Rio : The Voyage Home

Mural depicting a somewhat idealised view of Rio.

Almost done with Brazil... I've had a great time here, so glad I came, but... it's going to be good to get home.  I am really quite tired of Portuguese now.  Anyway... no huge hurry, I'm booked on an overnight bus, so, sit around, pack, drink lots of coffee.  Really ought to get going, oh, mine host is getting the churrasco going again .. OK, a plate of meat, rice and beans won't hurt, and then we say our, largely mutually incomprehensible, goodbyes.  Fair play to these people, they've been excellent hosts - in my gratitude I gift them my only slightly broken bicycle - I think it's appreciated.  Hell, I'm sure it's worth something.

Mexico City!  This being the impressive Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Only a three or four mile walk to the bus station, though it seems longer, I've bought a big kit bag, with all my stuff in it this thing is heavy.  Well, easy enough to break the journey up, I stop at various bars, and watch the women's football final in one - Germany somewhat predictably winning.  The bus - is fine, I sleep well enough, though it's an early start in Sao Paulo, 6:30am.  Only a mile to my hotel, via a cafe for a coffee or three... hotel is nothing special, mirror on my bedroom ceiling suggesting the place used to charge by the hour, but not any more.  They let me check in at nine anyway, this is good.

In front of the Angel de la Independencia.

Don't do much with my time in Sao Paulo, not least it rains pretty much the whole time I am there, I do at least find a bar for a last bit of Olympic sport, the men's football gold medal match - Brazil win of course.  I spend much of the next day at the airport, after giving up on trying to buy a bus ticket for later rather than right now.  Well there are worse places to be, and I'm sure not going to miss my flight, farewell Brazil then, it's been fun.

One night flight later and I'm in... Mexico City!  Cheapest option home involved a sixteen hour layover here, OK, time to make a virtue out of necessity then.  I take the metro into the centre, and then that stalwart of city tourism, a hop-on hop-off open top bus, well why not.  And, as it turns out, Mexico City is quite awesome, a veritable smorgasbord of palaces, cathedrals and so forth.  The Zokalo!  Various massive monuments to independence!  Also massive, and cheap, cake.  I have a pleasant day, before retiring to a bar for local beer and many, many nibbles.  They're even showing a repeat of the Olympic closing ceremony which seems appropriate.  Then back to the airport, and a trouble-free flight to Heathrow.  Britain!  Feels like I've been away a long time...

Monkey!

Photos from my trip to Mexico can be found here.