which were alive with Albatross, Penguins and Cormorants. It was a stunning site and fascinating just to sit and observe. The Black Browed Albatross’s so graceful in the air and so clumsy on the ground. Most of them sitting on high mud built nests and seemed untroubled by the presence of so many red jacketed tourists invading their space. Alongside them the Rock Hopper penguins, living up to their name and hopping by with a curious look. How on earth did they manage to hop up to the top of the cliffs and just how long did it take them? And then there were the Cormorants whistling past and landing to dig out clumps of dirt to make a nest. The afternoon was just as good as we moved up the archipelago to West Point Island and another wonderful colony. The same family has lived on the island for seven generations. The two current owners, now in their eighties, were very welcoming and gave us tea and cake. Again stunningly good weather, with sapphire blue seas contrasting against the velvet green grass. And to cap it all as we powered back to the ship on the Zodiac boats, we were greeted by a pod of dolphins playing in the wake of the boat.

Yesterday I joined the boat in Ushuaia and set off down the Beagle channel. Fantastic scenery along the channel and as we left the channel we had a wonderful snowstorm. Had a safety briefing and were warned it would be rough. Apparently heading into a force 9 storm. The doctor happily dishing out sea sickness pills. I declined. Could have been a big mistake but this morning was a lovely sunny morning in the south Atlantic and despite the swell I felt OK. Some not so lucky although most people are starting to get their sea legs. It was wonderful standing on the back of the ship looking at the Albatross`s and Pectorals following us. A glorious feelings being so far from the hustle of the modern world. A tanny announced the results of the US presidential race and it didn’t seem to matter less.

Today I join the ship which will take me as far south as you can reasonably go, down to the shores of the Antarctic. I will be out of Internet access for three weeks so won`t be able to blog. I`ll keep a note of what happens and hopefully update everything when I get back to Buenos Aires in 3 weeks time.

Down at the Fin del Mundo or the end of the world. Staying in Ushuaia capital of Tierra del Fuego and the southernmost city in the World. The town certainly feels remote, surrounded by mountains. The locals seem to spend their days circling the town in their cars. It`s the thing to do. Either that or parking fees are horrendous and they have to keep moving. Today we got the bus out to the National park, stunning scenery and lots of bird life. A very close encounter with a large woodpecker, which I`m still not sure wasn`t a puppet. Tomorrow we set sail for Antarctica.

Spent today exploring the Ciudad de la Santissima Trinidad y Puerto de Nuestra Senora la Virgen Maria de los Buenos Aires, Thank goodness they shortened the name. The change of language is a bit of a pain. I keep saying obligado when I mean gracias. It`s been a beautiful sunny day today, despite this website saying it is raining. The hotel is fantastic, it`s an old Tango house. It`s so posh the toilet flushes with hot water.

So new day new country. Drove down to Port Alegre yesterday and returned the hire car. It was quite a shock coming down from the alpine atmosphere in the hills to the muggy heat of the port city. Sat by the river and watched the joggers pounding the sidewalk, the one legged homeless man having a shower and the beggars going through the rubbish bins looking for tin cans to recycle. From Port Alegre it was a choice of 18 hours in a bus, or 90 minutes in a plane to get to Buenos Aires, so I went for the plane. Six hours on a bus was more than enough. Had a fantastic view off the city, bathed in sunshine as we flew in. Wandered around this afternoon. Saw the flag being lowered outside the Casa Rosada as well as a demo passing by. Not sure what it was for but it involved a lot of moterbikes. There was a tango going on in the street. They were looking for volunteers but I didn`t offer.

Spent today exploring some of the Canyons of the Serra Gaúcha. Started with the Canyon de Fortaleza, 23km down a dirt track from Cambara do Sul. Unfortunately the Canyon was full of cloud so I didn`t get the best views, however what I saw in the rare gaps was stunning. It was amazing sitting on a rock on the edge of the 900m drop with nothing but clouds around. I felt like Mary Poppins on her cloud. This afternoon travelled down to Canela and did a couple more Canyons, this time in the sunshine. Staying at Gramado. It was settled by Germans and Italians so blond hair and blue eyes are the local fashion. The town is very Swiss with chalets and chocolate everywhere.

Still have my hire car, and today ventued onto the brazillian motorways, quite an experience. Drove down the coast to Torres, just over the border in Rio Grande do Sul , it has a lovely location by the sea with wonderful views from the lighthouse above the town. This afternoon had a somewhat frustrating drive, mainly due to the Brazillian`s lack of road signs. I think they must be expecting Uruguay to invade and so have had them all removed. The roads are not in the best of shape and I got completely lost in the rural lanes. After two hours of what should have been a 30 minute drive, I finally saw the church in the town square I was aiming for. On the other side of a bloody big river. So near yet so far. Eventually I made my way to Cambará do Sul. It was worth it as I is in a lovely location high in the mountains of the Sierra Geral. Not many tourists about, I am the only guest in my hotel. It made their day when I turned up.

Spent today in the south of the Island. Tried to find a nature trail over the hill but got rather lost and ended up in a small stream. Great views though and I saw parts of the Island most tourists don`t get to experience. Weather a bit better today but still rain on and off.

Yesterday got the bus down to Florianópolis the capital of Santa Catarina. It`s a strange city as part is on the Ilha de Santa Catarina and part on the mainland. I`m staying in the historic centre which is on the Island. Spent yesterday afternoon wandering around and then today hired a car to try to see something of the Island. Weather hasn`t been the best with Thunderstorms rumbling throughout the day and heavy rain this afternoon. Did manage to get some long walks along the beaches which were filled with surfers making the most of the waves. Thank goodness I brought a brolly.

Spent today exploring more of the city of Curitiba. It`s a lovely place, by far the most relaxing city I`ve been in since I arrived in Brazil, with many parks and squares to spend time in. Visited the Jardim Botânico this morning and then took a trip up the Telecom tower for a wonderful view over the whole city. In the afternoon I took the tourist bus which loops the city taking in all the points of interest. Heading further south tomorrow.

Took the Serra Verde Express across the mountains down towards the coast. It is an amazing piece of engineering, travelling through tunnels hacked through Granite, Viaducts hundreds of feet above raging rivers and tracks clinging onto the edge of mountains. As the crow files it`s only about 70km, but the train takes three hours to wind its way down the mountain. Weather wasn`t all it could be, with low cloud hiding some of the views this morning, although it was a lot better this afternoon coming back. The end stop was Morretes and charming little town on the banks of the Rio Nhundiaquara.

Took the bus down to Curitiba, in the state of Paransa. Another long bus journey, seven hours this one, but went through some lovely countryside. Staying in a hotel opposite the Bus station, which saves my legs or the hassle of a taxi. Very handy actually as I am planning to go on a train trip into the mountains tomorrow, and the train station is right next door to the Rhodovaria. My Portuguese is slowly improving, I’m just about managing to buy bus tickets. It was hopeless in the snack bar though. Just had to take a random punt. Very nice food, except for the green wiggley thing in my salad. As I couldn’t understand the menu it may have been an extra.

Spent the morning back in the centre of the city. It`s amazing how much more relaxing it felt with the sun out and hundreds of workers milling around. This afternoon wandered down to the Parque do Ibirapuera. I was planing to visit a few museums or even the Zoo today, but it`s Monday so they were all closed. Had to make do with wandering around the lake and admiring the Sky Scrapers in the distance. Moving down to Parana tomorrow.

Yesterday left a very wet Paraty and inched my way along the coast to São Paulo. The trip followed the coast for many miles and the stormy weather didn`t seem to put off the surfers who were out in droves. São Paulo is a massive city, the biggest in Brazil and the second biggest in all the Americas, it just lags behind Mexico City. Am staying in the Jardins area of the city which is quite lively if a bit hilly. My calf muscles are getting quite a workout. Today ambled into the centre of the city for a look at some museums and monuments. I went into the Cathedral but there was a show going on. Lots of men in funny costumes throwing smoke and water around. Some sort of Pantomime I guess. Just been for a snack in the shopping center. It was a pay per Kilo restaurant so you chose what you want and pay for it by weight. Excellent idea.

Pottered around Paraty during the day. Went in a few churches but they were full of statues of Christ complete with authentic bleeding wounds. I hadn`t had my lunch so didn`t stay long. Visited the Casa da Cultura and the Forte Defensor Perpetuo. Fantastic views over the bay. The Fort had a display of relics from the slave trade. Call me uninformed, but I didn`t realise just how big the slave trade was in Brazil. 40% of all slaves transported from Africa ended up in Brazil and the practice wasn`t outlawed until 1888. We are so used to thinking about slavery in the United States you forget there were many other countries which suffered appalling regimes and caused tremendous suffering around the world. Rain in the afternoon so I retired to the Pousada pool.

Spent today on a boat cruising around many of the little islands which surround Paraty. It was an interesting voyage as I was the only non Portuguese speaking person on the boat, so every move was an adventure. In the end it was great fun. Lots of stopping for swimming. One thing about the Brazilian`s is they don`t mind getting their kit off, no matter how past their prime they are. My shipmates were not in the first flush of youth and I don`t think I`ve ever seen so much exposed Cellulite or overhanging beer bellies, combined with skimpy swimwear.

Left the intensity of the city of Rio and headed East along the coast to the charming colonial town of Paraty. It was a five hour bus journey, which was quite a lot seeing as I have hardly moved on the map. Most of the time was spent in jams getting out of Rio. Finding the correct bus was a bit of a challenge. If anyone wants to buy Rio Bus Station a departures board it would be very much appreciated. As it is you need to track down the bus company who is going your way and then try to buy a ticket. Paraty certainly is a contrast to the city. Very relaxing with no hassles. The waterfront is gorgeous looking out onto several small Islands. Hoping to get a boat trip out around them tomorrow.

Spent most of the day in Centro, the main business section of the city, but also home to a few museums and churches. Incredibly hot again, takes some getting used to after a summer in England. Walked back to Copacabana, a trip which involved a very steep hill. What a strange place to put a city. Off down the coast tomorrow as I work my way down towards Argentina.

Took the cog train up the mountain to see the view from Christ`s lofty perch, and it is some view. I can see why he looked so small now, it`s a very long way up. 710 meters high in fact and the view is absolutely staggering. You can see the whole city from the airport in the North to Ipanema in the south, spread out at your feet. The hill I sweated and panted up yesterday, to get a view over the Lagoa, looks like a little pimple far far below. It was packed up there mind you, and you had to be careful picking your way through the bodies prostrate before the saviour. Not because of any religious passion, it was the only way to get a decent photograph of him.

Spent the day at the seaside. Well if seaside is the correct word for the vast expanse of sun kissed sand they is just a block from my hotel. Copacabana was heaving with locals and tourists alike taking the morning eea air. The was a marathon in the morning, why is it wherever I go I always end up getting tangled up in a marathon. This afternoon wandered over to Ipanema and then around the Lagona. Although it was a bit hazy got very sunburnt.

Long flight down to Rio, via Lisbon. Very smooth and I slept most of the way. First impressions of Rio are of a massive city, built around stunning scenery. The trip from the airport was fascinating. One thing that surprised me was how small the figure of Christ looked up on the hill. You are so used to seeing it close up you think it is massive. It probably is when you get up close, but the old chap gets a bit lost in the hills. Staying in Copacabana just a block from the beach. Just went out for a walk as the sun was going down and the place was heaving.

Spent my last full day in India by wandering up Marine Drive towards the Malabar Hills area. Visited the house where Gandhi stayed when he visited Bombay. It`s now a museum full of memorabilia, including his letter to Hitler suggesting he call the whole war off. I surpose it was worth a try. Getting ready to leave. It will be a shock to get back to London, where no one shouts hello as you walk down the street. I`ve got quite used to it.

After a quiet day in Paniji, caught the overnight train up to Mumbai. It was all incredibly efficient and reasonably comfortable. We all had sheets and a pillow and it was quite soothing being rocked to sleep. Met an Indian couple who were going back to Delhi where they work for New Delhi TV. Their heroes are Lyse Doucet and Manisha Tank. Arrived in Mumbai at 6am, bang on time. It was still dark , so I dumped my stuff at the station and went to explore Bombay waking up. It was amazingly quiet, although all around there were signs that the city was waking up. Got to the Gateway of India just as dawn was breaking and saw the sunrise over the arch. Mumbai hasn’t changed that much since I was last here in 1996. The city is still very different to the rest of India. A real contrast of the haves and have nots. You can be watching children in posh school uniforms play cricket on the Oval Maiden, and suddenly feel a tap on your leg from a three year old beggar who wants money so he can get something to eat. As the sun went down I walked up to Chowpatty Beach and had a head massage. It was intense.

Took a trip out to Old Goa, clinging to the back of a motorbike taxi. It`s the old Portuguese capital, from were the state was run from for a few hundred years before malaria and Cholera forced the inhabitants nearer the coast. It still has some amazing old churches in various states of ruin. One, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, houses the body of  St. Francis Xavier. Apparently the body is incorruptible and you can still see the old boy lying inside. Every ten years they take him out for an airing and millions of pilgrims come to pay their respects. Form what I could see he did look a bit withered. He`s missing an arm as well as it was hacked of and sent to the Pope, where it magically wrote his name. Paul Daniels has nothing on these Siants. There is also a wondrous cross on which the figure of Jesus has been known to move and attempt to speak. No words were heard, so not quite as skillful as Ray Allen, but I guess it gives Emu a run for his money. Walked back to Panjim so have a few more blisters.

Took a trip up the river Mandovi into the backwaters of Goa. very hot but quite relaxing sitting on the deck watching the palm trees glide by. We stopped for lunch at a spice plantation in the interior. Lots of explanation of how different spices are made and their benefits or side effects. Don`t eat pineapple if you are pregnant. The lunch was a typical Goan mean and incredibly tasty, although I did crunch on something which was rather hotter than I was expecting, and was rather alarmed at the steam which started coming out of my ears.

Headed into Panaji, or Punjim, the capital of Goa. It`s quite a shock how small Goa is. I`ve been used to traveling vast distanced in this country to get anywhere, but the trip into Panaji only took an hour on the bus. Staying in a lovely hotel based on an old Portuguese mansion. The whole city has a gentler, laid back feeling that the rest of India doesn`t have. It`s just pleasant wandering the streets looking at the building s and enjoying the Sunshine. You still get hustled by the children, begging you to give them a pen or some money, but it doesn`t seem so insistent.

Caught the passenger train into the former Portuguese enclave of Goa, a couple of hours north. Spending the night at Colva, on the coast. A bit of a resort but with a long wonderfully sandy beach, filled with Indian families on a Sunday afternoon out. According to the local paper I missed a bit of excitement in the mroning as police had to break up am illegal bullfight, however I saw no sign of trouble and it was all over by the time my rickshaw trundled into town.

Gokarna, or Gokan, is an ancient village site on the coast in the north of Karnataka. It`s one of the most holy sites in Hinduism, as it`s where Shiva was reborn through a cow`s ear. Consequently the place is full of Hindu pilgrims taking the waters and parading around the village making offerings. It also has some fantastic beaches which is what brings the western backpackers. Spent most of the day lazing around on the beach, watching the pilgrims and the holiday makers and wandering over the coastal paths. Internet a bit dodgy here so I can`t upload pictures. Will do when I can.

Gokarna, or Gokan, is an ancient village site on the coast in the north of Karnataka. It`s one of the most holy sites in Hinduism, as it`s where Shiva was reborn through a cow`s ear. Consequently the place is full of Hindu pilgrims taking the waters and parading around the village making offerings. It also has some fantastic beaches which is what brings the western backpackers. Spent most of the day lazing around on the beach, watching the pilgrims and the holiday makers and wandering over the coastal paths. Internet a bit dodgy here so I can`t upload pictures. Will do when I can.